How Fresno State Running Back Turned a Championship High School Career Into a College Opportunity
From Seattle to Huntington Beach, Julius Gillick built his reputation as a productive high school running back before joining the Fresno State Bulldogs. Now wearing No. 24, the redshirt freshman is beginning to translate his prep success into meaningful opportunities at the college level.
For a running back, production is one measure of success. Consistency, adaptability and the ability to contribute within a larger offensive system matter just as much. Julius Gillick arrives at Fresno State with a high school résumé built on substantial rushing production, individual honors and a state championship. His next challenge is turning that foundation into a lasting role in college football.
Gillick's path to the Bulldogs began in Seattle, Washington, before taking him to Southern California, where he attended Edison High School in Huntington Beach. There, he established himself as a productive offensive player, finishing his high school career with 2,489 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns, according to Fresno State's official player biography.
The transition from high school standout to college running back requires more than carrying impressive statistics into a new program. It demands adjustment to faster competition, more complex schemes and increased physical demands. During his early seasons at Fresno State, Gillick has begun that process, moving from a limited freshman appearance in 2025 to a more involved role during the 2026 season.
- Full Name: Julius Gillick
- Sport: American football
- Position: Running back
- Jersey Number: 24
- Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
- Weight: 215 pounds
- Hometown: Seattle, Washington
- High School: Edison High School, Huntington Beach, California
- Previous School: Garfield High School, Seattle, Washington
- College: Fresno State University
- Current Team: Fresno State Bulldogs
- Class: Redshirt freshman
Gillick's football journey began in Seattle, where he attended Garfield High School. He later moved to Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, continuing his development in a different high school football environment.
At Edison, Gillick emerged as a productive running back whose contributions extended beyond rushing attempts. His high school totals included 2,489 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, 300 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Those numbers demonstrate involvement in both the ground game and the passing attack.
His accomplishments earned recognition beyond his school. Gillick was named a Sports Illustrated First Team All-American, Orange County Player of the Year, CIF Division III Player of the Year and ALPHA League Offensive Player of the Year, according to Fresno State's roster biography.
These honors established a strong foundation for his move to college football. They also reflected the level of production that helped distinguish him among high school players.
Gillick's high school career reached a significant milestone when Edison captured the 2025 California State 1A Championship. The title gave his final high school season a team achievement to accompany his individual accolades.
Fresno State offered Gillick the opportunity to continue his career at the collegiate level. The Bulldogs' official roster lists him at 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, with running back as his position. His listed physical measurements provide context for his role, although they do not independently establish his speed, strength or other performance characteristics.
His first college season came in 2025. Gillick appeared late in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl against Miami (Ohio), recording two carries for 16 yards. Fresno State subsequently redshirted him, preserving a season of eligibility under the applicable rules.
The appearance was limited, but it represented his first documented game action for the Bulldogs. Rather than judging his college prospects on a brief debut, his development is better understood as a progression from high school production to gaining experience in a collegiate offensive system.
By the 2026 season, Gillick was listed as a redshirt freshman. His game appearances showed a growing contribution to Fresno State's running game, with opportunities to carry the ball against different opponents.
Against Sacramento State on September 12, he rushed seven times for 39 yards, including a 33-yard run. The performance illustrated his capacity to generate a substantial gain on an individual carry, even while working within a developing college role.
He followed with five carries for 19 yards against San José State on September 19. Against Rice on September 26, he recorded six carries for 14 yards and a rushing touchdown. That score marked an important early milestone in his college career: his first documented college rushing touchdown.
Gillick added four carries for 21 yards and another rushing touchdown against Washington State on October 3. He then recorded three carries for 16 yards against Boise State on October 10.
In Fresno State's October 17 game against San Diego State, Gillick rushed six times for 25 yards and scored twice. The performance gave him another opportunity to contribute in the red zone, where a running back's ability to finish drives can be especially valuable.
Across those seven games, the available game-by-game figures total 34 carries, 143 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. These figures describe his documented production through October 17, 2026, rather than a final-season total.
Gillick's statistical record offers several useful indicators of his early college role. His 39-yard performance against Sacramento State demonstrated the ability to produce a significant gain, while his touchdowns against Rice, Washington State and San Diego State showed that he was receiving opportunities near the goal line.
His rushing production has varied from game to game. That is not unusual for a young running back learning to contribute within a college offense, where carries can depend on the game situation, personnel groupings and the overall offensive plan. The statistics alone, however, cannot establish why his workload or efficiency changed.
Gillick has also recorded receiving contributions. Against San José State, he caught one pass for 20 yards, and against Washington State, he added one reception for six yards. Those plays provide evidence of limited involvement in the passing game, although the available numbers are not sufficient to establish his overall ability as a receiver or his responsibilities in pass protection.
At 215 pounds, Gillick has the listed build of a college running back capable of being deployed in different situations.
The strongest assessment at this stage is rooted in his results: Gillick arrived at Fresno State with significant high school rushing production and has begun contributing both rushing yards and touchdowns at the collegiate level.
Gillick's accomplishments span individual recognition and team success. His high school résumé includes four notable honors: Sports Illustrated First Team All-American, Orange County Player of the Year, CIF Division III Player of the Year and ALPHA League Offensive Player of the Year.
His Edison career totals 2,489 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, 300 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns provide the clearest numerical summary of his high school production. Winning the 2025 California State 1A Championship added a team accomplishment to those individual achievements.
At Fresno State, his early highlights include a 39-yard run against Sacramento State, his first college rushing touchdown against Rice and a two-touchdown performance against San Diego State in October 2026. These milestones mark the beginning of his collegiate record rather than a completed career résumé.
Gillick's public biography provides some personal details beyond football. He is the son of Greg and Robin Gillick and has three siblings. His listed sports hero is Michael Penix Jr., the quarterback known for his college career at Washington and Indiana.
Fresno State also lists Gillick as someone who speaks Spanish and Swedish in addition to English. Academically, he is majoring in history, giving his college experience a documented dimension beyond athletics.
As of October 18, 2026, Gillick is listed on Fresno State's roster as a redshirt freshman. His seven-game statistical record through October 17 shows that he has become part of the Bulldogs' rushing rotation, with 143 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries.
The two-touchdown outing against San Diego State represents his most recent documented scoring performance. It gives him a concrete achievement to build on as Fresno State continues its season.
His next stage of development will depend on how he performs when opportunities arise and how he fits into the team's evolving offensive needs. Continued production, consistency and contributions in different offensive situations could help him pursue a larger role. Those remain possibilities, not confirmed predictions about his future standing on the team.
It is too early to define Gillick's long-term legacy at Fresno State. His college career is still developing, and his existing statistics do not establish future awards, records or leadership responsibilities.
What can be established is the foundation he brings to the program: strong high school rushing numbers, multiple individual honors, a state championship and an early college record that includes several touchdowns. These achievements give him a credible starting point as he continues adjusting to collegiate football.
His eventual impact will be measured by what follows whether he can sustain his production, expand his responsibilities and contribute consistently to the Bulldogs' success. For now, his progress is best evaluated through verified performances rather than assumptions about what his career must become.
Julius Gillick's story is one of progression. From Garfield High School in Seattle to Edison High School in Huntington Beach, he developed into a productive running back whose achievements earned recognition across California and beyond. The 2025 state championship provided a team milestone, while his move to Fresno State opened a new chapter against stronger competition.
His early college appearances have already produced tangible results, including a 39-yard run, his first rushing touchdown and a two-touchdown performance against San Diego State. Those moments do not guarantee future success, but they establish a foundation on which he can continue to build.
For Gillick, the challenge now is to turn promise into sustained production. Wearing No. 24 for the Fresno State Bulldogs, he remains an emerging running back with a documented record of achievement and an unfinished college journey. The significance of his career will ultimately depend on how he develops from this point forward.
