Gabriel Birnbaum
DE
6-3, 262 lbs
Coconut Creek, FL
Monarch High School
The Florida Atlantic football program has received a mid-season pledge from Gabriel Birnbaum, a recruit who currently plays on the defensive line of Monarch High School.
“Since I was young, I was always interested in playing there because it’s kind of right where I used to live,” Birnbaum said on his decision to come to FAU, as he used to play at Boca Raton High School.
“There’s been a lot of stuff that has made me want to go there; because of the coaching staff, the stadium is beautiful, and them moving into the new conference. All of that combined is really good.”
Committing to FAU on Saturday, Birnbaum displays a strong tackling ability within the Knights’ defensive line. During his junior year last season, he finished with a whopping 62 tackles (47 solo) including 33 for a loss of yardage.
He also had 14 sacks to show for it, demonstrating his efficient skill to get to the quarterback and stop the opponent’s plays. His performances earned him a spot on the Class 4M All-State team.
With his senior year underway, he currently has 24 tackles including six sacks in four games so far this season. He also recently won Defensive Player of the Week for the week of September 13th-16th thanks to his showing against Piper High School, where he made seven tackles and two sacks in a convincing 32-6 victory.
The night before he announced his commitment to the Owls, he posted a stat-line of nine tackles for a loss of yardage and a pair of sacks.
His junior highlights from 2022 can be seen below:
Birnbaum chose the Owls over FIU and Bethune-Cookman among others.
“I know that they play vertical football and I really enjoy getting vertical and making plays in the backfield,” Birnbaum said.
“I know some of their D-lineman are two-gap players and I really enjoy stuff like that. Just kind of having the option to just ball out. And I just think my explosiveness will help me really succeed in that kind of defense.”
As a defensive end, he will be suiting up for defensive line coach Roosevelt Maggitt when he arrives in Boca Raton. The team will also be getting an intuitive scholar with Birnbaum having a 3.5 overall GPA (4.06 weighted) while being on the Bright Futures scholarship.