Nate Gilliam is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee and played his prep ball for Farragut High School where he was a member of the 6A First-Team All-State squad, a team captain as a senior, and the District 4AAA Lineman of the Year. He wound-up committing to Wake Forest as a three-star prospect.
After redshirting his first year on campus, Gilliam became a contributor on special teams and earned the first start of his career against Louisville in 2016. In 2017, he saw his career starts triple as he got the nod for the Appalachian State and Georgia Tech games in his sophomore season.