LSU freshman tight end, Arik Gilbert is opting out of the rest of the season, according to the Tigers’ head coach Ed Orgeron.
Gilbert is reportedly thinking about transferring due to him being home sick.
This brings about the question of where will Gilbert land if he was to transfer. The two obvious choices for Gilbert to play closer to home are Georgia and Georgia Tech, but could Alabama football be the perfect fit for the incredible talent?
Of course, Tuscaloosa is not as close to Gilbert’s hometown of Marietta, Georgia as Atlanta or Athens, but it would put him closer to home.
After all, Alabama was a huge player in Gilbert’s recruitment. Many felt that he would choose the Tide over LSU on the day he announced his verbal commitment to the Tigers.
Alabama’s coaching staff and Gilbert are also obviously not strangers.
In an interview at the Nike Opening Regional, Gilbert said he had a great relationship with Alabama’s tight end coach Jeff Banks, and he respected Alabama’s program as a whole.
“It is the way they prepare their guys,” Gilbert told reporters. “All of their programs are amazing.”
Then there is the bright future that looks to be ahead of Alabama’s offense, which a tight end like Gilbert could really benefit from. The Tide’s Sophomore tight end, Jahleel Billingsley is making it even more evident that an athletic tight end can flourish in Alabama’s high-octane offense. Alabama pitched this fit to Gilbert during the recruitment process.
“He (Jeff Banks) is basically saying than me and Irv Smith’s games are similar, and I will fit into their system pretty well,” Gilbert said
Alabama has increased their push to add more athletic tight ends to their roster and this trend is expected to continue as an athletic tight end brings a new dimension to the Tide’s offense. However, they have not been consistently successful at adding receiving tight ends. The 2021 recruiting cycle is expected to yield similar results as the Tide’s lone tight end pledge, Robbie Ouzts is not known for his ability to stretch the field. Neither is 2020 tight end, Caden Clark, who took a grayshirt and will enroll in January.
Gilbert has proven he can do that and more. At 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds, Gilbert is put together really well and possesses freak-like athleticism. Through eight games, the Georgia product had 35 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns despite LSU struggling on offense.
There has been no official decision released on whether Gilbert will transfer or not. If he does decide to, it would not be a huge surprise if Alabama is in the mix.
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
