Georgia football: LSU transfer Arik Gilbert impressing coaches, teammates

Georgia football appears to have a one-of-a-kind talent in LSU transfer Arik Gilbert. According to teammates, the former five-star prospect is worthy of all the hype that has come his way.

“He’s as advertised,” Bulldog safety Lewis Cine said. “He brings a whole lot to the table as far as our offense. He’s big, he can move. He can really move. He’s a really talented guy. Real quiet but he goes about his business and he knows what he’s here for.”

Gilbert is a native of Marietta, Georgia, but opted to play his freshman year with the Tigers. He finished with 35 catches for 368 yards. He decided to transfer back home to Georgia in the offseason and is immediately eligible to play due to a change in NCAA transfer rules.

He was the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2020 class according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-5, 248 pound sophomore will likely immediately emerge as the Bulldogs’ go-to target. Despite all the hype, coach Kirby Smart isn’t ready to guarantee a big role for Gilbert.

“I think learning is the key,” Smart said. “He’s got to learn the system, words really. I would almost say vocabulary, learning how we practice, how to learn our stuff at a fast rate. That’s the key for him.

“I do know that having skill players that can light up the scoreboard and score points is certainly critical. I think that we’ve been able to close the gap in terms of if the standard was Alabama or LSU and their offenses, we’ve probably closed that gap.”

By all appearances, Georgia sounds ready to let Gilbert loose. He played tight end for the Tigers, but will move to receiver in 2021. Expect him to be used in a variety of ways once he settles in and learns the scheme.

The Bulldogs ranked sixth in the SEC in total offense last season and seventh in passing offense. Another year under the belt of quarterback JT Daniels plus the addition of more weapons should help them improve. The defense is typically solid under Smart, and an explosive offense could take Georgia far.

It finished this past season 8-2, including a victory against Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. It did not make the SEC Championship Game, as it lost to Florida during the regular season. Many predict the Bulldogs not only to get to their conference title game, but also the Playoff in 2021.

If they do, Arik Gilbert is a name many around the country will soon know.

Photo courtesy of Gus Stark/Collegiate Images/Getty Images.