Arik Gilbert enters transfer portal, moving on from Georgia football
Arik Gilbert is moving on from the Georgia program. DawgsHQ has learned that the redshirt sophomore has entered his name into the NCAA’s student-athlete transfer portal. Persons of knowledge of the situation indicate that his time at Georgia is over.
The former-five-star prospect joined the Georgia football team during the summer prior to the 2021 National Championship run. He appeared in three of Georgia’s 28 games of the past two seasons with two catches for 16 yards and a touchdown.
It was Gilbert’s first touchdown catch in over two years. It came on a third and goal toss from Carson Beck and it came just a few plays after Arik Gilbert caught his first pass as a Bulldog.
“It was great,” Smart said after the game. “It was great for that kid confidence wise, to get that kid something to celebrate.”
Gilbert has dealt with off-field struggles since arriving on campus in Athens. He stepped away from football last season to handle those and returned to the team in the winter. He then participated in spring practice and was a standout in Georgia’s G-Day spring scrimmage with three catches for 49 yards and two touchdowns.
Gilbert was assumed to be a big part of the Bulldogs’ tight end plans for the 2022 season but had only seen mop-up duty in two Georgia games this season. Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington have shouldered most of the load at that position with true freshman Oscar Delp also pitching in.
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When Georgia traveled to South Carolina in week three, Arik Gilbert was not a member of the 70-man roster. He stayed back in Athens When Georgia went to Missouri two weeks later, Arik Gilbert was with the team but he as unavailable for the game because he did not dress out.
“The thinking is the keep him with us,” Smart said. “We’re trying to develop him and bring him along. It’s important that he is there for meetings, walk throughs, being there with us, being with the team, being part of that connection. He’s got a great rapport with players. That’s why he was there.”
Smart said later that the Georgia staff were taking things day-by-day. The seventh-year head coach also said that he’s proud of the progress made by the former five-star prospect. But after making the trip to Florida in October and Mississippi State in November, Gilbert was not with the team for trips to Kentucky and Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.
Gilbert’s raw talent is undeniable. After choosing LSU over Alabama and Georgia coming out of high school, he burst onto the scene in 2020. He caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two scores before opting out of the Tigers final two games of the COVID-19 affected season.