Former LSU TE Arik Gilbert Visits With Coach Orgeron, Mulling Return to LSU
The year that was 2020 was crazy for everyone. It was just as unsettling for college athletes.
One of LSU's highly-touted freshmen last season, tight end Arik Gilbert, left the team late in the season but could be returning.
The Marietta, Georgia native met with LSU coach Ed Orgeron, leaving many to speculate if the former Tiger is interested in becoming a Tiger once again.
"Arik did come. We had a very good meeting," Coach Orgeron said on Tuesday. "There has been no decision. Everybody was happy to see him. We checked with compliance to make sure that everything that we were doing was on the up and up. We could meet him. He could come talk to us. He left. He hasn't made a decision yet. He hasn't told us anything yet. I think it's still up in the air, but it was a very positive day when he came in."
As you may recall, Gilbert left the team late last season and entered the transfer portal. He considered transferring to Florida but that apparently didn't work out.
One key factor in his upcoming decision could be his eligibility to play in 2021. Unless the NCAA transfer rules are relaxed, Gilbert would not be eligible to play at a Division I college in 2021 other than LSU.
Gilbert was widely considered the No. 1 tight end in the nation in 2020. He caught 35 passes for 368 yards last season for the Tigers. He left the team following LSU's 55-17 loss to Alabama on December 5 with two games remaining.
There was speculation that Gilbert was homesick and wanted to play closer to his home state of Georgia. On January 31, he said he would attend Florida after considering Georgia, however, that obviously didn't pan out.