LSU Football: Arik Gilbert has an attitude that Tigers fans should love
By Zach Ragan
LSU football could have another true freshman sensation on their hands.
A year ago, LSU football had the best true freshman in the country and it wasn’t even close.
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr, who was rated as the No. 3 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class, more than delivered on the hype he garnered during the recruiting process.
Stingley was the highest graded Power-5 cornerback in the country according to Pro Football Focus — not just among freshmen, among all players.
That’s completely insane. It’s incredibly rare that a true freshman has that kind of impact.
I wonder how rare it is for a program to have a true freshman make that kind of impact two years in a row?
That’s a subjective question, but LSU could end up being in that position in 2020.
LSU football’s Arik Gilbert is poised to excel
For the second year in a row, the Tigers signed one of the most hyped recruits in the nation.
Tight end Arik Gilbert was rated as the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2020 recruiting class. He’s a freakishly athletic tight end that has great size and body control.
So far during fall camp, Gilbert has earned rave reviews from teammates and coaches.
Linebacker Jabril Cox told reporters recently that he thinks Gilbert could be one of the greatest tight ends ever.
You would think with that amount of hype that Gilbert would have a big head. After all, he’s still a young man stepping onto a college campus as an athlete for the first time in his career.
But that’s not the case. Not even close.
Shea Dixon, who covers the Tigers for 247Sports, reported this week that Gilbert is a head down, work hard type of guy.
“They say he’s very quiet in a Derek Stingley-type way. Just goes about his business and puts in the work, and when they get into 11-on-11 action, he’s just on another level for a true freshman,” wrote Dixon.
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That’s the type of attitude you love to see in elite players. That’s the type of attitude that’s going to allow Gilbert to perform at an elite level.
I don’t know what kind of numbers Gilbert will put up this season, but I imagine we’ll see some incredible moments from the true freshman from Georgia.