LSU Football: Arik Gilbert is transferring to the Florida Gators

When LSU Football signed five-star tight end Arik Gilbert in the 2020 recruiting class, it was one of the biggest recruits that Ed Orgeron has ever landed.

But unfortunately for the Tigers, the Arik Gilbert era in Baton Rouge is over.

The stud tight end announced on Sunday that he’ll be transferring to the Florida Gators football program.

“After careful consideration I have decided to commit to the University of Florida,” wrote Gilbert in a tweet. “This is the best situation for me and I’m excited to join the family.”

A tough loss for LSU football

Gilbert opted out of the 2020 season with two games remaining.

At the time of his opt-out, Gilbert had caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns.

Those numbers may not look very impressive at first glance.

But they absolutely are.

Tight ends don’t tend to put up gaudy stats at the college level. And they typically take a lot of time to develop.

Gilbert put up solid numbers in just eight games in an offense that featured three different quarterbacks in 2020.

In other words, the sky is the limit for Gilbert. He’s a freak athlete that is an instant mismatch as soon as he steps on the field.

There’s really no way to sugarcoat this — Gilbert transferring to Florida is a massive loss for the Tigers.

And not just because they won’t have Gilbert on the roster, but because they’ll also have to play against him for at least the next two years.

This is the new reality of college football. With the one-time transfer rule looking like it will be passed, we’re going to have to deal with this nearly every offseason for the foreseeable future.

I don’t envy college football coaches one bit.