LSU Football: Arik Gilbert’s return to Tigers feels inevitable

There’s a lot of optimism surrounding LSU football‘s offense entering the 2021 season.

That’s mostly because of the Tigers’ stacked quarterback room and the addition of Jake Peetz as the program’s offensive coordinator (Peetz is expected to bring back the “Joe Brady offense” from 2019).

LSU also has a solid group of young wide receivers that could make a big impact in 2021, led by sophomore Kayshon Boutte and senior Jontre Kirklin.

And now it’s starting to feel likely that the offense could receive a big boost in the near future.

Could Arik Gilbert be returning to LSU football soon?

Various reports over the last several weeks have indicated that tight end Arik Gilbert returning to LSU this summer/fall is a real possibility.

A report from 247Sports’ Billy Embody on Tuesday seemed to solidify previous reports.

Embody reported that Gilbert’s biggest hurdle to returning to Baton Rouge is academics. If he can take care of his grades, then Gilbert will likely be back in an LSU uniform in 2021.

That doesn’t mean that Gilbert’s return is automatic. But the door is certainly wide open — Gilbert just has to do the work required to go through the door.

Gilbert left the program in 2020 with two games remaining in the season.

Prior to his departure, Gilbert caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns.

The Georgia native is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen in college football. His return to the TIgers could make LSU’s offense nearly unstoppable. Gilbert has the size of a tight end, with the athleticism and speed of a wide receiver. He’s nearly uncoverable.

We should find out soon whether or not Gilbert will be back with LSU in 2021. Fortunately for the Tigers, it’s trending toward a Gilbert reunion.