While it's always an incredible moment when your college football program lands an elite 5-star recruit it doesn't always pan out like you would hope. There may not be a bigger example of a 5-star commit underdelivering than former 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert. When LSU landed Arik Gilbert after he decommitted from Florida it was massive for Ed Orgeron and his staff as they landed the 5th ranked player in the class and the top tight end in the class.
While year's have passed since Gilbert signed with LSU he remains the highest graded tight end recruit in 24/7 Sports' history. While Gilbert had lofty expectations when he arrived in Baton Rouge he didn't even last an entire season for the Tigers. As a Freshman Gilbert caught 35 passes for 368 yards and 2 touchdowns but, opted out the end of the 2020 season.
The reason for Arik Gilbert's opt out became clear when the five-star tight end transferred to Georgia returning to his home state. As a Bulldog, Gilbert failed to reach the heights he reached at LSU as he only caught 2 passes for 16 yards and a score. The season would lead Arik Gilbert to Nebraska however he never appeared in a game for the Cornhuskers.
An off the field incident would cause Gilbert to miss the entire 2023 season and it led to him again missing the 2024 season. In December of 2024, Gilbert entered the transfer portal intending to play college football once again. Months after entering the transfer portal, Arik Gilbert has found where he'll play college football next.
Former LSU Tigers star Arik Gilbert to return with Savannah State
On Tuesday, Arik Gilbert announced that he'll return to the gridiron with Savannah State.
It was kept pretty quiet but, Arik Gilbert went through spring practices with Savannah State and will be a part of the team for the upcoming season. Gilbert hasn't played in a game since 2022 which will make for a fascinating story when he officially does take part in a game.
Hopefully for Arik Gilbert, the move to Savannah State can help get his career and his life back on track after off the field issues. Gilbert has been labeled the biggest bust in modern recruiting which is a tag he can hopefully shake if he can bounce back at Savannah State and make an impact after this season.