Ask Farrell: Can Clemson make a run at five-star Arik Gilbert?

Five-star Arik Gilbert recently visited Clemson for its cookout but many dismissed it as just another visit for a top prospect, who was more seriously considering Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee in his recruitment.

That might no longer be the case.

According to Southeast analyst Chad Simmons, the top-rated tight end in the 2020 class said he had an excellent trip to Clemson and he hung out with some commits, including five-star linebacker Justin Flowe. Gilbert likes that No. 1 overall prospect D.J. Uiagalelei is committed and during this visit he had a good talk with coach Dabo Swinney.

Clemson is appealing to nearly every prospect in the country and after slowly recruiting Gilbert for whatever reason, the Tigers have hit the gas pedal and look to be a real contender in his recruitment.

This trip to Clemson was Gilbert’s first since his freshman year – he’s taken numerous trips elsewhere since that time – and a decision timetable is unknown at this time. Gilbert said he would like to take official visits first, but he’s unsure when a commitment will happen.

The Tigers are on an incredible recruiting run, already landing the current Nos. 1 and 4 prospects in the class and they’re in great shape with Flowe and No. 3 overall Jordan Burch out of Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School. Now Gilbert seems to be in the mix as well.

MORE ASK FARRELL: Why does Nebraska have so few 2020 commits?

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State

MORE GILBERT: Where things stand with top uncommitted prospects in Georgia

We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell if he believes the Gilbert-to-Clemson hype, or if he thinks the five-star tight end still has Georgia or another SEC program in the lead?

“I still think Georgia has the edge, followed by Tennessee and then Alabama. But Clemson is positioning itself for a run here. And when the Tigers want someone, they can be hard to beat. However, the same can be said for Georgia, and that’s his home-state power, so I have to think the Bulldogs have the edge. This will likely come down to which program shows him an offense that will utilize the tight end the best, or a school like Tennessee convincing him that he can be a big wide receiver.”