Take Two: Is LSU wiggling into the picture for 5-star Arik Gilbert?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
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THE STORYLINE
Arik Gilbert has had an interesting recruitment because so many elite schools have pursued him for so long and for a while, it seemed like one was going to be nearly impossible to beat.
Georgia took the lead early for the five-star tight end from Marietta, Ga., and it seemed like the Bulldogs were by far the team to beat. There seemed to be some excitement about Georgia throwing more to its tight ends this season with a new offensive coordinator, but that has not materialized and so Gilbert seems to be less interested in that program.
Then Alabama became the team to beat as those coaches showed him the blueprint for success at tight end in Tuscaloosa and used Irv Smith as a model for how they’d use Gilbert. The Crimson Tide are still right at the top for the five-star.
Clemson made a late push and Gilbert is definitely looking at the Tigers as well. That relationship is heating up and it’s definitely something to watch moving forward.
And this past weekend, Gilbert took his visit to LSU. The Tigers’ offense is performing incredibly well, there is a need for tight end over the next couple years and he experienced a great atmosphere for LSU’s win over Florida on Saturday night.
Could LSU emerge as a serious player in Gilbert’s recruitment or have the other national powers established themselves far too much for the five-star to really consider the Tigers?
FIRST TAKE: Jimmy Smith, TigerDetails.com
“As potent as the LSU offense has been in 2019, with weapons scattered all over the place, the Tigers do lack a dynamic tight end. Thaddeus Moss has been solid, but he is an upperclassmen, and there is not much behind him. The Tigers have one tight end commitment in Kole Taylor for the 2020 class, but they would love to add someone of Gilbert's caliber. The problem for LSU is that Gilbert appears to be locked in a three-team battle with Alabama, Clemson and Georgia.
“A strong official visit could change things quite a bit, as a weekend in Death Valley can leave a lasting impression. It feels like the gap may be large enough that even that may not do it.”
SECOND TAKE: Mike Farrell, Rivals.com
“Gilbert has been pretty patient with the process, so he’s going to look at everybody he visits. LSU is behind, but I wouldn’t count them out, especially the way they’re playing.
“If they beat Alabama and break through in the SEC West this year, I think a whole lot of things we didn’t think would happen recruiting-wise could start to happen.”