Take Two: Is tight end the best fit for top 2020 athlete Arik Gilbert?
Take Two returns with another offering tackling a relevant topic in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
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THE STORYLINE
Arik Gilbert is the top-rated athlete in the 2020 class, mainly because of his special versatility and his ability to play on both sides of the ball.
The Marietta, Ga., five-star is almost definitely going to be some sort of flex tight end in college, but the 6-foot-5, 248-pound recruit could also move to defensive end if needed. But many believe Gilbert will end up as a tight end, and at this point in his recruitment there seems to be little debate about it.
If he was currently ranked at that position, the five-star prospect would be tied for the top spot as the highest-rated high school tight end in Rivals history dating back to 2002 with Alief (Texas) Elsik’s Tony Hills, Jr., who was seventh in the 2003 class rankings.
The only tight end ever rated higher than Hills – and Gilbert, if he was among the tight end grouping – was Torrance (Calif.) El Camino C.C. recruit Kolomona Kapanui in the 2004 class.
Gilbert is a phenomenal tight end prospect, and his ranking would put him higher than Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen and O.J. Howard, including five-star tight end Darnell Washington, a fellow member of this recruiting class.
And the Marietta prospect could flip to defensive end and maybe be just as special. Is offense the right spot for Gilbert?
FIRST TAKE: CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
“Could he play defensive end? Yes. And he could be very good. But, with that said, his heart is with offense and he is a freakish athlete that is a nightmare for a linebacker or defensive back to cover. He has great size, hands and athleticism for a tight end. He weighs right around 250 pounds and runs by some outstanding safeties.
"As a junior, he had almost 90 receptions for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns – and that’s while playing both sides of the ball full time. He is a scary athlete who will only get better once he settles in and plays one position on the next level. So, in short, his ranking is right.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“He’s a really good defensive end, too, and some schools are looking at him as a guy who could play tight end, but if that doesn’t work out he could move to defensive end. I’m not sure if he’ll switch positions and that will determine he’s a tight end. Right now, he’s good at the athlete position and he’s definitely one of the more physically gifted tight ends we’ve seen over the years. He’s probably the most athletic one we’ve seen since Howard.”