Arik Gilbert

Gilbert attended Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia.{{Cite web |last=Austin |first=Jack |date=August 8, 2018 |title=Dynamite Dozen: Marietta's Arik Gilbert entrenched as one of nation's top tight ends |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/cobb_football_friday/dynamite-dozen-marietta-s-arik-gilbert-entrenched-as-one-of-nation-s-top-tight-ends/article_76acea48-9b6f-11e8-a1eb-5743fd0ac9ff.html |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=MDJOnline.com}} As a senior, he was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year after he caught 101 passes for 1,760 yards and 14 touchdowns.{{Cite web |last=Holcomb |first=Todd |date=January 2, 2020 |title=Marietta's Arik Gilbert was Georgia's top high school football player in 2019 |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/high-school-sports/marietta-arik-gilbert-was-georgia-top-high-school-football-player-2019/Ocuo2Wbb9ttWzSRj0GGYAJ/ |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}{{Cite web |last=Bednarowski |first=John |date=December 25, 2019 |title=MDJ Offensive Player of the Year: Gilbert's record-setting year second to none |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/cobb_football_friday/mdj-offensive-player-of-the-year-gilberts-record-setting-year-second-to-none/article_d619a286-2594-11ea-a0c6-df42daf766f3.html |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=MDJOnline.com}} For his career he had 243 receptions for 3,540 yards and 35 touchdowns. A five-star recruit, Gilbert was ranked among the top players in his class and committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.{{Cite web |last=VanHaaren |first=Tom |date=October 23, 2019 |title=TE Gilbert, No. 12 recruit overall, commits to LSU |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27913754/no-2-tight-end-recruit-arik-gilbert-commits-lsu |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=ESPN.com}}{{Cite web |last=Kubena |first=Brooks |date=October 23, 2019 |title=LSU lands 5-star Arik Gilbert; Nation's top TE commits to Tigers over Alabama, Georgia |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_56595a34-f5e5-11e9-9ef1-dbfe1f73aa6a.html |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=The Advocate}}{{Cite web |last=Bednarowski |first=John |date=March 27, 2020 |title=Marietta's Gilbert a favorite of college coaches across the country |url=https://www.mdjonline.com/cobb_football_friday/mariettas-gilbert-a-favorite-of-college-coaches-across-the-country/article_03a87508-705c-11ea-82e8-5300174997d8.html |access-date=May 28, 2022 |website=MDJOnline.com}}

As a freshman, Gilbert first played for LSU. Before the season, Gilbert was predicted to be on the Freshman All-SEC Team. Gilbert started all eight games he played in, catching 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. However, Gilbert opted out of the remainder of the 2020 LSU Tigers football season in December, citing bodily injury.{{Cite web |last=Scarborough |first=Alex |date=December 9, 2020 |title=LSU TE Arik Gilbert confirms call to shut down for 2020 season |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30483524/lsu-te-arik-gilbert-confirms-call-shut-2020-season |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=ESPN.com}}

Gilbert entered the transfer portal on January 2, 2021, and initially committed to the University of Florida on January 31.{{cite web | last=VanHaaren | first=Tom | title=Ex-LSU TE Gilbert to stay in SEC, transfer to UF | website=ESPN.com | date=2021-02-01 | url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30813305/lsu-tigers-te-arik-gilbert-stay-sec-transfer-florida-gators | access-date=2024-08-08}} He re-entered the portal less than a month later on February 28,{{cite web | last=VanHaaren | first=Tom | title=Gilbert back in portal after brief time with Gators | website=ESPN.com | date=2021-02-28 | url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30980776/te-arik-gilbert-back-transfer-portal-brief-florida-gators | access-date=2024-08-08}} and would later transfer to the University of Georgia before the summer semester of 2021. However, Gilbert would not play during the entire 2021 season for personal reasons.{{cite web | last=Rowe | first=Jake | title=Arik Gilbert away from Georgia football due to 'personal issues' | website=247Sports | date=2021-08-14 | url=https://247sports.com/college/georgia/Article/Arik-Gilbert-away-from-Georgia-Bulldogs-Football-personal-issues-169137876/ | access-date=2024-08-08}} Gilbert's only catches as a Georgia Bulldog came against Vanderbilt in the 2022 season, where he had two catches for sixteen yards and a touchdown.{{Cite web |title=Arik Gilbert - 2021 - Football |url=https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/arik-gilbert/5574 |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=University of Georgia Athletics |language=en}}

Gilbert elected to transfer again following the conclusion of the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs football season, this time to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for the 2023 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.{{Cite web |last=Riley |first=Connor |date=December 24, 2022 |title=Arik Gilbert thanks Georgia football program for its support as he enters transfer portal |url=https://www.dawgnation.com/football/around-the-dawghouse/georgia-football-arik-gilbert-transfer-portal/LZ2YKESEQ5DLBM2OLSNMAUGVXI/ |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=DawgNation}}

On December 10, 2024, Gilbert announced that he would enter the transfer portal for the third time.{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/college/nebraska-cornhuskers/news/former-nebraska-tight-end-arik-gilbert-enters-ncaa-transfer-portal-lsu-georgia/|title=Former Nebraska TE Arik Gilbert enters NCAA transfer portal|website=On3.com|first=Matt|last=Connolly|date=December 10, 2024|access-date=December 11, 2024}}

On April 29th, 2025, Gilbert announced that he was transferring for the fourth time in his college career, this time to Savannah State University. {{Cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/news/arik-gilbert-former-lsu-georgia-nebraska-te-join-savannah-state/|title=Former LSU, Georgia, Nebraska TE Arik Gilbert to join Savannah State|first=Nick|last=Schultz|date=April 29, 2025|access-date=April 29, 2025}}

On August 29, 2023, while awaiting eligibility to play at Nebraska, Gilbert was arrested for burglary of a liquor and vape store in Lincoln. He was arrested a second time for a smash-and-grab burglary of 150 vapes in Lumpkin County, Georgia on September 16, 2023.{{Cite web |date=September 15, 2023 |title=Husker tight end arrested in Georgia on burglary charge |url=https://www.1011now.com/2023/09/16/husker-tight-end-arrested-georgia-burglary-charge/ |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=KOLN}} On January 30, 2024, he pleaded no contest to the charges and was fined $400, along with being ordered to pay $450 in restitution to the store.{{cite web|url=https://www.1011now.com/2024/01/30/former-husker-football-player-escapes-jail-time-after-caught-camera-breaking-into-lincoln-shop/|title=Former Husker football player escapes jail time after caught on camera breaking into Lincoln store|website=KOLN|date=January 30, 2024|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Twitter|arik_gilbert}}
• [https://lsusports.net/sports/football/roster/arik-gilbert/24281 LSU Tigers bio]
• [https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/season/2023/player/arik-gilbert Nebraska Cornhuskers bio]

{{Gatorade National Athlete of the Year}}

{{Gatorade Football Player of the Year}}

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Category:2002 births

Category:Living people

Category:Players of American football from Marietta, Georgia

Category:American football tight ends

Category:LSU Tigers football players

Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players

Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players