Kirby Smart 'really proud' of progress made by Arik Gilbert
If you follow Georgia football with any sort of regularity, you’ve noticed that Kirby Smart is often asked about the status of redshirt sophomore tight end Arik Gilbert. That happened again on Wednesday where Smart’s tone seemed more optimistic than previous updates.
“I’m really proud of Arik’s progress and what he’s done and continue to be hopeful that he’ll contribute and help us,” Smart said on Wednesday’s SEC coaches’ teleconference.
Arik Gilbert has appeared in just two games since transferring to Georgia from LSU prior to the start of the 2021 season. Both of those games were this season, UGA’s first two contests, as he missed all of last season while battling a personal issue.
When Georgia traveled to South Carolina in week three, Gilbert was not with the team. Smart told reporters after that game that Arik Gilbert stayed back in Athens as he dealt with a personal issue.
He didn’t play the following week when the Bulldogs returned home to take on Kent State. He did, however, travel to Missouri in week five but he did not dress nor did he count toward the 70-man travel roster.
“The thinking is to keep him with us,” Smart said on Monday. “We’re trying to develop him and bring him along. It’s important that he is there for meetings, walk throughs, being there with us, being with the team, being part of that connection. He’s got a great rapport with players. That’s why he was there.”
Arik Gilbert began his college football career at LSU in 2020. The Peach State product eschewed an opportunity to play for the Bulldogs coming out of high school. His recruitment came down to Alabama and LSU.
He caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two scores that season for the defending National Champions. Gilbert also didn’t finish the season, opting out of the final two games.
When that season was in the books, Arik Gilbert entered the transfer portal. He initially committed to Florida but backed off that pledge.
He then chose Georgia as his new home in summer of 2021 and enrolled. Arik Gilbert was with the team in June and July but he left the program after few days of preseason camp. He did not return until early 2022 where he went through spring drills with the team.
Georgia had Gilbert on the practice field throughout spring and preseason camp. Arik Gilbert appeared in the team’s first two games with approximately 25 snaps combined in those games. He has yet to register his first catch in a UGA uniform.
The Bulldogs are back in action this Saturday with their first SEC home game of the season. They’ll take on Auburn with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
