Arik Gilbert: 5 things to know about the LSU Tigers football tight end, receiver
LSU tight end and receiver Arik Gilbert enrolled in January 2020 to get an early jump on being a member of the LSU football team.
Those extra months have Gilbert set to contribute immediately to the Tigers. Here is some basic information about Gilbert:
- Height: 6 feet, 5 inches
- Weight: 249 pounds
- Age: 18 years old
- Birthdate: Feb. 22, 2002
- Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
- High School: Marietta High School
Here are five more things to know about LSU tight end and receiver Arik Gilbert.
Ed Orgeron gave Arik Gilbert the nickname 'Megatron'
In the world of "Transformers," Megatron is a gladiator and the leader of the Decepticons.
On the LSU football team, Megatron is the new moniker for Arik Gilbert. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron bestowed the nickname on Gilbert.
"Coach O wasn't wrong when he called him Megatron," LSU safety Jacoby Stevens said in August. "He really can move like a receiver, and I think he weighs like 250 pounds. So that's 250 pounds that's running at like a 4.4 speed directly at you."
LSU linebacker Jabril Cox agreed, "My impression right off the bat is he has kind of a Megatron type of build."
Arik Gilbert named preseason All-SEC
Before playing a college football game, Arik Gilbert was recognized as one of the best tight ends in the Southeastern Conference.
Gilbert was named to the 2020 Preseason All-SEC Third Team. The two tight ends slotted ahead of him were Florida's Kyle Pitts (first team) and Texas A&M's Jalen Wydermyer (second team).
LSU had 10 players selected for one of the three 2020 Preseason All-SEC Teams.
Arik Gilbert 40-yard time
In high school, Arik Gilbert ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash, according to ESPN.
Other scouting information from ESPN for Gilbert showed him with a 4.38-second 20-yard shuttle and a 30.3-inch vertical jump.
ESPN gave Gilbert a high school scout grade of 91 and ranked him sixth in the Class of 2020.
Arik Gilbert high school stats
Arik Gilbert led Marietta High School to the 2019 Georgia Class 7A state title with a 17-9 win against Lowndes. In the title game, Gilbert caught 11 passes for 146 yards, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.
During his senior year, Gilbert caught 105 passes for 1,860 yards and 15 touchdowns, according to Sports Illustrated. For his high school career, Gilbert made 243 catches that he turned into 3,540 yards and 35 touchdowns, according to LSU.
Gatorade named Gilbert its 2020 National High School Athlete of the Year, the first true tight end to win the award.
Gilbert was a high school teammate of LSU linebacker BJ Ojulari and Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey.
Falcons' Matt Ryan presented Arik Gilbert his Gatorade award
Before Arik Gilbert won the 2020 Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year, Gilbert received the 2019-20 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.
The person to present Gilbert with that award was Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
"I want to congratulate @arik_gilbert, the 2019-2020 @Gatorade National Football Player of the Year!" Ryan said in a tweet on Dec. 18, 2019. "His hard work and dedication shine on the field, keep working!"
Ryan played college football at Boston College. He's been the Falcons quarterback since they drafted him third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Read more Arik Gilbert news:
- Arik Gilbert:LSU freshman tight end Arik Gilbert appears to be a superstar on arrival
- Gatorade Athlete of the Year:LSU freshman tight end Arik Gilbert wins Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year
- LSU football:LSU's JaCoby Stevens trying to cherish football, including collisions with Arik Gilbert
Here is a link to the Arik Gilbert bio on the LSU website.
Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.