Georgia football: Arik Gilbert is going to be a problem for SEC defenses after G-Day performance

The Georgia football team has yet another elite tight end option in former five-star Arik Gilbert.

During the Dawgs’ annual spring game, one thing was crystal clear for Georgia football fans: Arik Gilbert is going to be a problem for opposing SEC defenses this season.

The former five-star tight end from Marietta has had a tumultuous first two years of college. He initially committed to LSU and played for Ed Orgeron in 2020. Gilbert left the program before briefly enrolling at Florida. He then came aboard in Athens, but did not play a snap last year for the national champions. Now in a good spot for him personally, he is showing everyone what he does.

With Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington already in the tight end room, Gilbert and true freshman Oscar Delp’s insertion into will be too hot for any team in the SEC to handle defensively.

Georgia football: Arik Gilbert puts on a clinic during Dawgs’ spring game

Gilbert took advantage of Bowers and Washington being held out of spring practice due to injuries. He made up for lost time and seems to have quickly developed quite the rapport with starting quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. Look for offensive coordinator Todd Monken to 13 personnel the opposition to death with Bowers, Gilbert and Washington all on the football field at the same time.

Gilbert supposedly weighed over 300 pounds at the end of last season. He has cut some serious weight. If he drops down a tad more before the regular season starts, Gilbert could be as much of an on-field mismatch as Bowers is from the tight end position. The speed and power he plays with is just too much. Bennett has quite the war chest at his disposal when it comes to the tight ends.

Ultimately, offense is not going to be the issue for Georgia this year in its national title defense. They have depth everywhere and should be playing with a ton of confidence after how last season ended. Where Georgia must improve is in the trenches defensively, as the Dawgs have to offset losing many key pieces from one of the greatest defensive front-sevens in college football history.

For now, Dawg Nation simply cannot wait to see what Gilbert can do in the passing game this fall.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.