A former five-star recruit out of Marietta, Ga., Arik Gilbert signed with UGA after a solid freshman season at LSU where he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns in eight games played.
A more telling stat is Gilbert’s ability to win jump balls, something that the Bulldogs will be missing without star receiver George Pickens – who’s out indefinitely with an ACL tear.
Contested catch rate in 2020:
George Pickens – 9/15 – 60%
All other #UGA TE/WRs – 9/36 – 25%
Arik Gilbert – 8/14 – 57%
— Brent Rollins (@PFF_Brent) June 13, 2021
So at least on the surface, UGA may be able to plug-and-play Gilbert while Pickens rests up for a possible championship run.