Report: LSU Star TE Arik Gilbert 'Heavily Considering' Transfer

The LSU football program continues to take hits, both on the field and off it, and head coach Ed Orgeron has had a rough stretch following his national championship win last season.

The latest hit may come from freshman phenom Arik Gilbert. According to a tweet from Brody Miller of The Athletic, the former five-star tight end is "heavily considering" a departure from Baton Rouge.

This would be a massive blow to the Tigers. 247Sports had Gilbert listed as the highest-rated tight end prospect ever to come out of high school.

According to the website's composite rankings, Gilbert was the No. 5 player in the 2020 class, as well as the No. 1 tight end and top player from the state of Georgia. He chose LSU over Alabama and several other prominent programs.

This news comes less than a week after the Tigers lost star wide receiver Terrace Marshall to an opt-out.

This LSU program is clearly headed in the wrong direction. After going undefeated and winning the national title last season, the Tigers are now 3-5 and coming off of an embarrassing 55-17 home loss to Alabama.

Unfortunately, things don't look like they're going to get better any time soon.

Gilbert is currently second on the team in receptions (35) and receiving yards (368) while adding two touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, 253 pounds, he is an athletic specimen who could add to a number of offenses around college football.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.