Arik Gilbert’s Sunday announcement that he has committed to transfer to Florida was the biggest SEC news of the weekend.

The former 5-star recruit and 2020 National High School Gatorade Player of the Year signed with LSU out of high school. This past season, Gilbert played in eight games for the Tigers, recording 35 catches for 368 yards and 2 touchdowns.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the Gilbert news during his weekly appearance on WJOX-FM in Birmingham. The SEC Network host acknowledged Gilbert is a big get for the Gators, but added, “To me, it says maybe a little bit more about LSU.”

“I think perceptively, it was as big as it would get,” Finebaum said. “Now, is this guy another Kyle Pitts? He’s certainly got a chance to be. … I think (Dan Mullen) has a very bad finish to the season, but I think he’ll survive it, too. He really just needs to dial it down one or two notches. That’s something you can learn. You guys all know (Florida athletic director) Scott Stricklin, and I’m sure Scott has had this conversation with Dan Mullen before because they worked together at (Mississippi) State, and now Florida. If he could just take that component of his personality a little bit down, I think he could turn out to be a great coach.

“I realize Gilbert, he moved out at the end of the season. To me, it says maybe a little bit more about LSU. When you start thinking of some of the players that have bailed out this year, that didn’t play this year that have left now. I know they’re a monster in recruiting but just go back a year when LSU seemed to own the world and everyone was replaying the outburst by Ed Orgeron after the Alabama win. They have taken a hit. I know they closed the season out okay, but there is a great deal of uncertainty down there about the future.”

The Gilbert transfer adds some storylines to the scheduled Oct. 16 meeting in Baton Rouge. As Florida learned in 2020, Ed Orgeron’s Tigers are still a formidable foe despite numerous departures.