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Matt Rhule on Arik Gilbert’s waiver: ‘If he doesn’t get it, they should not have it’
By Paul Harvey
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Matt Rhule is still holding out hope for Arik Gilbert’s request to be immediately eligible this fall. The tight end with previous stops at Georgia and LSU could be a pivotal piece for Nebraska’s offense, but that depends on the NCAA’s ruling on his waiver.
Speaking with the media Saturday, Rule confirmed the process is not quite finalized yet. However, he believes Gilbert is the “most deserving young man,” and Rhule questioned the idea of even having the waiver if Gilbert is denied his eligibility.
“It’s not finalized yet. I’d be really disappointed if he doesn’t get it. He’s the most deserving young man; if he doesn’t get it, they shouldn’t even have the waiver,” said Rhule. “The NCAA shouldn’t even have the waiver if he doesn’t get it.”
While Rhule has those feelings on the process, he admitted a number of parties are involved with some entities that don’t always have everyone’s best interests at heart.
“But there’s a lot of parties involved and there’s a lot of entities out there that don’t always have people’s best interests at heart. He deserves it, 100%. In my opinion,” Rhule said. “The good thing about me, I’ve been through so much, I don’t care. I’ll say what I think. If he doesn’t get it, they should not have this waiver.”
The 6-foot-5 TE had a strong freshman debut at LSU but did not provide much production while at Georgia. Now, he’ll get a fresh start in Lincoln, and the Huskers are certainly hoping that begins on the field this fall.
Main image via Nebraska Husker (@Huskers) on Twitter.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.