Marquise Gilbert details Heupel visit, final 3
Tennessee has been on a bit of a run lately in the defensive backfield, earning the commits of Christian Harrison, Jourdan Thomas and Desmond Williams the past two weeks, with the latter coming from the Junior College ranks.
Needing some more immediate help, the Volunteers still sit firmly in the mix for Hutchinson Community College standout, Marquise Gilbert.
“We are in a good spot,” the safety said of Tennessee. “We are still getting tighter with just the player and coach relationship. They are still a priority for me.”
Last Friday, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect announced his top-three of Tennessee, Florida State and Auburn.
And on Tuesday, Josh Heupel made his way to campus to chat with Gilbert. He was accompanied by Tim Banks, Willie Martinez and Alex Golesh.
“It was good just to catch up with those guys following my official visit to see if I had any further questions or concerns. It was a great time to sit down and talk with them,” the target said of the in-person meeting. “They were just showing me the opportunity I could have and the vision they have for a guy coming in like me.”
The opportunity for Gilbert would be to come in and earn some playing time right away.
Tennessee struggled at times at the safety position and would like to get faster in the backend. With Trevon Flowers going through Senior Day activities in the finale and with Theo Jackson and Kenneth George exhausting their eligibility, there could be up to four departures in the secondary from this year’s roster, including Alontae Taylor.
Gilbert is a guy who has played it all. He repped more at cornerback in 2021 for Hutchinson but has played safety during his time in JUCO as well. The Vols like him on that backline and see him as a guy who could maybe even play nickelback.
“They love my range and size and know what I can bring to a defense,” the prospect said of the Vols. “When you recruit a JUCO guy, they want to get you on the field as soon as possible. It’s just a matter of me going in and earning it.”
Gilbert stayed home this past weekend following an official visit to Knoxville for the Vanderbilt game last week. He’ll take in Florida State, officially, this weekend while Auburn will travel to campus later this week for an in-person visit.
The defensive back also officially visited with the Tigers on the weekend of October 30 for the Ole Miss game and the Seminoles have been by recently for an in-person chat.
“I was able to get a feel for the culture and program,” Gilbert said of his time in Knoxville. “I was able to get a feel for the staff, the players and the fans. It showed me a lot.
“It was a great environment and the fans were exciting. The staff was excited with the win. It was just a really good environment and was good to be there.”
Gilbert, who began his playing career at Bethune-Cookman, is intrigued with Florida State’s tradition and proximity to home, being a Daytona native. This weekend’s official visit in Tallahassee will be crucial as the defensive back plans to announce his commitment to one of the three programs on Monday.
The Hutchinson standout is coming off a conference championship and a bowl win this past season. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining at the next level and feels confident that if Tennessee is his next destination, he’ll be fine in Knoxville.
“I just want to go ahead and get it done before Signing Day,” Gilbert said of his decision coming Monday. “I would be comfortable at Tennessee because I think it’s a good fit. There are great people there like coach Martinez, who is really a genuine guy.
“I don’t really need to know anything else about Tennessee.”
Gilbert will sign next week and enroll at his school of choice in January.