NASHVILLE – Coming off a 2-10 season in 2023, Vanderbilt football was not in the place it wanted to be. Gilbert’s reason from the beginning for why he chose Vanderbilt was more than just an opportunity to play on a college football team. But another factor that went into Gilbert’s decision to stick with the program was the change in attitude of the program. When Gilbert was experiencing the valleys of his career in his first season, the Vanderbilt program did not have an identity or a sense of family behind closed doors. A roster and a program where it is noticeable to see it's full of players that care about winning and about the success of the program.