Rutgers Flips Four-Star Running Back Aiden Gibson From Penn State, Adds Top-150 Recruit Early

Rutgers pulled off one of the biggest recruiting wins of its cycle when four-star running back Aiden Gibson announced on Today that he changed his commitment from Penn State to Rutgers.

Gibson, 6-1, 215 lbs, from Woodruff, SC, announced his commitment to Rutgers after being committed to Penn State. He will reclass from the 2027 recruiting class to the 2026 class and report to Scarlet Knights camp in the summer for preseason training. Gibson posted the announcement on his X account, thanking Penn State before stating that he would be attending Rutgers.

According to The Knight Report, Gibson is expected to enroll within the next week.

Rutgers Wins Recruiting Battle for Top-150 Prospect

2026 Running Back commit Aiden Gibson is set to arrive on campus at Rutgers University as arguably the top running back recruit available to the Scarlet Knights. Originally ranked as the No. 142 overall prospect in the 2027 cycle and No. 8 running back in the country before reclassifying to the 2026 cycle, where he will be rated once he officially moves classes, Gibson is undoubtedly a transcendent-level talent. Not only is Gibson one of the nation’s elite running back prospects available to sign in the 2026 cycle, but he’s also going to arrive on campus at Rutgers a full year earlier than many originally projected.

Rutgers had been considered one of the main contenders for Gibson’s services as he continued his recruitment process. The Scarlet Knights’ running back coach Damiere Shaw and the Rutgers staff had maintained a strong relationship with Gibson as he made his fourth trip to Piscataway within the last several months. Three of those trips took place this calendar year.

"Rutgers has done a great job recruiting me," Gibson previously told The Knight Report. "They have been recruiting me hard and they see I am a family guy. They are big on culture and have really been building relationships with me. Coach Shaw has been there for six years. Also he has produced some real good backs. We have a great relationship, and it is not just him, but the whole staff recruits me."

Early in Gibson’s recruitment to find his collegiate home, Rutgers appeared to have the inside track on his signature. However, just before Gibson had put off his commitment date to his original choice in favor of an ‘official’ visit to Penn State, a strong unofficial visit changed the course of things for Gibson. After all that, he decided he would be best off suiting up for the Nittany Lions.

thank you to all the support and support behind my decisions penn state was one of the best opportunity for me! but after long time thinking i have decided to part ways with penn state and have decided to flip my commitment to rutgers and enroll early thank you to my community pic.twitter.com/OCfJHCo03Z
— Aiden Gibson (@AidenGibson32FB) July 7, 2026

Relationships With Coaching Staff Proved Decisive

After much contemplation, 2026 Running Back Aiden Gibson committed to Penn State, but it was his great bond with the Rutgers coaching staff that led to his decommitment from Penn State and signing with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

"I love coach Shaw, and they've been recruiting me hard for a while," Gibson said. "Honestly, I got to know him deeper than probably any coach I've met. I also had a feeling for a while now that I wasn't going to stay close to home."

The commitment to the program was another great addition to the 2026 recruiting class by head coach Greg Schiano and his staff. They flipped South Carolina's #2-ranked running back from another Big Ten program and got him to campus a year early.

Early Enrollment Strengthens Rutgers' Running Back Room

Gibson is going to step into a great situation with a program that is known for churning out NFL-caliber running backs. Ever since Isiah Pacheco and Kyle Monangai went to the NFL, the current starter Antwan Raymond has gotten plenty of reps and is viewed as another talent that can get the former true freshman involved.

By arriving early at Rutgers, Gibson can go through the entire offseason and all of preseason camp with the team, learn the offense, and get into shape for the season. For most of the season, he could play as Raymond’s backup, getting more reps as the season goes on.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Antwan Raymond (3), carries the ball, Thursday, August 28, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

National recruiting analyst Charles Power also believes Gibson's skill set projects well to the Big Ten.

"For a big back, he has some skills you don't typically see from guys his size, especially when it comes to his footwork, his ability to pick his way through the line and then change directions," Power said. "I really like the skill set. He's a guy we bumped up to a four-star prospect after having him as a high three-star during his junior season. We feel like he's shown real promise, and this offseason, all we've seen from him is that he continues to improve. His style of play projects well in the Big Ten. I like Aiden Gibson's position-specific skills a lot when it comes to his vision and instincts."

With Gibson's landing, Rutgers is getting a lot of attention because it is significant on multiple levels. First off, the Rutgers recruiting staff flipped a Top 150 recruit from in-state conference rival Penn State. More importantly for the program's near future, though, they got him to commit early enough to enroll immediately and begin participating in practice for the 2026 Scarlet Knights instead of waiting until 2027. The highly touted recruit is said to arrive on campus within days and join the other highly touted young playmakers on the roster.

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