Tennessee Official Visitor Capsule: Jerrick Gibson
With the summer in full swing, Tennessee is hitting the recruiting trail hard, focusing on both the 2024 and 2025 classes. This upcoming weekend is a big one for the Vols as they try to lock down another top-10 class. Jerrick Gibson would certainly help as the nation's No. 2 running back in 2024 is set to be in Knoxville.
Gibson began his official visits this spring, with the Vols being the 3rd of 4 official visits. Gibson has already taken official visits to Miami and Georgia and still plans to hit Tennessee and Texas. The IMG Academy back was once committed to Florida back in 2021. The Vols first offered Gibson in March of 2022, and he has taken three unofficial visits to Knoxville since receiving the offer.
Prospect: Jerrick Gibson
Projected Position: Running Back
Vitals: 5-10, 200 pounds
High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
Frame: While Gibson might be on the shorter end for a running back, his 200-pound frame bodes really well for him. Gibson has a ton of power in his upper-body, which makes him tough to arm tackle. He keeps a strong center of balance despite carrying so much weight in his shoulders.
Athleticism: This is probably what coaches like most about Gibson. His cuts look effortless at times, and you can see on film why he is also a track athlete. Gibson ran a 4.5 40-yard dash back in the fall of 2022 and also had a 41-inch vertical. He is super dangerous in the open field and will turn on the jets after making one defender miss,
Instincts: While it is hard to teach a player to be instinctual, this is a part of Gibson's game that could use some work. Gibson is not extremely patient around the line of scrimmage, and often, he will try to get to his top speed as fast as possible. While his cuts are so good now that being patient isn't important for him, as he advances in football, he will need to learn that part.
Polish: Gibson could stand to continue converting weight once he arrives in a college program. He carries a lot of upper-body mass but doesn't carry the lower-body proportions that most coaching staffs prefer. Everything, including his running style, will translate back to how he continues to redistribute weight.
Bottom Line: Probably one of the three best pound-for-pound backs in America. Gibson can do many different things and has the athleticism to compete with anyone at any time. He still has a few things to iron out before seeing time on a Power-5 field, but he should be able to correct those during his senior season of high school and see early collegiate playing time.
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