USC receivers coach Justin Stepp has his eyes on WR Jayden Gibson (6-6 185) of West Orange, FL and has made a strong impression on him in the opening stages of his recruitment. Gibson said he and Stepp talk frequently and are building a strong relationship.
“That’s my guy,” Gibson said. “Me and Coach have had good conversations. He’s showed me a lot of stuff about South Carolina. He’s showed me the facilities in some pictures and stuff like that. It definitely will be one of the schools that I’m going to closely consider as I get to the point where I want to cut it down. I know what they’ve done with receivers. And then the SEC, that’s always a plus.”
Gibson has that height that offenses are looking for. And he said Stepp likes his overall package as a receiver.
“Coach has told me he likes my speed, and he believes I can go out there and win those one-on-one battles,” Gibson said. “Just watching them on TV, I can tell that what he says is true when he says that they really value that backside matchup, and that he thinks I have the capability to win those. I definitely believe that as well, that I have the capabilities to win those one-on-one matchups with my size and speed and the work that I’ve put in. He also sees that I’m versatile. He likes that about me as well.”
Gibson said his phone has been broken so he’s not had the chance to talk to other members of the Gamecock staff, including head coach Shane Beamer, but he will. And just from what he’s hearing from Stepp, he sees a Gamecock program rising from the ashes of a 2-8 season in 2020.
“The program is definitely in the upward direction,” Gibson said. “I think that they have a lot of good things that are going to come their way. They have a great coaching staff that’s going to be ready and take whatever players that decide to go there to the next level. I believe that Coach Stepp is one of those coaches that could elevate my game as well. That’s somebody I’ve got to consider because I know what he can do for me, what I can do for him, what South Carolina can do for me and what I can do for South Carolina.”
Along with USC, Gibson said he’s hearing a lot from Florida, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Missouri, Miami and Georgia Tech. He also has offers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas State, West Virginia, UCF, Indiana and Syracuse. He wants to make his decision after the spring and he will be signing and graduating early.
Gibson carries a four-star rating in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked the #41 receiver nationally in the 2022 class. Last season he had 32 catches for 775 yards and 9 touchdowns.
