Amos Hough (NC) three-star safety Gavin Gibson tabbed the Terps as his front runner coming out of his weekend official as the Terps rolled out the red carpet. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound prospect arrived in College Park in the early hours of Saturday and safeties coach Brian Stewart was the first coach he got to meet.
“I was able to talk to coach [Brian] Stewart. He came by when I first got there, talked to me a little bit before the game,” Gibson told Inside the Black and Gold. “It was great. Being homecoming and everything, it was a great gameday atmosphere. They were celebrating the 2001 ACC champion team so being able to go there and see all the other players and alumni was great.”
The Terps’ secondary could have come down with three interceptions in the win but were unable to complete the plays as Gibson reviews the defensive performance. “They played alright. Some plays were left out on the field and I feel like if I was out there, I’d be able to make some of those plays. I was like man, y’all got to come back with those.” With a need in the secondary, Gibson explains where the Terps’ defensive staff sees him fitting in.
“Being a nickel guy. Someone that can play the zone, play the man, and somebody that can stick there and keep them out of the game. Nickel and safety spot. They compared me to Minkah Fitzpatrick which that’s a big comparison being compared to someone like that.” Gibson was able to connect with the full coaching staff as the message was clear. “I talked with coach [Mike] Locksley, the head man a few times, and I was able to talk to the defensive coordinator and my recruiting coordinator, coach [Mike] Miller. It was great being able to see the facilities for the first time, taking in the atmosphere, be able to see the coaches was a great experience. It was way better to see them in person, see the message and see what they’re getting across.”
While offensive tackle and North Carolina native DJ Glaze hosted Gibson, the message from coach Locksley was clear. “Just change the narrative, change the atmosphere. Coach Locksley, he’s fairly new to Maryland being a head coach but he was there before as an assistant. Just changing the character around the program is something he’s really been preaching.” There’s another aspect about Maryland that sticks out coming out of his official. “We were talking about the NIL opportunities being in the DMV and with all the Fortune 500 companies, just the opportunity if the NFL doesn’t work out to still get a job out of college.”
Maryland holds a lead for Gibson now, but there’s still work to be done. Gibson was originally slated to officially visit Virginia last month but instead made unofficial visits on consecutive weekends to Charlottesville to watch the Hoos take on Duke and Georgia Tech. Gibson is still looking to officially visit Tulane the weekend of November 12, but two new Power Five schools have expressed interest.
“I think I’m still going to take that official to Tulane and then I may have a few other ones lined up. Boston College recently reached out so I may go there. Louisville is still on the table and then Tulane.” Entering the home stretch of his recruitment, Gibson will announce his commitment on Thanksgiving as he explains why Maryland leads.
“Definitely the front-runner. They showed me everything that I came down there to see and I feel like I had a great time down there.”
Gibson is an early enrollee and rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports. Gibson is rated an 86 overall and sits as the 28th-best prospect in North Carolina.