Grays Creek (Hope Mills, N.C.) athlete Jefferie Gibson is definitely a jack-of-all -trades when it comes to the game of football. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound junior spends a majority of his time on defense at safety, but has also been known to line up at wide receiver once in a while on offense. Add in the fact that he's a fantastic returner on special teams and you got the triple threat in one special player.
“Plain and simple, I'm a playmaker,” said Gibson confidently. “It's kind of the way I see myself and I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. I try to do it with the ball in my hands and since I started playing defense, I’ve scored a lot on defense. So, whether on special teams or defense, I try to get the ball in my hands and get it in the end zone.”
The Grays Creek standout finished the 2012 season with 70 tackles and four interceptions, two of those he returned for pay dirt. He's also credited with returning a kick for a touchdown also.
Even though he was very successful last season, Gibson is even more driven to improve on all those numbers that put him in such an elite class last year.
“I'm using this off-season to bigger, stronger, faster and learn the game more because I'm going to be learning a new position on offense next season,” he explained. “I'll be playing quarterback and safety this year and I'm pretty excited about the move.
“I also plan on accepting more of a leadership role and helping the younger players get better instead of expecting them to go off on their own and figure everything out for themselves.”
Just by speaking to this talented 2014 prospect it's easy to see why Division I schools are already interested in adding him to their programs.
“Recruiting’s going pretty good so far and I'm up to three offers from North Carolina, North Carolina State and Clemson,” claimed Gibson. “I'm also hearing from Louisville, Notre Dame, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
“North Carolina State has been recruiting me as an athlete, but wants me to play wide receiver if I choose them. North Carolina and Clemson have both offered me as a safety.”
Though the dynamic athlete resides right in the middle of SEC and ACC territory, it hasn't affected his interest in the Irish in the slightest.
“Notre Dame would definitely be a school I'd be interested in because I like the fact that they're an independent,” he shared. “I think the way they had such a good season and ended up number one made a statement to everybody in the country and showed where the program is heading. They also have a great fan base.
“Currently, I've just been receiving letters from Notre Dame and they've invited me up to check out the campus, but I haven't been able to set that up quite yet.”
With already some nice offers on the table and more soon to be coming for sure, the North Carolina product has already decided what he'll be looking for in a school when the time comes to narrow things down.
“I'll be looking for academics and for a team that I can feel comfortable with and contribute to,” said the talented junior. “I'd like to play as soon as I can and be able to help them out, rather than just being out there on the sidelines doing nothing. Wherever I choose, it will definitely have to feel like home to me.”
With all that said will Gibson take up the Irish's offer to visit South Bend here in the near future?
“I’d definitely like to visit Notre Dame, but I really feel that will depend on how my recruiting goes with them in the future and the relationship I develop with the coaches. I hope to hear more from them here soon.”
