West Orange’s Jayden Gibson commits to Florida Gators
In the end, it was Florida head coach Dan Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales who sold Jayden Gibson on a future with the Gators.
Gibson, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior wide receiver at West Orange High, committed to the Gators during a ceremony at the Winter Garden school Wednesday. He picked the Gators over 38 other Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers and had narrowed his choices to UF, Georgia and South Carolina.
“I just felt like it was the best opportunity for me and I really wanted to play for Coach Mullen and Coach Billy G,” Gibson said. “I feel like it’s a program that’s winning and I’ll have an opportunity to make a run for the playoffs the next couple of years, so I’m definitely excited for that.”
By selecting the Gators, Gibson will live out his childhood dream of playing for his favorite team.
“I was a Gators fan growing up,” he said. “It’s cool and I definitely thought about going there when I was a kid, but I ... took that out of the equation when I got all these scholarship offers and I didn’t let that affect my decision at all.
“It’s cool that it came to me and it happened to where I didn’t have to force it and it just naturally felt like the best decision rather than me just going there because I liked the school when I was a kid. I didn’t want it to be like that and it wasn’t like that.”
Gibson, who is the No.1-ranked prospect in the latest update of the Sentinel’s 2022 Central Florida Super60, said he had considered committing to other schools after different stages of the recruiting process and was close to making a pledge to Miami at one point, so it wasn’t necessarily an easy decision.
“You put your prayers up and God shows you the way. It didn’t really come to anything where I didn’t really know where I wanted to go,” Gibson said. “I just had to sit and take the time to think about it and it came to me.”
He officially committed to the Gators staff before the Alabama game in Gainesville on Sept. 18, but he wanted to wait until Wednesday before making his public announcement. He was part of the 90,000 screaming fans at the Swamp that day and the atmosphere overwhelmed him.
Reached by phone at halftime of the game, Gibson said: “It’s great. I love it. This place is rocking. I’ve been here so many times that there isn’t anything about the school that I don’t already know at this point.
“We’re just here to enjoy the atmosphere on game day ... You get to see how the crowd gets electric and everything.”
He’s more than ready to create his own memories on the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“It’s great and I’m excited. There’s going to be nothing like playing in the Swamp,” Gibson said. “I definitely can’t wait for that and on top of all that, my family and everyone will be able to come watch the games, so that will be pretty cool too.”
Gibson has had a nice career at West Orange. In 17 games over the past two seasons, with still more games remaining in his senior campaign, Gibson has 84 catches for 1,274 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Gibson joins several other Central Florida players who have committed to the Gators recently. Also in the Class of 2022, the Gators have landed commitments from Bishop Moore receiver C.J. Smith and Winter Park running back Terrance Gibbs. In the Class of 2023, Sanford Seminole receiver Darren “Goldie” Lawrence has also committed to join the team.
