Correction - This article initially incorrectly claimed Gibson was Florida's fourth 4-star commit of the class of 2022. He was the ninth.
Jayden Gibson, a 4-star wideout from Winter Garden, Florida, sat at a folding table Wednesday in a gymnasium decorated with his school colors. Eight hats lie before him, turned forward and awaiting his hand. He looked to his left, then his right, then his left again before he leaned over and grabbed an orange hat with a Florida Gators logo front and center.
The West Orange product joined Florida’s 2022 recruiting class and became head coach Dan Mullen’s ninth 4-star and highest-ranked receiver in the cycle.
The 26th-ranked WR in the class, according to 247Sports, Gibson stands 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, the same height as redshirt junior Justin Shorter, currently the tallest receiver on Florida’s roster. Gibson also played basketball and ran track for West Orange
“(Gibson is) at his best when asked to attack the deeper parts of the field, but has a knack for finding holes in zone coverage and is more than capable of creating separation on slant and drag routes,” said 247Sports analyst Andrew Ivins in a scouting report.
Gibson joins linebacker Shemar James, cornerback Julian Humphrey and quarterback Nick Evers as the top prospects in Florida’s class of 2022. With the addition, the Gators now sit 15th in the country and fifth in the SEC in recruiting rankings for the class.
Contact Ryan Haley at rhaley@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @ryan_dhaley.
Ryan Haley, a UF journalism senior with a sports & media specialization from Jacksonville, Florida, is Summer 2022's Engagement Managing Editor. He grew up playing a bunch of different sports before settling on golf, following Rory McIlroy and all Philadelphia sports teams. He also loves all things fiction, reading, watching shows and movies and talking about whatever current story or character is in his head.
