Getty Image / Eakin Howard
College football’s 2024 recruiting class got some big news this week.
The top recruit in the class, quarterback Dylan Raiola, decided to commit to Georgia.
Now it looks like another SEC school could have the edge to land the top recruit at another position on offense.
Running back Jerrick Gibson is the top running back in the Class of 2024 and has received interest from a number of the nation’s biggest programs.
However, he revealed that he has a connection to one SEC program that hasn’t been quite as successful in recent years.
Gibson told On 3’s Hayes Fawcett that it has been a lifelong dream to play for the Florida Gators.
No. 1 RB Jerrick Gibson tells @Hayesfawcett3 that playing for Florida has been a 'lifelong dream' of his👀https://t.co/lJkVNliFOs pic.twitter.com/7mAPiJdDOW
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 17, 2023
“Growing up in Florida, the Gators have always been my favorite team. Playing for them has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
Florida is not currently the favorite to land Gibson. It is actually Texas that us expected to land the 4-star running back. He has also received offers from Georgia, Miami, and Tennessee.
Landing Gibson would be a big win for a Florida program that has had to lean pretty heavily on their run game in recent seasons. The Gators have averaged at least 200 rushing yards per game in each of the past two season.
Gibson also mentioned Georgia’s ability to get players to the NFL.
While Georgia and Texas have produced the higher-profile running backs in recent years with players like D’Andre Seift, James Cook, and Bijan Robinson, Florida has also pretty successfully churned out NFL talent at the position in recent years.
Florida has had a running back drafted in 3 of the last 5 drafts. That includes Dameon Pierce last season, who immediately took over as the starter for the Houston Texans.
If Jerrick Gibson does decided to live out his lifelong dream, we’ll see the top recruit in the country at both QB and running back head to the SEC next year.