2013 Mizzou Walkthrough: John Gibson has set himself apart a bit from the other young CBs

John Gibson

#1 | 6'0, 185, RSFr. | Missouri City, TX

Bill C.: A long-time Arkansas commit, Gibson was dumped by Bobby Petrino late in the recruiting process (supposedly because of qualification concerns) and basically landed in Mizzou's lap. That seemed like a very, very good thing when his name quickly began to show up in practice reports last August. He redshirted, in part because Mizzou seemed to have a pretty strong corner hierarchy last year, but in the spring he quickly set himself apart from the other young corners vying for playing time.

By all accounts, Gibson is a bit of an E.J. Gaines clone, at least in terms of tendencies and athleticism. I think we'd all be okay with him putting together a Gaines-esque career, but that's setting the bar pretty high. Still, he's got lovely size, he looked good in the spring game, and if anybody has a chance of eventually overtaking Randy Ponder in the starting lineup, it's him. He lost some time to injury in August practices, but one should still expect him to play a solid, and growing, role in the Mizzou defense, both as the 2013 season unfolds and as he matures into his four years.

The Beef: Here is my knight in shining armour. Currently, he is second on the depth chart behind Ponder. He features good size, and I believe he was coming on through the spring. My hope is he keeps that up and moves towards becoming a three-year starter for the Tigers.

countrycal: Like David Johnson, I think Gibson has the opportunity to establish himself as a top defender this year with more years ahead. It would be good to see him have a good camp and either push those ahead of him to their full potential or pass them to perform at his full potential.