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John Gibson III (6'0, 190, Jr.)
2014: 24.0 tackles, 1 TFL, 4 PBU
2013: 11.5 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PBU, 1 FR, 1 QB hurry
Bill C.: Missouri's increasingly impressive cornerback depth has allowed John Gibson to grow slowly, and I think that could reap major dividends in 2016, after Kenya Dennis has departed. He certainly made some sophomore mistakes last year, but ... well, he was a sophomore. And when Aarion Penton was suspended for the Texas A&M game -- a potentially perilous situation against the Aggies' deep set of receivers -- Gibson was a major reason why A&M still only averaged 5.7 yards per pass attempt. By the end of the game, we'd forgotten Penton had been suspended at all.
Gibson's got awesome athleticism, and he's still got two more years to hone his instincts. From what we've heard in fall camp, he's been part of a few communication breakdowns, but I'll reserve judgment on that until it actually happens in a game.
AlaTiger: Gibson gives the Tigers a third starter-level CB.
dcrockett17: Ditto. This is a very deep group.
The Beef: With the relative size of Gibson (who will be the No. 3 corner this year but could certainly come to replace Dennis next season), is he the one used in the more elaborate/fancy blitz packages? And with so much defense becoming based around five defensive backs, I expect to see quite a bit of Gibson this year, even without him holding down a "starter" role.
switzy227: I’d love to see his size on the field, and as mentioned above, he’ll get plenty of chances as the third guy. Perhaps even more importantly for Mizzou fans, Gibson is the type of player who has the potential to fill-in as a starter if needed without too much of a drop-off.
jaeger: Am I wrong in thinking that John Gibson would have been the No. 1 (or at least No. 2) corner on a lot of Pinkel teams? Great depth.
Fullback U: I’m less high on John Gibson for a few reasons. He has good size and he is probably a starter on many Mizzou teams, but he’s displayed a lack of focus and consistency that I believe helped to earn Aarion Penton the job. He’s a bit more prone to mental lapses that can give up big plays (yes, I’m still bitter about that fourth-down pass interference penalty against Indiana), and through a few scrimmages he’s still displayed some of that, but I think he’s absolutely capable of improving and being a reliable third corner this year.
Bill C.: He's also a good Instagram follow, by the way.