[Editor’s note: This is a series of posts breaking down Coloardo’s true freshman football players. For earlier posts, see:
Jay Gardenhire: https://buffsblog.com/hello-and-goodbye-jay-gardenhire-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Quanell “X” Farrakhan Jr. https://buffsblog.com/hello-quanell-farrakhan-jr-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Carde Smith: https://buffsblog.com/hello-carde-smith-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Zayne DeSouza: https://buffsblog.com/hello-zayne-desouza-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Mantrez Walker: https://buffsblog.com/hello-mantrez-walker-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Corbin Laisure: https://buffsblog.com/hello-corbin-laisure-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Chauncey Gooden: https://buffsblog.com/hello-chauncey-gooden-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Antonio “TJ” Branch: https://buffsblog.com/hello-tj-branch-jr-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Adrian Wilson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-adrian-wilson-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/
Christian Hudson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-christian-hudson/
Alexander McPherson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-alexander-mcpherson/]
Position:
Wide receiver/athlete.
The Details
| 247 | On3 | ESPN | Rivals | |
| Ranking | 88/100; 3 stars; #85 receiver; #77 player in TX | 90/100; 4 stars; #346 player nationally; #52 receiver; #45 player in TX | 82/100; 4 stars; #26 receiver; #29 player in TX | 5.8; 4 stars; #43 receiver; #45 player in TX |
| Height/Weight | 5’9; 155 pounds | 5’8; 165 pounds | 5’9; 165 pounds | 5’9; 165 pounds |
| Composite | 90.53/100; 4 stars; #298 player nationally; #37 receiver; #41 player in TX | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Notable offers: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Vanderbilt, Washington State
High School:
As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas, and Gibson’s high school is no exception. Quentin Gibson attended North Crowley high school in Fort Worth, Texas, which has a student population of ~3,000 students. This means that North Crowley competes in 6A, the largest classification of Texas football, and arguably the best division of high school football in the nation.
North Crowley is chock-full of D1 football talent (such as 2027 top-100 player Jerry Outhouse Jr, also a member of the all-name team), yet Gibson was far and away the star player. This isn’t a small feat, as North Crowley went undefeated and ended the 2024-25 year as the second best high school football team in the nation according to the On3 Composite, just behind Mater Dei.
The Scoooooooop:
Gibson’s high school accolades are second to none. As a senior, he led North Crowley to the Texas 6A state championship by putting up 2,009 receiving yards (9th in TX HS football history) and 36 receiving TDs (4th in TX HS football history). He was also named the offensive MVP in the state championship game, and the 2024 MaxPreps National Player of the Year. If that sounds impressive, it is. A list of the most recent MaxPreps National Player of the Year winners puts Gibson in elite company:
QB DJ Lagway (2023): Freshman All-American; Heisman hopeful
S Caleb Downs (2022): Projected 2026 1st-rounder; best player in college football
QB Cade Klubnik (2021): Projected 2026 1st-rounder
QB Jaxson Dart (2020): 2025 1st-rounder (25th overall pick)
So, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering why Gibson is flying under the radar a bit. While he isn’t low-ranked, you would expect the national player of the year to be ranked higher than a high 3-star or low 4-star. The main reason(s) for Gibson’s sleeper-status are twofold. First, his size; it has to be said that Gibson is not the biggest football player. At 5’8 and 155 pounds (according to the CU website), Gibson’s size is more suited to being a varsity cheer flyer than a college football player. Despite this, some players of Gibson’s size have shown to be successful in the past. Tez Johnson (5’10, 155 pounds) put up over 2,000 receiving yards and 20 receiving TDs for Oregon over the past 2 years. Former Buff Dylan Edwards (who just had 650+ all-purpose yards and 7 TDs for K-State) is perhaps Gibson’s closest physical comp, as he stands at 5’9 and 165 pounds. Even though Gibson isn’t very big, there is evidence that he can still be a very successful college football player.
The other reason Gibson is a sleeper is because he wasn’t a very big deal until his senior year. Gibson didn’t play significant varsity ball until his Junior year of high school, and even then, he was more of a running back than a receiver. As a Junior, Gibson put up 365 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs on 36 carries whilst putting up a modest 217 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs on 12 receptions. Given his small size and modest receiving numbers, if you predicted that Gibson would put up an all-time great receiving season as a senior, you would’ve been called crazy. However, that’s exactly what he did. Gibson was unranked on the 247 composite ranking until October of 2024 (midway through his senior year), which is very uncommon for a player of this caliber.
Tale of the Tape:
The first word that comes to mind when watching Quentin Gibson is speed. While there are no publicly available 40 yard dash times or 100 meter times, Gibson glides past defenders in his highlight tape, showcasing elite speed. Gibson lined up mainly in the slot for North Crowley, and he was utilized mostly on screen passes or as a deep threat. While it is easy to see Gibson’s speed and agility on screen passes, I was pleasantly surprised by Gibson’s hands and body control. Gibson tracks the ball very well as a receiver, and he does a great job of using his hands at the catch point, showing off a plethora of one-handed receptions.
At CU, I would expect Gibson to compete for punt/kick return duties as a freshman, and I would also expect that he is schemed a few touches a game, either through a screen pass or a jet sweep. His receiver skills will have to develop a little for him to truly reach his potential as an intermediate/deep threat, but Gibson should be a contributor as a freshman.
But how does he fit into the CU multiverse?
When Quentin Gibson announced his commitment to CU, he did so as the 5th player to commit on a nationally recognized show, this specific show being hosted by Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. Since his commitment, Deion Sanders has compared Gibson to LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr, two of CU’s most explosive receivers in recent years. Gibson fits very well in CU’s offense, and he will be another playmaker for Pat Shurmur and Deion Sanders to utilize on offense.
Excitement level (out of 5 stars):
5 stars. Gibson won’t be CU’s best receiver next year, and there’s a chance he never becomes more than a gadget player/returner (although I would bet on him becoming more than that). With that being said, Gibson is the type of player that puts fans in seats just to make them stand up when he gets the ball. I have personally anointed Gibson as the most fun-to-watch recruit in CU’s 2025 class, and at the end of the day, what’s more exciting than that?
Great writeup. I’m really excitd to see Quentin play. The Buffs should make sure he gets a number of touches in every game because of his big play ability, even if he isn’t one of the starting WRs.
Excited to see what he can do!!