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Former Woodruff running back Aiden Gibson sent shockwaves through the Upstate when he announced he was flipping his commitment from Penn State to Rutgers and reclassifying to the Class of 2026.
Gibson was expected to have a huge senior year after a junior season in which he rushed for 1,611 yards at 7.9 yards per carry and 21 touchdowns. But now that Gibson is forgoing his senior season to get a head start in his collegiate career at Rutgers, the Wolverines will have massive shoes to fill in the backfield.
"Aiden and I have had some conversations over the past few days, and he felt like that was something he was supposed to do," Woodruff coach Brett Sloan said. "I tell all my players that I'm for them, and what's best for their families and futures.
"As a football coach, I obviously hate to see him go. We'll miss him as a player and just as much as a person. But at the same time, we want him to be happy and at peace with his decision. We all wish him the best, and we're super proud of him."
Sloan is still optimistic about the Wolverines' running back productivity this season. He said senior tailback Jaylen Lyles will have a bigger role with Gibson's absence. Last season, Lyles averaged 7.5 yards per carry with seven touchdowns.
"This is going to give him (Lyles) a good opportunity," Sloan said. "And we're excited for him to have that opportunity. I mean, we're excited for a bunch of our guys. We have a lot of belief in our players and coaches.
"Obviously, we'll look a little bit different. We may have to adjust in some ways, as far as making ourselves versatile. But we're not going to change what we're doing. We have guys who can fill any role. We'll make our adjustments and keep belief in our people. We have a chance to still be really good."
MORE: Three storylines to follow as high school football in the Upstate approaches
The absence of Gibson isn't the only thing that'll look different for the Wolverines this season. After competing in Class 3A for the past two years, Woodruff is heading to 2A, alongside other Upstate programs like Mountain View Prep. Nonetheless, Sloan said the work remains the same.
"We'll have some traditional rivalries in our region, like Chesnee and Clinton. Those will definitely be some fun matchups," Sloan said. "We were always one of the smaller 3A schools, so I think this helps us because we're not on the bottom end in the numbers game. But at the end of the day, it's still football. Whoever blocks, tackles, catches, and throws the best is still going to win the football game. It's really not that different."
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What's next for Woodruff football after Aiden Gibson's reclassifying?
Continue reading...
Gibson was expected to have a huge senior year after a junior season in which he rushed for 1,611 yards at 7.9 yards per carry and 21 touchdowns. But now that Gibson is forgoing his senior season to get a head start in his collegiate career at Rutgers, the Wolverines will have massive shoes to fill in the backfield.
"Aiden and I have had some conversations over the past few days, and he felt like that was something he was supposed to do," Woodruff coach Brett Sloan said. "I tell all my players that I'm for them, and what's best for their families and futures.
"As a football coach, I obviously hate to see him go. We'll miss him as a player and just as much as a person. But at the same time, we want him to be happy and at peace with his decision. We all wish him the best, and we're super proud of him."
Sloan is still optimistic about the Wolverines' running back productivity this season. He said senior tailback Jaylen Lyles will have a bigger role with Gibson's absence. Last season, Lyles averaged 7.5 yards per carry with seven touchdowns.
"This is going to give him (Lyles) a good opportunity," Sloan said. "And we're excited for him to have that opportunity. I mean, we're excited for a bunch of our guys. We have a lot of belief in our players and coaches.
"Obviously, we'll look a little bit different. We may have to adjust in some ways, as far as making ourselves versatile. But we're not going to change what we're doing. We have guys who can fill any role. We'll make our adjustments and keep belief in our people. We have a chance to still be really good."
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MORE: Three storylines to follow as high school football in the Upstate approaches
The absence of Gibson isn't the only thing that'll look different for the Wolverines this season. After competing in Class 3A for the past two years, Woodruff is heading to 2A, alongside other Upstate programs like Mountain View Prep. Nonetheless, Sloan said the work remains the same.
"We'll have some traditional rivalries in our region, like Chesnee and Clinton. Those will definitely be some fun matchups," Sloan said. "We were always one of the smaller 3A schools, so I think this helps us because we're not on the bottom end in the numbers game. But at the end of the day, it's still football. Whoever blocks, tackles, catches, and throws the best is still going to win the football game. It's really not that different."
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What's next for Woodruff football after Aiden Gibson's reclassifying?
Continue reading...
