Tennessee Football cornerback Rickey Gibson III got paid. Now, it’s time for the Vol to pay up.
There are some pretty high expectations for Gibson as Tennessee powers forward through spring practice. That’s partly his doing.
Gibson entered the transfer portal just before spring ball to, almost assuredly, get more NIL money from the Vols. It must have worked. He decided to continue to be a part of Tennessee’s football program with, most likely, a much fatter wallet.
Because of Jermod McCoy, who was widely considered Tennessee’s top cornerback, suffering a torn ACL in January, Gibson is key for Vols. McCoy is supposed to be back by the beginning of the season, but we’ll see about that. For now, and possibly into the fall, Gibson is Tennessee’s No. 1 cornerback.
“He finished strong last year,” UT defensive backs coach Willie Martinez said following practice on Thursday. “He was definitely playing his best football at the end of the year. Some of the things we talked about after the season, what’s going to take the next step forward moving forward is his leadership.
“He’s extremely smart. He’s talented with his athleticism and he made a bunch of plays for us in moments that really mattered. We said, ‘Look, let’s get better at pushing the guys in the meeting room and being a leader. They’re going to respect you because you’re one of the best players.’ He’s done that.”
Martinez also offered an update on McCoy’s status, saying that rehab has been going “outstanding.” McCoy could be ready for Tennessee’s season-opening game against Syracuse, but making sure he’s ready for the Vols’ matchup against Georgia on Sept. 13 is key.
“We know that Jermod is going to be back,” Martinez said. “We know he’s a great player and leader. He’s doing an unbelievable job. The same thing I said about (Gibson) is times-two with him. He’s engaged and is actually growing as a player even though he’s not physically going through it. He’s setting the example and leading it.”
He better not be the only Vol to do so. Gibson is being paid to do the same.
