Jumbo Package: Alabama lands Elite RB Transfer Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech

This time of year, it’s hard to keep track of days. As such, you’re getting a very late Jumbo Package this morning.

The big news from yesterday is that Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs is officially transferring to Alabama.

Alabama is hitting the Transfer Portal once again, this time adding Georgia Tech running back transfer Jahmyr Gibbs, one of the most productive players available. Gibbs, a former four-star recruit in the class of 2020, joins Emmanuel Henderson and Jamarion Miller as the third back in the Tide’s 2022 class. Gibbs is the top-ranked RB in the portal, per 247Sports

“I like how they love to win and be the best they can be,” Gibbs said during the high school recruiting process.

Appearing in 19 games with Georgia Tech, Gibbs rushed for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns, while catching 59 passes for 768 yards and five additional scores.

Gibbs is a dynamic talent at running back who’s been a major threat as a runner, receiver, and kick returner for the Yellow Jackets the last two seasons. He’s NFL-level elite in terms of vision and feel for following blockers and has the feet and quickness to make any defender in the country miss.

He’s a little smaller than the usual 220-pound battering ram that Alabama has typically used over the last decade, but he’s going to be an offensive coordinator’s dream, as well as a potential difference maker on special teams.

The Crimson Tide still has Jameson Williams, who leads the team in receiving yards (1,445) and receiving touchdowns (15), but top-seeded Alabama will need other receivers to help fill the void left by Metchie. On Monday, coach Nick Saban named a few that are doing just that.

“I think the guys are stepping up and doing a good job,” Saban said. “Javon Baker’s done a good job. Traeshon Holden’s done a good job. Agiye Hall is making some good plays. And I think those guys look forward to the opportunity that they have, and they’re doing the best they can to get prepared to try to be able to help the team every way that they can. Ja’Corey has been playing well for us, so he’s also a guy that continues to improve.”

Nick Saban made sure to give away absolutely nothing as to which young wide receiver we might expect to see take over for the injured Metchie in the playoffs. With Christian Leary playing emergency running back right now, that leaves Thaiu Jones-Bell as the only guy not mentioned.

In any case, these four players (Holden, Brooks, Hall, Baker) all bring some legitimate size and length to the outside receiver spot. Holden got some playing time earlier in the season, and Brooks broke into the scene against Auburn before not really playing against Georgia. And then Baker was a primary backup in 2020 only to not really get talked about this year. Hall, of course, was the A-Day star who’s been the talk of Alabama fans ever since.

A 5-star recruit that signed with the Crimson Tide on Wednesday and joined the team’s College Football Playoff practices last week, Simpson joked before he enrolled at UA that he was going to approach Anderson and ask not to be hit that hard in his first collegiate practices.

“Before he could even come to me, because I had seen it already, I had went up to him and I told him, ‘You don’t gotta worry about me hitting you right now, but just know in the springtime, you’re gonna see me all the time,’” Anderson said. “‘I’m gonna always be in your face. But you ain’t gotta worry about me right now.’ So I actually came up to him.”

If I were Ty Simpson, I think I might just retire my football career on the spot.

Finally, Jalen Hurts played very well last night, making a LOT of fantasy football owners very happy with a couple of rushing touchdowns.

But Hurts finished the game 20-of-26 passing for 296 yards with one touchdown and one interception and eight carries for 38 yards and two touchdowns.

Hurts scored on a pair of 1-yard runs on Philadelphia’s final possession of the first half and first possession of the second half as the Eagles took a 17-10 lead.

Alabama has three young, legitimate starting QBs in the NFL now, and I’m personally having a bit of a crisis trying to figure out which teams to root for all the time.

It’s a good problem to have.

Roll Tide!