Kar’Moniy Gibbs spent most of his high school career waiting for a real shot. Now that he’s getting one in his senior season, the 2027 linebacker out of LeFlore Magnet High School in Mobile, Ala., is wasting no time turning heads.
After transferring a few miles down the I-65 corridor from Saraland High this offseason, Gibbs has gone from role player to one of the fastest-rising names in the area. He opened the year with a four-sack performance in his first game and hasn’t slowed down since.
“Kar'Moniy is a long explosive athlete. He exploded onto the national scene the first week of the season,” LeFlore head coach Jon Mitchell said.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker has already landed his first offer, coming from Arkansas State last week. He also took a game-day visit to Alabama and is firmly on the radar of the in-state powerhouse, which plans to keep tracking him throughout the season.
Through three games for 3-0 LeFlore, Gibbs has stacked up 26 tackles, 11 TFL, 6.0 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. The numbers reflect what he’s saying now: this isn’t some sudden arrival, just the first time he’s had the platform to show it.
“I've been sitting on the sideline my entire high school career until my senior year and a coach gave me an opportunity,” Gibbs said. “I've always been this player. I just feel like recruiters are seeing what I've always seen in myself: the athleticism, the ability, the versatility.”
LeFlore has already matched last season’s win total, and it has also matched its combined win total from 2023-24. Mitchell is in his first season at his alma mater after coming over from Mobile Williamson, where he had been defensive coordinator since 2019.
A young, athletic defense has played a major role in that jump, and Gibbs is right in the middle of it. He’s not just flashing as a pass rusher, either. LeFlore also has 6-foot-5 sophomore EDGE Tarrell Milton, known as Too Tall, and physical sophomore linebacker Blake Phillips giving the front some real punch.
Mitchell said the staff has enjoyed working with the new talent and finding the right ways to use Gibbs.
“Many teams view him as a guy that can come off the edge and some teams look at him as a possible inside backer,” Mitchell said. “I think his versatility is what makes so many teams interested in him.”
Georgia has also shown interest, giving Gibbs another P4 program to watch. The challenge now is sorting through that attention quickly enough, since he hasn’t had much time to build out his options. That means choices like whether to visit Georgia this weekend or make the trip to a program such as Louisiana, which may be closer to an offer.
That’s the recruiting juggling act ahead.
On the field, though, Gibbs is doing exactly what he wanted: getting loose, attacking, and finally showing what he can do.
“I wanted a chance to show what I could do and I got it,” Gibbs said. “Now we're up from here.”
In Other News...
LSUs SEC Fight Could Shift The Balance Alabama Lives With
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For Alabama, any league-wide shakeup involving LSU matters because it can alter the balance of a conference the Crimson Tide lives in every week. The SEC has also alleged that LSUs executive officers do not have meaningful control over coach Lane Kiffin and the football program, and the most extreme option on the table would require a two-thirds vote to terminate LSUs membership. Whether it gets anywhere near that point is still the unresolved part, but the fact it is being discussed says plenty about how serious the conflict has become. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces An Early SEC Test It Can't Afford To Sleepwalk Through
Alabama got through its Week 1 tune-up against East Carolina, but the rhythm of the season changes fast now that SEC play arrives. The Crimson Tides first conference test comes against Kentucky, a team that brings a different look than the usual early-September opponent and one that has already spent the offseason reshaping itself on the sideline and at quarterback.
Will Stein is in place as the Wildcats new head coach, and Kentucky also added a transfer quarterback who was impressive in the opener. That combination is enough to make this more than a routine league game for Alabama, which cannot afford to treat it like a soft landing after the nonconference schedule. The Tide will need to be sharp from the start if they want to avoid turning an early SEC roadblock into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Sent A Confusing Early Message In The Polls
The first full college football polls of the regular season offered an early read on where the sports powers stand, and Alabama got a mixed one. Ohio State stayed No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls, LSU surged to No. 8 after a convincing win over Clemson, and Michigans split showing in the rankings underscored how quickly the first month can reshape a rsum.
For Alabama, the picture was less clean. The Crimson Tide climbed to No. 12 in the AP poll after handling East Carolina, but the Coaches poll told a different story by placing them one spot lower. It is still early, of course, but the discrepancy is the kind of small signal that tends to matter in September, especially for a program used to being evaluated with very little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]