Aiden Gibson’s path to Rutgers took a turn that, by his own admission, had been building for a while.
The 4-star running back from Woodruff, South Carolina, said Thursday that even while he was committed to Penn State, Rutgers held a special place for him.
"I committed to Penn State, but my heart has always been with Rutgers," Gibson said.
That feeling eventually led to one of the summer’s biggest recruiting swings. Gibson officially committed to Rutgers on Tuesday after flipping from Penn State, and he also reclassified from the 2027 recruiting class to the 2026 class. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound back plans to arrive in Piscataway next month and begin preseason with the Scarlet Knights as a true freshman.
Before making the move public, Gibson said he spent a long time working through the decision.
"I prayed about it and weighed out all the pros and cons before making the final decision," Gibson said.
Rutgers now lands its highest-rated commitment of Greg Schiano’s second tenure as head coach, and the Scarlet Knights add one of the country’s top young running backs to the roster.
The 247Sports Composite listed Gibson as the No. 103 overall prospect nationally in the 2027 class before his reclassification and the No. 6 running back in the country. He now joins a Rutgers backfield that has already shown what an early arrival can do.
Antwan Raymond reclassified to the 2024 recruiting class after Clearwater Academy International cut football, then spent his true freshman season behind Kyle Monangai before breaking out last season with 1,241 yards and 13 TDs.
Rutgers has also seen similar moves pay off elsewhere. Edge rusher Wydeek Collier came in as a 4-star, 2026 recruit before reclassifying to 2025 and arriving a year early, putting him on track to be part of the defensive line rotation this fall after a year of physical development. Safety Latrell Noel also reclassified after flipping from Coastal Carolina, and he is entering his second season while looking to compete for more playing time after appearing in 4 games as a true freshman.
Gibson’s case was different because Rutgers had to pull him away from a Big Ten rival already on his list. That makes the flip from Penn State stand out even more for Schiano and his staff.
For Rutgers, the hope is simple: Gibson becomes the next player to turn an early arrival and a bold reclassification into a major impact in Piscataway.
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