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Ohio State recruiting: Breaking down Torrance Gibson's state championship performance

Torrance Gibson's Plantation American Heritage team won back-to-back state titles last weekend, defeating Tallahassee Godby 38-0. We broke down his final high school football game.

By Christopher Jason
Bud Elliott/SB Nation
Designed runs Dropbacks Completions Incompletions TD passes Scrambles Overthrown Underthrown Throwaway
4 16 7 8 3 1 4 0 0
Sacked Pressured Hit during throw PBU Batted at LOS Drops Intercepted TD run Pass interference
0 5 2 0 0 2 1 0 0
  • Final Statistics: 7-for-15 passing for 138 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Game Observations

  • You have to love that Gibson has been playing in a spread system for his time at Plantation American Heritage. They run multiple wide receiver sets, along with the read option. His familiarity with the shotgun snaps, drop back steps and read option will only be a bonus coming out of high school.
  • On his first throw of the afternoon he locked onto his first option and saw single coverage. It was not a bad shot to take on a vertical route but he missed a wide-open receiver coming out of the slot that could have resulted in a big play or a touchdown. I cannot fault him for recognizing single coverage but if he scanned the field he would have had an easy pitch and catch.
  • On his next pass attempt, he found single coverage on the same wide receiver but overthrew his target that resulted in a great interception. He may have overthrown the deep ball on his first two attempts but he throws with nice touch and possesses a strong arm. He effortlessly flicked the ball 50-yards on his second attempt.
  • I thought his most impressive throw of the day came on his third pass attempt. Gibson was pressured, moved in the pocket and threw across his body. He rifled the ball roughly 30-yard on a line to a receiver on the sideline. The target of the pass did not get his feet inbounds but Gibson put the ball right on the mark and gave his receiver a chance to make a play.
  • His first completion came on a roll out to a short out pattern. I think with Gibson, the coaching staff needs to put him in the best chance to succeed early in games. Getting him comfortable and rolling him out of the pocket early and then take deep shots. Coach Herman and Coach Meyer excelled at this throughout the year and Ohio State's system fits Gibson's attributes perfectly.
  • Gibson showed excellent touch on a 6-yard touchdown pass on a fade pattern to the field side. He had an unblocked defender in his face and took a hit right when he released the ball. His arm strength and accuracy allowed him to throw the ball into the opposite corner of the end zone from the far hash mark. He put the ball over his receiver's outside shoulder for the touchdown. Gibson showed great touch on this play.
  • His second touchdown pass came on a great call. They rolled him out to his left and he tucked the ball, forcing the defense to bite on the run and flicked the ball to a wide open receiver for an easy touchdown.
  • Gibson missed one pass where he felt the rush and moved up in the pocket before throwing off target to an open receiver. He had a chance to run the ball but I liked that he kept his eyes downfield and saw the open receiver. He did not set his feet though and threw the ball off target, out of bounds.
  • Gibson's best run of the day was brought back due to a penalty but he showed off his elusiveness to avoid the rush and his gazelle-like strides to gain yardage downfield.

  • Gibson corrected an earlier mistake by completing a 30-yard pass after stepping up in the pocket to avoid the rush and lofting a perfect touch pass to his receiver. It was similar to the play where he threw the ball off-target on the sideline but this time he hit his receiver for a solid gain.
  • Right before finishing off his high school career with an easy touchdown pass, he hit an open receiver down the seam for 40-yards. He showed good form by stepping into the throw where a defender was lurking, before hitting his receiver down the seam between the safety and cornerback.
  • Although his statistics may have not jumped off the screen, I thought Gibson flashed at times but he was also inconsistent. For negatives, he missed a couple of throws and did not see a wide open receiver. For positives, I thought he displayed great arm strength, nice touch on his deep ball and the ability to avoid the rush. When it comes down to it, Gibson can play quarterback at Ohio State. It will not be right away, due to his mechanics, the depth chart and consistent accuracy but he has all of the natural tools to eventually compete for a spot. I would have loved to see him get quality time with Coach Herman but that will not be happening anymore. With the proper coaching, I can most certainly see Gibson as the starting quarterback on a national championship contender at The Ohio State University.

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