Brian Branch Speaks Highly of Jahmyr Gibbs

In two years since the NCAA has allowed a one-time transfer exemption, Nick Saban has used the new rule to immediately bolster the Alabama roster.

The Tide landed electric running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech in December. Alabama defensive back Brian Branch spoke recently about what Gibbs brings to the table.

“His instincts I feel like are huge,” Branch said. “The way he gets in and out of cuts and finds little holes – just once he finds them he go like burst through them. I feel like that’s gonna help our running back room a lot. We already got a lot of good backs. So I’m just very excited to see how it pans out.”

In two seasons with the Yellowjackets, Gibbs had 232 carries, 1,206 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns, while adding 59 catches, 768 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

The Dalton, GA. native is an explosive back with excellent vision and short area quickness. Gibbs is also a natural pass catcher coming out of the backfield. He revealed earlier this month that he was clocked running a 4.32 in the 40-yard dash.

Gibbs was a standout during the Tide’s annual A-Day game. He ran for over 100 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter and picked up MVP honors. Gibbs adds to a deep and talented running back room that features Trey Sanders, Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and five-star freshman Emmanuel Henderson.

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Branch isn’t the only Alabama player to rave about Gibbs this summer. Bryce Young had some lofty admiration for the Tide’s new running back when he spoke at the Manning Passing Academy in June.

“He’s super explosive, super dynamic,” Young said. “He’s lightning in a bottle every time he touches the ball. Just seeing him be able to improvise and do great things with it has been really fun for me to watch. I’m excited to watch him to see how electric he’ll be this year.”

Alabama opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 3 against Utah State in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and will air on the SEC Network.

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