Mike Price and the UTEP coaching staff received some good news Sunday when Cedar Hill wide receiver Lovett Gibson committed to the UTEP Miners football team. Rivals.com's Brian Perroni reported the commitment earlier today on twitter and has a nice interview with Lovett up right now ($). Gibson first fell on our radar back in June, when recruiting guru Gerry Hamilton first reported that UTEP offered Lovett after he attended one of UTEP's satellite camps.
Gibson is a very nice get for UTEP. He chose the Miners over offers from Colorado, Tulsa, Wyoming, Memphis, UNT, and the Big 10's Minnesota. Hamilton noted that Boise State and Baylor were both very close to offering him as well.
Gibson is listed at 6'1 and 185 pounds and Rivals rates him as a 2 Star Prospect ESPN ranks Gibson as the 194th best WR prospect in that nation. Scout.com ranks Gibson as the 137th best WR prospect in the nation and a 3 star prospect overall.
Gibson visited UTEP for the Memphis game and was impressed with the game day atmosphere in El Paso. He told Perroni:
"I’ve been out there," Gibson said of UTEP. "I took my official visit out there when they played Memphis. It was crazy. Memphis was a big game. After they won, I went on the field and talked to the players and they said they hadn’t beaten Memphis in a long time so the atmosphere was crazy. The fans were crazy and the stadium was loud. I wanted to go out there on the field and play."
During this season, Gibson has accumulated 43 receptions for 707 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Dallas Morning News gave him a shout-out after he had a monster game against Denton Guyer earlier in the season.
Gibson becomes the 13th member of UTEP's 2011 recruiting class and the second wide receiver. Back in August, the Miners received a commitment from another 3 star prospect Ishmael Harrison.
UTEP will lose some veteran wideouts after this season. Kris Adams, Pierce Hunter, and Evan Davis are all seniors. Donavon Kemp is a junior. Kemp and Marlon McClure will be UTEP's most seasoned returning wideouts. But, 2011 looks to be a year where the Miners develop lots of young talent (Julio Lopez, Jordan Leslie) at the position. So, Gibson and Harrison both figure to have a chance to compete for playing time as early as next season.
For more on UTEP's 2011 footall recruiting class, check out the UTEP Football Recruiting Section.
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