Two schools stand out most to Gibson

Two Pac-10 schools are the co-leaders for Jason Gibson and although the Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra defensive end said he's still open to all programs, Cal and UCLA have taken a slight edge in his recruitment.

Gibson, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound four-star recruit, said he's planning to attend UCLA's game at Cal on Oct. 9 and although the outcome isn't that important it will be nice for him to see both teams in action on the same field.

Oregon, USC, Florida, Stanford, Miami and many other programs have offered Gibson, rated seventh at weak-side defensive end, No. 151 nationally and No. 18 in the California state rankings by Rivals.com, but he said the Bruins and Golden Bears stand out most to him.

"I've been up (to Cal) so many times and I'm comfortable with them," Gibson said. "I think I'm going to the game against UCLA but everything else has been pretty much the same. It will be nice to see where everybody is right now. If the team I like the most loses it won't be a big deal but it will be fun.

"(UCLA is) definitely recruiting me harder. (Rick) Neuheisel is on you. They've been on me a lot. I like what they're doing right now and I like the attention. I'm still looking at the others but those two are recruiting me the hardest right now."

Gibson was fantastic in Serra's 34-7 season-opening win against Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame last weekend. He was not only dominant from his defensive end spot but Gibson was a beast on special teams.

Basically unstoppable when he's sprinting down the field, even at his size Gibson has no problem tracking down return men and making big plays all the time. He also made numerous stops in the backfield and continues to prove he's one of the best defensive ends in the country.

"He's another guy where that motor goes," Serra coach Scott Altenberg said. "He was doing very well on kickoff.

"He goes down there and beats everybody down there and if he connects it's like Babe Ruth hitting a home run. He just explodes. I fear every time because he comes down and just kills people. He played really well."