While returning starter Jeff Sims is clearly the guy for Georgia Tech heading into the 2022 season, that does not mean that transfer Zach Gibson is not taking advantage of the opportunities he is being given.
Gibson got to speak to the media following Tech’s practice on Friday. He talked about how when he entered the transfer portal after last season, he thought about what it would be like to play for quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, even though Weinke had yet to be hired at Georgia Tech.
“It is kind of funny because when I had first hit the portal, my mom was like, you never know, maybe one day you will be playing for Coach Weinke and at the time, he was not even named the quarterback’s coach. After I had committed and I had signed all of the paperwork and everything got announced… it is just crazy how God works. It has been a blast. He is a great man and a great leader and he is expecting the best out of us every day and he is not taking any less. It has been a lot of fun.”
He was then asked if there was any connection to Weinke and Gibson said that there was none, but he and his dad grew up Florida State fans and he had always enjoyed seeing highlights of when Weinke played.
“I had no prior communication with Coach Weinke at all before he even took the job. Growing up, I was a Florida State fan, my dad went to Florida State, watching highlights of him when he was younger and the play-action pass that he threw to Snoop Minnis. I wouldn’t say that was my idol growing up but like, I definitely looked up to him in a sense, to play quarterback the right way and at a high level. Fast forward to 2022 and I am playing for him. Every day I am still kinda like, I don’t know if I would say star-struck, but it is like, he is really my coach.”
Playing for Weinke is not the only thing that Gibson likes about playing at Georgia Tech. His younger brother, Tyler, is a freshman offensive lineman and Gibson said it is crazy how he is getting to do something that the two of them had always talked about.
“It is kind of unbelievable. The same thing before I hit the portal, we were talking because we had always wanted to play with each other, but when I had signed and went to Akron, it kinda felt like that was never going to happen . When I hit the portal, Coach Collins reached out and told me that I had an opportunity to come here and I couldn’t pass it up.”
“Playing with him, seeing him every day, it is just like a blessing, it is the biggest blessing in the world and coming to work with him. I know the type of kid he is and his goals and what he wants to do and the progression that I have seen from him day one when he got here in June, he is a totally different kid. He is growing up so much right now, making new friends and being on his own and obviously when school starts, it is gonna change but he has been doing a great job for a guy that is 18, I don’t remember doing that good of a job, coming into work every day, never complaining, always coming to work and putting his head down and trying to get the best out of himself every day.”
Gibson is likely entrenched as the Yellow Jackets number two quarterback behind Sims. He is good depth to have and he will make the most out of any opportunity that he is given this season.
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