UMass WR Jacquon Gibson A True Leader
If anybody could have been pleased with last week's performance, it would have been Jacquon Gibson, but the UMass captain was as disappointed as anybody.
Written by Kyle Miller
The Joe Harasmyiak Era did not get off to an ideal start on Saturday.
Save for an exciting first quarter, the Minutemen struggled mightily against Temple, losing 42-10 to kick off the season.
While fan turnout was high, it couldn’t push the Minutemen to a 1-0 start of the season. There wasn’t much to take from this game, but the performance of wide receiver Jacquon Gibson was one bright spot.
The junior captain posted 10 catches for 132 yards, both career-highs for Gibson. It was a rare type of performance for the Minutemen, who hadn’t had a receiver catch 10 balls for more than 100 yards in a game since Andy Isabella.
Despite a strong individual performance, Gibson was visibly upset by after the game.
“I don’t really think too much about that, I’m just trying to win.” Gibson said about his performance. “I feel like I’ve been here too long, I owe the fans, the alumni.”
One of the longest-tenured players on the roster; he was originally offered by Walt Bell, who was fired a month before he signed his letter of intent.
Since arriving in Amherst in 2022, Gibson has seen the program at some of its lowest points, including an 1-11 season his first year.
In the era of the Transfer Portal, no one would have been surprised to see Gibson leave. Improving each year and with a new coach coming, Gibson could have looked for a new home. Instead, he chose to stick around in Amherst, and was named captain in the process.
“Its a blessing,” Gibson reflected on being named captain. “I’ve been here for a long time.
Gibson’s coach at Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville, N.C., Justin Grandenetti, isn’t surprised to see him put his down and go to work.
“One thing with Quon from the beginning was that he was always a really hard worker,” Grandenetti said. “It was always evident.”
Gibson only spent one year at Jack Britt, but continued to train with Grandenetti and continuously put his skillset and work ethic on display.
It all started coming together for Gibson by the time he arrived at Hough High School as a junior, according to Grandenetti.
“As he was getting older, you could see that the work that he was putting in was paying off,” said Grandenetti. “His body was transforming, the skillset was getting more polished, you could really start to see it.”
Gibson was used sparingly early in his career at UMass, catching four balls for 23 yards as a freshman. He missed almost his entire sophomore season due to injury before seeing an increase in workload last season.
Gibson smashed his freshman year total in 2024, catching 23 passes for 270 yards.
After a 132-yard game in the opener, Gibson appears poised to hit a new season-high in weeks, not months.
Gibson has put in the work to get to this point, and the coaching staff sees it.
“He’s been a guy that has been really consistent in his play through Spring Ball, through camp,” Harasymiak said of Gibson.
Gibson still works with Grandenetti in the offseason and continues Gibson to show experience and leadership.
“It’s evident out there, he's constantly coaching the younger guys,” Grandenetti said.
Harasmyiak had the same praise for Jacquon after the loss, showcasing his leadership when things couldn’t have gone worse for the Minutemen.
“He was excellent on the sideline, going over to the D, picking up the O,” Harasymiak said. “Those types of things matter.”
Gibson may have been one of few bright spots in Saturday’s loss, but you wouldn’t have known if you asked him. He sounded downright disappointed in his performance and pointed out that he could have blocked better for his running backs.
Accountability is the first step when rebuilding a program and Gibson has shown it in full force.
A massive get-right game is facing the Minutemen against Bryant.
If the Minutemen don’t come out firing on all cylinders, they face total apathy from the fanbase, something that has plagued UMass Football for years. Many fans were demoralized after the loss, and so was Gibson.
When asked about what’s next for the Minutemen, Gibson’s answer was simple, “Gotta be better.”
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