Tulsa’s defense has been screaming for a difference maker, and Trevis Gipson just may be the guy who could become Tulsa’s best pass rusher in a long time.
If the Tulsa Football Fan Fest scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 11 is any indication, Gipson is ready to have a monster year. In that scrimmage, Gipson was all over the field, recording two sacks and batting down two passes. He was a constant presence in disrupting quarterbacks.
Finally out of the shadow of just graduated defensive ends Jeremy Smith, Jesse Brubaker and defensive end/linebacker Petera Wilson, Gipson may surpass all of them this season.
“I would feel like it is my turn, but my main thing is to do every little thing that I can to make the most amount of plays that I can,” said Gipson.
The 6-foot-4 Gipson has grown in maturity in his three years at TU, but the redshirt junior’s biggest accomplishment so far has been transforming his body from a 205-pound freshman to his current weight of 258 pounds.
With lots of proteins, carbs and veggies, he has become so knowledgeable about nutrition that he may make some money off it someday. That and lots and lots of time in conditioning drills and the weight room.
Although the NFL could become a possibility, he currently has something else on his mind.
“I want to be a strength and conditioning coach,” said Gipson, an Exercise and Sports Science major. “I’m interested in helping others know how to improve the body to reach certain goals.”
Gipson has come a long way since deciding to take a chance to come from Cedar Hill, Texas, in the Dallas area, up to Tulsa.
“My main selling point was education, and I was really excited about coach Montgomery coming in, being eager to change things and make a difference,” said Gipson on why he chose Tulsa.
Gipson hasn’t gotten as much playing time as he could have because of playing behind Smith, Brubaker and Wilson. As a result, Gipson only has 19 career tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss despite playing in all 25 games the last two seasons, mostly on special teams.
He started one game last year, against New Mexico, and recorded 11 tackles, including one forced fumble, and had one pass broken up.
If Gipson has his way, he will surpass those totals in the season opener against Central Arkansas.
Gipson and his teammates have been working hard to improve on a defense that last year averaged giving up a whopping 529 yards per game. The total was evenly distributed between giving up 265 yards per game on the ground, and 264 yards through the air.
Tulsa also only had 34 passes broken up and seven interceptions, as well as only 12 sacks and eight forced fumbles. TU gave up 32 rushing touchdowns and 24 through the air. Compare those totals with 420 yards of offense per game, 42 touchdowns (six passing), giving up 26 sacks, as well as opposing defenses recording eight interceptions and 47 passes broken up, and it is easy to see why Tulsa finished 2-10.
“I would say we’re tuned in on the details,” Gipson said. “We’re working on getting more turnovers, chasing the ball more. We’re just trying to take that next step as a defense.
“Stripping the ball is our main thing. The next thing is interceptions. If it is not stripping the ball and interceptions, I would say strip sacks. Getting to the quarterback before he even gets a chance to get the ball off.”
As for what Gipson’s strengths and weaknesses are, he wasn’t shy about it.
“My strength, I feel like, is probably rushing the passer, putting pressure on the quarterback as much as I can. My weakness would by settling down on the run. Just sticking in there, really. Because of going in there against 320 and 330-pound guys, so that’s a 100-pound difference.”
TU coach Philip Montgomery knows what he has in Gipson, and is expecting a lot.
“Trevis is one of those guys that can really cause some problems and wreak some havoc,” Montgomery said. “We’re going to need that.”
If Gipson and his defensive teammates come through and improve Tulsa’s defense, a big turnaround for the team should be in order.
“This year I expect us to do a lot better,” Gipson said. “More wins, definitely. Bowl eligible, definitely. Just focusing on the details will help us take a really big step in the conference.”
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