Oklahoma Sooners Add Another Stud in Addison Gumbs

Addison Gumbs loves the bay area. He’s an Oakland, California native whose relationship with football goes all the way back to his youth football days when he started playing at seven years old with his dad, Desmond Gumbs, coaching him. Desmond Gumbs is also Addison’s high school football coach at Stellar Preparatory High School in Hayward, California.

“You know, it’s one of those things where when I put that whistle on my neck and walk on that field, I’m coach and if anything I probably coach him a little harder. There is definitely a separation,” he said. “It’s not something I learned instantly, I coached him in youth football too so I’ve had to grow into what I am now. As soon as we walk on the field, it’s definitely a coach-player [relationship].”

Addison Gumbs is a four star defensive end in the 2017 recruiting class. According to the 247Sports Composite, he ranks as the 11^th best weak side defensive end and the 18^th best player in California.

“I play defensive end and outside linebacker and as a linebacker, you have to a bunch of different things like: rushing the passer, dropping into coverage, stopping the run and [more]. I would say that as a linebacker and a defensive end that I’m just a very versatile player,” Addison Gumbs said about where he is most effective on the field.

As far as what motivates him to play the game, he says it is the ability to get a good education and knowing that his family and friends could see him play depending on where he decides to go. He is very thankful to his parents for all they have done in support of him.

“Both of my parents. They introduced me to football at a young age, I’ve loved it ever since, they’ve supported me with my goals and aspirations and making it to college for free. I really love them for helping me out in that way,” he said.

He has remained relatively healthy throughout his high school career and he credits an ankle injury he suffered his freshman year for that.

“My freshman year, I hurt my ankle a little bit but it wasn’t really that tough. It only stopped me from playing for a couple weeks. It was great getting over that and being fresh and 100 percent healthy throughout my high school career,” he said. “I learned a lot of new things that I didn’t know before that, it really taught me things that would help me throughout the rest of my career and helped me get to where I am today.”

Gumbs also plays basketball and baseball for Stellar Prep but will stay 100 percent committed to football in college and play no other sports.

“I have offers from plenty of different schools. I think nine in the PAC-12, six in the SEC, two in ACC. There’s a bunch of different schools everywhere and I really like everything the coaches have offered me,” Gumbs said about his recruitment.

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USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oregon are a few schools competing for Gumbs’ services and he has high interest in all of those schools as well as Mississippi State and Washington. He has earned 27 scholarship offers so far and isn’t sure when he’ll make a commitment decision but said it could come during the summer time.

Last season with the Stellar Prep Thunder, he was Bay Football League MVP and he recorded 23 sacks, seven forced fumbles and one interception. His 23 sacks placed him at second in California for that category. He said he wants to break the national record for sacks in single season. Here’s what he’s up against. The info below was found on maxpreps.com.

Desmond Gumbs spoke about how far Addison Gumbs has come in his three years at Stellar Prep.

“For one, he grew six inches, he’s 6’4, 220 pounds now. So physically, he got bigger. He started off playing a skill position and now he’s morphed into a linebacker. In terms of his football knowledge, him being my son, we watch a lot of football together so his football IQ is very high,” he said. “So in terms of knowledge of the game, I think it’s really growing. [That combined] with his physical ability and his football IQ really has made him into the player he is right now.”

Addison Gumbs said that he studies the games of Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and San Diego Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram. Gumbs’ mentality on the field is to dominate his man and the other side of the ball. He also believes there is no such thing as a perfect football player and feels like he can work on anything to improve his game.

“One of my favorite things about football in general is just making a big play, making a sack, making a forced fumble and just trying to help my team out. It’s a great feeling to be able to make a big play and get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands or put [him] on the ground for a big loss. I like playing both positions because I get to do both of those [things],” he said about playing both defensive end and outside linebacker.

What he will miss most about playing with the Stellar Prep Thunder is playing under his dad and the lasting impression he wants to leave is to go out a champion and “be somebody that they will remember.”

“As a coach, it’s the ultimate. I’ve had other Division I players but I haven’t had one who has gotten this type of recognition. Army All-American game, number one linebacker in California one year; it has just been fantastic as a coach to see someone who has really grown and taken advantage of the opportunities. As a dad, being a high school football coach and seeing your son reach these levels of accomplishment, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”