After leading a junior-college program to its first undefeated season in 76 years and earning a Division I scholarship, Eric Gibson expected his rise to continue. Instead, one NCAA ruling has now pushed the 2,500-yard FCS quarterback into the transfer portal and possibly out of Division I football.

“Unfortunately, due to the NCAA denying my waiver, I will be entering the portal as a Grad Transfer with 1 year of eligibility at the Division 2 level,” Eric Gibson Jr. shared on X. “New institutions’ compliance will have to file a waiver. 3.7 GPA. Northern Colorado QB Transfer 6’1 210. 11 TDs 2500 passing yards.”

On December 8, Northern Colorado starting quarterback Eric Gibson Jr. announced he’s entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. After three seasons of college football, he’ll have one year of eligibility remaining at the Division II level, per his statement.

Northern Colorado competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Big Sky Conference, which frames Gibson’s 2,500-yard season within one of the toughest leagues at that level.

According to NCAA guidance on four-year transfers, athletes moving from Division I to Division II can generally compete right away if they would have been academically and athletically eligible at their previous school and meet the new Division II academic standards after transfer. With a 3.7 GPA, Gibson checks the academic box, which should at least simplify the compliance work for any Division II staff willing to file his waiver.

Gibson’s situation comes at a messy time for NCAA eligibility rules. Since April 2024, Division I and II athletes who leave in good academic standing and meet progress-toward-degree standards are, on paper, supposed to be immediately eligible after a transfer, even if they’ve transferred multiple times.

Yet cases that fall outside the clean four-seasons-in-five-years framework still hinge on individual waivers, and those have become increasingly contentious. Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean, Rutgers defensive back Jett Elad, and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia have all recently ended up in court after the NCAA denied extra-year waivers tied to their prior seasons at non-FBS or non-NCAA programs.

Gibson began his collegiate career with the LSU Tigers in 2021. After spending one season as a redshirt freshman at Baton Rouge, he transferred to Monterey Peninsula College, where he played with the Lobos in what turned out to be a spectacular breakout season for Gibson.

MPC’s offense averaged 45 points per game, piling up 492 points in 11 contests, and Gibson was at the center of it, throwing 27 touchdown passes while leading the Lobos to a 13–12 win in the American Division Bowl to cap the first undefeated season in the program’s 76-year history.

He also earned First-Team All-Conference Offense honors in a lineup loaded with award winners, which is where the “first 11-0 quarterback in Lobos history” label truly comes from.

At LSU, under Ed Orgeron, the dual-threat wide receiver and quarterback barely played a snap. But at the Lobos, he went all in, earning the All-Conference honors as a quarterback. That season at MPC reestablished him as a legitimate Division I prospect, earning him his scholarship offer from Northern Colorado.

“Our plan was never to rotate quarterbacks,” HC Ed Lamb stated in November 2025. “The quarterback’s job is to get the ball to the right person. It’s not about being a hero. When both guys improve in that area, the whole offense will thrive.”

However, Costelli sustained an injury, and Gibson became the signal caller. But the 2025 season did not conclude on a positive note for him. He threw for 2,502 yards, but the touchdown-interception ratio, at 11:11, paints an upsetting picture. Meanwhile, the run attack further proved to be lackluster. Over 31 carries, Gibson sprinted for 29 yards and zero touchdowns.

However, on the bright side, the Bears’ 4-8 campaign is the best season under HC Lamb’s three-year tenure so far. Moreover, the early signing period saw the Class of 2026 QB Caeden Reeder enter the Bears’ locker room. Gibson is not the only player at Northern Colorado to hit the portal, as quarterback Peter Costelli has also entered his name.

Among the opportunities to play at a Division 1 school, Gibson chose Northern Colorado for its academic goals as well. As a grad transfer, he will graduate with a degree in psychology. Along with football dreams, he plans to pursue his career in security defense contracting.

Eric Gibson’s football journey

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Eric Gibson had an impressive high school career. Leading Maury High Commodores to its first state football championship in 80 years is no easy feat. But Gibson established himself quickly as one of the most efficient passers in Virginia. With 40 touchdowns for 3,562 yards, Gibson led his team to the Class 5 state title.

“Much was expected from me,” Gibson said about the 2019 season, according to the Virginian Pilot. “I made the switch (from Granby High School), and I led the state in passing yards and completion percentage, and won a state title.”

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Beyond the raw production, Gibson’s rise at Maury also came with the kind of command coaches rarely see in a first-year starter. That 2019 run featured back-to-back playoff games with 300+ passing yards, and by season’s end, he had become the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year while earning first-team All-State and All-Tidewater honors for leading the entire state in both passing yards and completion percentage. Those accolades put him firmly on the FBS radar long before signing day, framing him as one of Virginia’s most efficient and polished high-school passers that year.

With a stacked resume, he received interest from Toledo, Kentucky, East Carolina, and others. But his sights were always on Baton Rouge. When then-QB TJ Finley entered the portal, Gibson didn’t hesitate; LSU became his landing spot. Although earning the QB1 spot was a gigantic task, LSU’s quarterback room was stacked, featuring Garrett Nussmeier, Max Johnson, and Myles Brennan. But it didn’t deter Gibson. “I’ll be ready for the competition,” as he put it. However, he redshirted his freshman season and did not play any snaps.