He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Alabama Crimson Tide.
[7] Gibbs was initially rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the end of his junior year over offers from Michigan, Texas A&M, and North Carolina.
He finished the game with 219 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Week.
[21][22] In Gibbs' rookie season, he teamed up with fellow running back David Montgomery to create the tandem described as a "two-headed monster" by Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
[32][33][34] In the Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, a rematch of the team's Wild Card game from the prior season, Gibbs recorded 11 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown.
[36] His 20 touchdowns scored also set a Detroit franchise-record for the most in a single-season, passing Jamaal Williams and Barry Sanders.
[37][38] On the season, he finished tied with Derrick Henry and James Cook as the NFL rushing touchdowns leader with 16.