can a student athlete receive gifts from random people? I know that they are not allowed to receive it from agents or people affiliated with the school/athletics but if they walk into a store and the owner recognizes them and decides to give them a t shirt, is that allowed?
No, a student athlete can not accept gifts, from anyone other than their family.
The store owner is giving the gift because the student is an athlete, and unless every student that enters the store gets the same gift it is not going to be legal under any circumstances.