Hello: Eric Gray
Michigan didn't have a 2019 running back commit two weeks ago. Now they boast one of the best duos in the country in Zach Charbonnet and their newest pledge, four-star Memphis (TN) Lausanne Collegiate School all-purpose back Eric Gray, who committed via video this evening:
100% COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/Nwx0ShcRyq
— E.Juice¹ (@ericdgray1) July 2, 2018
Gray, already one of the most decorated high school football players in Tennessee history, chose the Wolverines from a final five that also included Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Texas A&M. While late to the commitapalooza, he was on campus last weekend for the final visit of a string of trips to each of his finalists before heading off to The Opening, where he's doing stuff like this:
Eric Gray with the ssssslip pic.twitter.com/F9yHQNqWUv
— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) July 1, 2018
Update: And this!
You can see the suddenness here out of Eric Gray, probably the best RB out here on Sunday #theopening pic.twitter.com/wZPYoaQQou
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) July 2, 2018
Seems like a solid get.
GURU RATINGS
Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
3*, 5.6, #9 APB, #21 TN |
4*, 81, #17 RB, #11 TN, #275 Ovr |
4*, 95, #1 APB, #3 TN, #95 Ovr |
4*, #3 APB, #10 TN, #175 Ovr |
There's quite a spread. Rivals, despite having Gray in top camp performer articles when he was an eighth grader, ranks him by far the lowest. Both ESPN and 247 consider him a prospect worthy of their top lists, with the latter especially bullish on him.
Gray is listed at 5'10", 191. He's in the Chris Evans mold; a smaller, versatile back who can run between the tackles or make an impact as a receiver from multiple spots on the field.
[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and the rest.]
SCOUTING
Let's start with Gray's astonishing high school career thus far. He could sit out his senior season and still be one of the most accomplished players in Tennessee history:
It's hard to win back-to-back TSSAA state championships. It's almost as difficult to capture back-to-back Mr. Football awards.
Eric Gray of Memphis has done both.
The Lausanne Collegiate (Tenn.) High School running back even has the opportunity to accomplish those feats a third time as he has another year of eligibility remaining before it's on to college.
In 2017, the 247Sports No. 1-ranked all-purpose back in the state of Tennessee's 2019 class ran for 3,151 yards on 323 carries (9.8 yards/attempt) with 45 touchdowns. He also was second with the Lynx in receiving yards (268) on just 11 receptions to go with three more TDs.
I'll circle back to specifics in a bit.
First, Gray hit the recruiting radar before he set foot in high school. Playing wide receiver, he earned the third spot on Rivals' list of top performers at the 2015(!) Nashville Pylon 7-on-7 event:
Just an eighth grader, Gray has solid size. He combines his lean frame with incredible agility. He made one of the day's best plays on a jump ball in the end zone and showed an ability to make difficult grabs in traffic. He isn't the most explosive wideout, but he moves smoothly and catches most balls thrown his way. Gray has a ton of potential and could see offers arrive down the road.
He made another Rivals top performer list at an IMG 7-on-7 camp that featured several high-profile older prospects, including one Shea Patterson. Gray held an offer from Mississippi State by then.
Gray led Lausanne to an undefeated season and the TSSAA Division II Class A state title as a sophomore, accounting for 175 yards and the team's two touchdowns in the championship game. Then he hit the camp circuit, getting Alpha Dog status from 247's Barton Simmons at Mike Vick's Nashville 7-on-7 Showcase:
Amid a talented roster, 2019 running back Eric Gray was on a different level from my viewpoint. The Memphis (Tenn.) Lausanne back was fantastic in Cat & Mouse drills while maintaining some football functionality. He showed burst, change of direction and instincts. He also showed out as a receiver, displaying pure hands and advanced route-running for a back. He's a member of the Top247 for the class of 2019 but his ranking will continue to rise after this showing.
He also hit a number of team camps, including Michigan's elite camp, where he connected with his future YMRMFSPA, per The Wolverine's Austin Fox:
“I really like what this coaching staff is doing here,” Gray said. “I like the offense they run, because that was my main thing – trying to see if it would be a fit for me. I was talking to their running back #12 [sophomore Chris Evans] out here, and he was saying he’s the exact type of running back that I am.”
Evans was one of the first comps that came to mind for me when watching Gray's highlights; they have similar builds and running styles, right down to the subtle half-jukes that can make defenders look silly without losing much speed.
Gray somehow took his production to an even higher level in his junior season, culminating in a second straight state title and an amazing championship game performance:
The junior ran wild on Notre Dame in the Division II Class AA state final Saturday afternoon. Gray weaved through traffic and outran defensive backs with consistency, posting five touchdown runs (39, 35, 18, 12, 44). With his help, the Lynx walked away victorious 41-13 for their second straight gold ball.
Gray averaged 11.2 yards per carry, gaining 281 yards on 25 attempts.
Oddly, there isn't a scouting report I can specifically date to his junior season. Gray's ESPN profile features an undated underclassman eval:
STRENGTHS: Highly productive back, built low to the ground with a strong base and well-balanced. Quick to get through the small creases. Doesn't take a lot of wasted cuts, quick, decisive and shows good burst out of his cuts. ... AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Not overly sudden/elusive through his hips or out in space. Good speed not elite top-end ... BOTTOM LINE: Lacks some play-maker elements but is consistently productive and doesn't leave many yards on the field. Running style that should transfer well to college.
Given Gray's testing numbers—good, not great—this seems like a fair assessment, albeit one that doesn't mention Gray's evident receiving upside. I think he's a little more elusive than they do.
OFFERS
Again, Gray picked Michigan over fellow finalists Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Texas A&M; he also holds offers from Arkansas, Louisville, LSU, Miami (YTM), Nebraska, Stanford, Tennessee, Baylor, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Memphis, Minnesota, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia, among others.
A notable omission: Ohio State, where Gray's uncle, Maurice Hall, played RB in the early 2000s. Gray mentioned wanting that offer several times in early interviews; expect to hear about that in a future sideline report if Gray sees the field in The Game.
HIGH SCHOOL
Despite their recent championship success, Lausanne is more known for its academics than its football prospects; Gray is the only recruit from the program to earn even a three-star rating on Rivals.
STATS
Freshman (in four varsity games): 69 rushes, 322 yards (4.7 YPC), 1 TD, 3 fumbles (1 lost); 6 receptions, 66 yards (11 YPC); 2 interceptions (1 TD), 2 pass breakups; 2 kick returns, 65 yards.
Sophomore (14 games): 230 rushes, 2215 yards (9.6 YPC), 38 TDs, 4 fumbles (2 lost); 10 receptions, 219 yards (21.9 YPC), 4 TDs; 11 punt returns, 144 yards (13.1 YPR).
Junior (13 games): 323 carries, 3151 yards (9.8 YPC), 45 TDs, 5 fumbles (2 lost); 11 receptions, 268 yards (24.4 YPC), 3 TDs; 3 punt returns, 82 yards (27.3 YPR), 1 TD.
I repeat, three-thousand-one-hundred-fifty-one rushing yards. In one season.
FAKE 40 TIME
Gray has a combine-verified time of 4.57 seconds, which gets zero FAKEs out of five. That's in line with the reports that his speed is good but short of elite.
VIDEO
Junior highlights:
Single-game reel with awestruck commentators:
Sophomore highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Will be the Evans to Charbonnet's Higdon if/when those two break through. Michigan has a fair amount of as-yet-unproven talent in the classes preceding the 2019 duo—O'Maury Samuels, Kurt Taylor, Christian Turner, Hassan Haskins, and Michael Barrett—but they may have the most talent of the bunch, and running back is a spot where that translates early.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
There's more action to come tomorrow, so we'll have more detail on the class as a whole after the dust settles. That said, Michigan should be very much set at running back with Charbonnet and Gray—with one potential exception. Five-star NC prospect Quavaris Couch could play running back, linebacker, or both in college, and Steve Lorenz reports Michigan is pitching him as a two-way player and may even hold a slight lead for him over Tennessee.
Nice pickup, hopefully the first of a couple. Looks really smooth, and a little bigger than I first thought, considering he's still got a year to go in HS.
It's crazy that a week and a half ago everyone was worried this recruiting season would end with a whimper, and now it looks like Michigan has basically gotten a great fit for most of their most pressing needs, and there is still time to go.
Very glad this young man chose Michigan. Defenders are going to have to always watch him, whether in the backfield or downfield.
I'm amazed OSU didn't go after him as that will be a decision they regret.
Fuck you, Bluey, wherever you are...
Interesting how he hasn't really been too active the last week or so...
I think he may have been given a one-way ticket to Bolivian, steerage.
I wouldn't be shocked to see OSU extend a late offer and push just to fu*k with us.
Probably, but that's why they need to have a great season. Nothing has changed about that.
Looks like he's going to be one hell of a player though and can't wait to see him on campus.
Probably, but that's why they need to have a great season. Nothing has changed about that.
Looks like he's going to be one hell of a player though and can't wait to see him on campus.
Hard to argue with those stats and that tape.
405?
This class is going to be much bigger than anyone anticipated.
Firm handshakes coming before fall camp?
How? This class was always expected to get into the 23-25 range
Jaybaugh is on fire.
Awesome pick up.
If he grows out his hair a bit more he really will be the next Chris Evans, let's get him a blue collar shirt with his name on it.
He looks completely ashamed to be wearing that Arkansas jersey. It does not look like that visit went particularly well.
suge knight is a lot shorter than I though... TV does make everyone look bigger. LOL
thought*
Welcome Eric, way to GoBlue!
"The junior ran wild on Notre Dame... Saturday afternoon."
I like the sound of that.
The coaching staff may not want to expose him physically doing this, but I think he'd be a dynamite kick returner as a freshman.
That move he puts on the defender in that The Opening vid is straight nasty...the defender had NO chance.
He looked fluid but I don’t understand what the the drill was
Cat and Mouse one on one drill. LB v RB LBWins with 2 hand touch.
Great pickup. Exciting times, present and future.
3100 hundred yards in one season. Don’t give a fuck about level of competition. That is dominance at any level.
The competition is actually pretty good
The nosedive Rivals has taken is pretty outrageous
Hard to see how Rivals ranks the two time Mr. Football award winner as the #21 ranked player in Tennessee.
The Chris Evans comp is accurate, but, at this point in their careers, Gray is faster and much stronger. The Opening highlights show you the burst and suddenness, and his Hudl highlights also show great vision and very good strength and balance.
I love Chris Evans, but there is no doubt that Gray is a better HS player. Gray could be workhorse back if needed; that is true of Evans now, but the freshman version of Evans was really just a scat back.
Agreed.
Watched Evans in person in high school in addition to breaking down his tape. I look at Gray as Evans-plus, and I really liked Evans out of high school.
Good Lord the breakaway speed. He may not have 'elite' speed but he's still smoking fast. Wow. And he follows his blockers so well. He's going to be good!
I don’t think people realize how fast a true 4.57 40 is. Royce Freeman ran a 4.54 at the combine. So did Sony Michel. Those guys trained for months before that test. Only three or four backs run sub 4.5 at the combine.
Gray is fast. He’s not Chris Johnson, but he’s real fast and won’t get caught from behind much, even at the college level.
Yeah, not getting how 4.57 laser timed isn't elite for a HS RB. Sure, if you compare to 4/5 FAKES hand timed claimed numbers it's not impressive, but how many of those ever crack 4.5 in actual formal testing?
The vision and balance this kid shows in his highlight video are elite. If he's fast enough to pull off that stuff against college players, at least some of the tine, he will be a good one.
I'm of the opinion that vision and balance are sometimes overlooked in HS RB recruits because they just out-athlete everyone they play.
You could put Adrian Peterson in his prime on my high school team and I still don't think he'd rack up 49 TDs. That's just absurd. Great get.
I don't want to be the Debbie Downer in the group (that's Bluey's gig), but I'm a bit concerned about the fumble stat. We all know the quickest way into Harbaugh's dog house and onto the bench for RBs is putting the ball on the ground. Hopefully, it's something the staff can correct because this kid looks like he has a really high ceiling.
Awesome get. Welcome to MICHIGAN. GO BLUE!
I've never seen that stat disclosed for any recruit, but I did notice it as well. High and tight man...
You do have to factor in the sheer amount of carries he had too though. That has two large effects, the fumble per carry isn’t as high as it would seem and also when you run it that much and put the team on your back every game you get tired and ball security is diminished.
I'm not even remotely concerned about a 1.93% fumble rate, for a High School player. If you take out his Fr year, it's 1.63%, which is very respectable.
So we now have a Gray, a Black, and a couple Greens. MGoBlue roster also says we have a White and a Brown.
No Blue!
Maybe Vida Blue has some grandsons with football skills.
No blue, but a Mazi will do.
Huge fan of the seemingly endless waves tag, hope to see the good news continue!
Mr. Gray, in the endzone, with the football.
Wait, Michigan might lead for Crouch? Gray is a huge get, but if there's a strong possibility of getting Crouch, that's also big news in and of itself.
He reminds me of Steve Breaston with his elusiveness (but not extreme speed) on the kick returns. He could be a real threat back there.
I was there last night wearing my M gear. I was standing in the lobby area where parents were talking to their athletes (they couldn't leave this area). A nice gentleman in a Michigan hat tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I had a kid there. I told him, no just a fan. He said well, my Eric Gray here just committed to Michigan. I was in awe as I just read about it merely 20 minutes before. Anyway, had about a 10 minute conversation with Eric's dad and he seemed to be such a nice and proud dad. We talked about how the other 3 commits (Cade, Stephen, and DJ) and their families where hanging out with each other just minutes before. It was a little weird fanboying over high school kids but it was neat to experience nonetheless.
Those Rivals (especially) and ESPN rankings seem preposterous. Are there really 10 - 20 better prospects in the state of Tennessee? I believe Michigan is generally considered to be a better talent producing state and there's no chance that the 10'th - 20'th prospect here is on that level.
Logged in just to upvote this.
Makes zero sense.
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