DANIEL GRAY, 6-0, 165 CB LAUDERDALE LAKES, FLA. [BOYD ANDERSON HS]
Ratings: Rivals 3* cornerback, Scout 3* No. 105 cornerback, ESPN 2* No. 103 cornerback, 247 3* No. 98 cornerback. Chose UT over Nebraska, Kansas, Ole Miss and Texas Tech.
STRENGTHS: Speed, speed and more speed. He is also tall at 6-feet for a corner and was blessed with speed in the 4.3s according to the Miami Herald, 247 Sports and Scout.com. ESPN puts his speed at 4.51, but by most camp accounts their clock must be slow. Gray is a very raw talent who has a very big upside because of his size/speed combo.
NEEDS WORK: As we said, he's raw. Gray has only played football for two seasons -- that's how raw. His technique is not very good, and he has been playing based off talent alone. Though his coaches say his footwork is much better than you'd expect for somebody who has been playing this short a time, it's still not ideal, especially his backpedal and ball-face pivot. He is almost assuredly a redshirt season away and probably two years from making a contribution. Without a doubt, he has to get in the S&C program and hit it hard.
CREDENTIALS: In his first year of playing organized football in a talented region, he had two interceptions and three forced fumbles as a junior in 2010. The Miami Herald calls Gray "one of the region's fastest football players" in a region with perhaps the fastest group of football players in the country. Reportedly, Gray had only 24 tackles and an interception for the Cobras as a senior.
OPTIMISTIC CEILING: It's all about potential, potential, potential for Gray, who is about as raw as they come. His statistics did not stand out as a senior or a junior, but coaches aren't worried about that right now. They see one of the fastest kids in South Florida, who -- while he may be a project -- has a coachable upside with enough size to be worth the risk. He isn't even remotely close to this level yet, but if he can add 20 pounds, his frame and athleticism remind me of former Alabama and current Texans CB Kareem Jackson. Still, there is a LOOOOOONG way to go to get in that conversation, and hopefully, Gray will be ready to contribute as a redshirt sophomore.