backPhil
11-30-2007, 08:48 AM
By Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com
Click photo for USA Today Link
http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2007/11/27/grayx.jpg (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/recruiting/football/midwest/2007-11-27-midwest.htm)
Cornerback Maurice Gray is the
nation's No. 16 junior college player
according to rivals.com and has
narrowed his college choices down
to Kansas and Oklahoma State.
El Dorado (Kan.) Butler County Community College four-star cornerback
Maurice Gray has been a wanted man for quite some time. It looks like the
race for his commitment is going to come down to two Big 12 schools:
Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Gray, who is ranked as the nation's No. 16 junior college player by Rivals.com,
took an official visit to Kansas on Nov. 16. However, recent attention from
Oklahoma State has catapulted the Cowboys up his list.
"I got another offer from Oklahoma State, and I would say Oklahoma State is
my No. 1 school now," Gray said. "I just visited with Joe DeForest today, and
I really like him. He's a great guy. I like that guy a lot.
"I'm going to go down there for an official visit next weekend after we play in
our bowl game. Oklahoma State is a school I've always followed since I was
young. I know they have great facilities. And from being around Coach
DeForest, I know they have a lot of pride in their program. It's like a family
setting down there. I think it's going to be a fun visit."
That said, Gray raved about the visit he had to Kansas earlier this season.
"It was a great visit," Gray said. "The top thing that I liked was how the
seniors showed you the love. They really embraced the younger guys and
they were really supportive to the recruits on the visit. I also love the
coaches. Clint Bowen has been recruiting me really hard, and I still like KU a
lot. But if you had to ask me today, Oklahoma State would be No. 1 on my
list."
After visiting with DeForest on Monday, Gray is expected to play host to
Bowen and Kansas coach Mark Mangino on Tuesday. The Jayhawks had been
in the leader's spot for most of the recruiting process and could easily push
back up to the top with an impressive visit.
Either way, it looks like Gray is going to have to make a decision soon.
"I have the bowl game this weekend, then the visit to Oklahoma State next
weekend, and then I have just one more week before I'm done here," Gray
said. "So I don't have a lot of time left."
Gray said he will be joined on the visit to OSU by teammate Beau Johnson.
Oklahoma State is very interested Johnson — a star running back – and the
Cowboys have also stepped up the recruiting attention for four-star
defensive tackle Swanson Miller.
"They want all three of us really bad," Gray said. "That could be a good triple
threat."
So what type of player is Gray?
While Gray admits he's not the biggest corner in the nation, he thinks he has
what it takes to make the big play. He said he savors the opportunity to be
challenged in a game.
"I have good leadership, and I can shut down one side of the field," Gray
said. "I can play corner a lot better than other 6-foot-2, or 6-foot-3 guys.
Playing corner is all about heart. You have to have that first and foremost.
It's all about heart and skill. It's not about size.
"I know I've got the heart and the skill. I can turn and run with the best of
them. When the ball is up in the air, it's all about how bad you want it. I
want it more than anybody else out there."
Gray, who can graduate at mid-term and will have three years to play two
seasons, is originally from Kathleen, Ga. He admits he had things tough when
he was growing up, and that didn't help him achieve academically. But now
that he's at Butler County, he has become part of a huge extended family.
He's on track to graduate.
"Coming to Butler taught me a lot about life, not just football," Gray said. "I
like the coaching staff, and it's a lot like a family here.
"I was raised in a single-parent home. Coming here was like everybody was
suddenly part of my family. All the coaches, all the players, everybody. It's
like a real family here. I love all the coaches. Coming here has been the best
thing that's ever happened to me. It was absolutely the right place for me."
Now he just has to find the next right place for him, and that decision has to
be made soon.
Click photo for USA Today Link
http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2007/11/27/grayx.jpg (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/recruiting/football/midwest/2007-11-27-midwest.htm)
Cornerback Maurice Gray is the
nation's No. 16 junior college player
according to rivals.com and has
narrowed his college choices down
to Kansas and Oklahoma State.
El Dorado (Kan.) Butler County Community College four-star cornerback
Maurice Gray has been a wanted man for quite some time. It looks like the
race for his commitment is going to come down to two Big 12 schools:
Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Gray, who is ranked as the nation's No. 16 junior college player by Rivals.com,
took an official visit to Kansas on Nov. 16. However, recent attention from
Oklahoma State has catapulted the Cowboys up his list.
"I got another offer from Oklahoma State, and I would say Oklahoma State is
my No. 1 school now," Gray said. "I just visited with Joe DeForest today, and
I really like him. He's a great guy. I like that guy a lot.
"I'm going to go down there for an official visit next weekend after we play in
our bowl game. Oklahoma State is a school I've always followed since I was
young. I know they have great facilities. And from being around Coach
DeForest, I know they have a lot of pride in their program. It's like a family
setting down there. I think it's going to be a fun visit."
That said, Gray raved about the visit he had to Kansas earlier this season.
"It was a great visit," Gray said. "The top thing that I liked was how the
seniors showed you the love. They really embraced the younger guys and
they were really supportive to the recruits on the visit. I also love the
coaches. Clint Bowen has been recruiting me really hard, and I still like KU a
lot. But if you had to ask me today, Oklahoma State would be No. 1 on my
list."
After visiting with DeForest on Monday, Gray is expected to play host to
Bowen and Kansas coach Mark Mangino on Tuesday. The Jayhawks had been
in the leader's spot for most of the recruiting process and could easily push
back up to the top with an impressive visit.
Either way, it looks like Gray is going to have to make a decision soon.
"I have the bowl game this weekend, then the visit to Oklahoma State next
weekend, and then I have just one more week before I'm done here," Gray
said. "So I don't have a lot of time left."
Gray said he will be joined on the visit to OSU by teammate Beau Johnson.
Oklahoma State is very interested Johnson — a star running back – and the
Cowboys have also stepped up the recruiting attention for four-star
defensive tackle Swanson Miller.
"They want all three of us really bad," Gray said. "That could be a good triple
threat."
So what type of player is Gray?
While Gray admits he's not the biggest corner in the nation, he thinks he has
what it takes to make the big play. He said he savors the opportunity to be
challenged in a game.
"I have good leadership, and I can shut down one side of the field," Gray
said. "I can play corner a lot better than other 6-foot-2, or 6-foot-3 guys.
Playing corner is all about heart. You have to have that first and foremost.
It's all about heart and skill. It's not about size.
"I know I've got the heart and the skill. I can turn and run with the best of
them. When the ball is up in the air, it's all about how bad you want it. I
want it more than anybody else out there."
Gray, who can graduate at mid-term and will have three years to play two
seasons, is originally from Kathleen, Ga. He admits he had things tough when
he was growing up, and that didn't help him achieve academically. But now
that he's at Butler County, he has become part of a huge extended family.
He's on track to graduate.
"Coming to Butler taught me a lot about life, not just football," Gray said. "I
like the coaching staff, and it's a lot like a family here.
"I was raised in a single-parent home. Coming here was like everybody was
suddenly part of my family. All the coaches, all the players, everybody. It's
like a real family here. I love all the coaches. Coming here has been the best
thing that's ever happened to me. It was absolutely the right place for me."
Now he just has to find the next right place for him, and that decision has to
be made soon.