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Oklahoma lands another Vol from the transfer portal in RB Eric Gray

The Tennessee to Oklahoma pipeline is still flowing as another former Vol commits to the Sooners

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma lands another Vol from the transfer portal in RB Eric Gray
Oklahoma lands another Vol from the transfer portal in RB Eric Gray /

Oklahoma on Wednesday landed its third Tennessee Volunteer from the NCAA Transfer Portal in less than two weeks.

Running back Eric Gray, who entered the portal two weeks ago, announced his commitment to OU on Twitter.

Gray was a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals when he came out of Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis in the class of 2019. He chose Tennessee over offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Stanford, Texas A&M, West Virginia and others.

He was the No. 3-ranked all-purpose back in the nation, according to Rivals, and No. 7 as ranked by 247 Sports.

As a Vols freshman in 2019, Gray rushed 101 times for 539 yards and four touchdowns, including a 94-yard scamper, and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

Eric Gray vs. Missouri
Eric Gray vs. Missouri :: Calvin Mattheis/Pool via News Sentinel-Imagn Content Services, LLC

During his sophomore year, Gray carried the ball 157 times for 772 yards and four TDs and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

His eligibility status isn't entirely clear. According to ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Gray was held out of the Vols' regular-season finale against Texas A&M for undisclosed reasons. Sources told ESPN that Gray's absence was related to the compliance inquiry.

He came out of high school as an all-purpose running back, and he fulfilled that reputation during his two seasons in Knoxville by catching 43 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

In two full seasons, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Gray played in 22 games and compiled 1,311 yards from scrimmage.

Eric Gray vs. Auburn
Eric Gray vs. Auburn / Jake Crandall-Imagn Content Services, LLC

His highlights include a career-best 246 yards and three touchdowns in a 2019 victory over Vanderbilt that included his 94-yard run, as well as 33-carry, 173-yard performance in 2020 at Auburn.

In 2019, he was named the Gator Bowl MVP after finishing with 120 all-purpose yards, the game-winning touchdown and even recovered an onside kick in a victory over Indiana. That included 14 carries for 86 yards, including the game-winning touchdown run, to go with 34 yards on two pass receptions.

Eric Gray vs. Florida
Eric Gray vs. Florida / Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Gray was on the preseason Doak Walker Award watch list, and also earned preseason All-SEC accolades (fourth-team from Athlon.

He’ll join UT teammates Wanya Morris, an offensive tackle who announced his transfer to OU last week, and Key Lawrence, a safety who made his announcement Tuesday.

OU’s backfield in 2021 now appears stacked, with two-time 1,000-yard rusher Kennedy Brooks opting back in, along with rising sophomores Marcus Major (110 yards and a TD in the Cotton Bowl against Florida) and Seth McGowan (73 yards rushing, 70 receiving against the Gators).

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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