WR Target Traylon Ray Talks Relationship With Vols, Kelsey Pope, and More

North Florida Christian (Fla.) wide receiver Traylon Ray is down to three schools, including West Virginia, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Ray, who has been

North Florida Christian (Fla.) wide receiver Traylon Ray is down to three schools, including West Virginia, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Ray, who has been on the recruiting scene for a while, was ready to cut his list, and he is high on the Vols. 

"Well, my sophomore year, I had about four offers, so nothing really picked up," Ray said of deciding to cut his list. "I was getting looked at but not as heavily. Then junior year, a lot of stuff just started to pick up. My name started blowing up, and I got ranked. I started moving up in the rankings and got my stars, and then a lot of people started hitting me up after that. I became a big target for a lot of schools after my junior year, so I never really went on visits before then. I felt like I knew I wasn't going to make my decision before my senior year had started just because I wanted to visit a couple of schools and watch a couple of games before I even got the chance to narrow my list down to anything. So, during my junior year, I watched a lot of teams play, and then I picked out schools I really wanted to visit and camp at. Then over the summer, after I did that, that's when I got an idea of who I wanted to narrow it down to. At first, I wasn't only going to make a top three. I was going to make a top 8 or a top 10. But then I really just fell in love with the three schools that I picked. I love their recruiting and how they recruited me, so it kind of just pushed everybody else out of the way, and then those three schools just popped out to me. Their offenses after I watched the games: the air raid and how Tennessee just moved the ball and how fast they did that. West Virginia's air raid and Miss. St. and just how much they get their receivers the ball. The three schools I picked just show their receivers a lot of love, so that is really what led me to pick those three schools."

Ray's relationship with Tennessee has been growing for a while, as he likes what he has heard and seen from the Vols staff. 

"It's actually just really great there at Tennessee," he said of this. "Coach Pope, he's explained to me how their offense works and how he would use me in the offense if I did commit there. Academics as well; he's gone through that with me. Coach Pope has given me pretty much everything I need to see besides, like West Virginia, the game-day atmosphere. That's why I'm taking these officials so I can get the feel. If it's feeling right, that's where I'm going to commit."

Ray is set to officially visit Tennessee on October 15th when the Vols host Alabama. However, it won't be his first look at Tennessee's campus or the coaching staff. Ray camped with the Vols earlier this summer. 

"It was going a little bit before then, but not as heavy as it was once I camped there," Ray said of the relationship continuing to grow. "Once I camped there, it just took off. I love the way he coached me at the wide receiver position. He coaches me the way my high school coach (Kez McCrory?) coaches me, so there was a lot of familiar stuff. But just the way he always wants us driving back on the ball and finishing the plays no matter if the ball is catchable or not. He wants us to go get it and get out of our cuts. I love how he coaches hard and just brings the energy."

Ray has been impressed with what he has noticed from Tennessee's offense to start the 2022 season. It certainly fits his play style. 

"Just watching them play and how their tempo is, and the quarterback isn't afraid to throw it," he said of this. "You can tell they've been taught that: 'Don't be afraid to throw it to your guys.' The quarterback trusting their receivers just shows me how the wide receiver and quarterback coaches are putting trust in their groups to go make plays, and that really stood out to me."

For Ray, there is no timetable for a decision, as he just plans to take things in stride and commit to a school when he has that home feeling.

"Honestly, it's really just that home feeling at this point," he said of the major factors in his decision. "All the schools I've picked academically are great; my parents always want me to get a good education, so of course, I am going to look there first. But also, I know they're going to be on me, and I know they're not going to just let me quit. I want them to be on me. As they talk to my dad and my mom, they've already – the schools that I've chosen have already told my parents that they are the type of people that aren't going to let me fall off. That was a big part of it, but honestly, it's just the home feeling. I need to feel how I would in Tallahassee, Florida, and as soon as I get on campus, I feel like I'm supposed to be here.