Local Receiver Grant Gray Secures UCLA Football Offer

The Bruins are attempting to bolster their 2023 recruiting class with a SoCal dual-sport star.

(Photo Courtesy of Grant Gray/Instagram)

The Bruins have entered the fold early on a shifty dual-sport wide receiver.

Receivers coach Jerry Neuheisel is on the recruiting trail once again, this time sending in an offer to class of 2023 Norco High School (CA) wideout Grant Gray. A 6-foot-3 wide receiver with a long frame, UCLA football is the prospect’s sixth offer, he announced on Twitter late Monday night.

Colorado is the only other Pac-12 program to send Gray an offer, joining Boise State, Fresno State, Rice and UNLV.

After a great talk with coach @jerryneuheisel, I would like to say that I have received an offer from UCLA! Go Bruins! @UCLAFootball @GregBiggins @adamgorney @NorcoHS_sports @norcofootball @WCA_Training @ecabildo_WCA pic.twitter.com/Y9n2BMdk0m

— Grant Gray (@Grant_Gray01) January 25, 2022

Gray is an intriguing recruit, not just for his football talents, but also as an infielder prospect on the baseball diamond. Coach John Savage has previously stated that he likes two-sport athletes and the mental and physical toughness they play baseball with.

Linebacker JonJon Vaughns is an outfielder on the baseball team and if Gray were to select Westwood as his future destination, he could be the next two-sport athlete to take the field at both Jackie Robinson Stadium and the Rose Bowl.

Prep Baseball Report wrote a scouting report about Gray in October:

“Long and lengthy frame with some present athleticism. Right-handed hitter. Is upright and slightly open in stance. Utilizes a leg kick that gets into his back hip. Hands pop back when the front foot lands. Compact level stroke. Good bat-to-ball skills. Peppered the left-center gap with line drives. 92 mph exit velocity. Good power potential is there with 71 mph average bat speed.”

On 247Sports, Gray is currently ranked as a three-star prospect on the gridiron, as well as being listed as the No. 62 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 49 player overall in California in the class of 2023. On Rivals, the Norco product is also a three-star and is No. 37 overall in the state, and both outlets have him as a top-10 receiver in California.

Gray racked up 956 yards and 10 touchdowns on 61 catches for Norco as a junior this past season.

Throughout the fall season and before the Bruins offered the Riverside county native, Gray posted the messages he would receive from UCLA football in support of his high school games. The Bruins' staff was in contact with Gray as early as September.

Gray visited Fresno State later that month, accompanied by his Norco teammate and eventual San Diego State commit Kyle Crum. During UCLA’s 2021 campaign, Gray was invited to the Rose Bowl when the Bruins hosted Fresno State and Arizona State, taking unofficial visits those weekends..

Even after losing receiver Kyle Philips to the 2022 NFL Draft pool earlier in January, the receiver room remains one of the most interesting on the roster. Kazmeir Allen, Josiah Norwood and Colson Yankoff could very well be entering their final years in the program, and incoming Duke transfer Jake Bobo only has one year of eligibility remaining, but Kam Brown, Logan Loya, Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, DJ Justice and the two incoming 2022 recruits Jadyn Marshall and Braden Pegan all project to still be around by 2023.

If Gray were to commit to UCLA in the future, all eyes would be on his involvement in both baseball and football. He would also become the first member of the Bruins' 2023 recruiting class, with cornerback Maliki Crawford decommitting Sunday night and leaving the program with zero pledges past the current cycle.

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