A move to fullback can signal the beginning of the end of a running back’s college career. Although many counted him out after the switch, Trayone Gray has been one of the hardest workers in fall camp and had a big first scrimmage. He was rewarded by offensive coordinator Thomas Brown with a move back to the running back depth chart, and Gray now sits in the #3 role behind Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. After Tuesday's practice, Brown updated Gray's progress.
“I’m so proud of that dude. I said it yesterday at [Media Day], his development not just as a player, but as a person – what he’s done off the field, being more responsible, being accountable,” Brown said on Gray. “He has always been a very talented guy – super fast, straight ahead [runner], very strong. He’s limited some east and west [running]-wise, but we kind of work around that. But his maturity level has come along so fast this past spring and summer. I’m really excited about what he’s doing.”
Now, Gray is repping both at fullback and running back in practice and Brown sees himself using Gray in multiple roles during the season.
“He knows both right now,” Brown said. “We give him reps of both at practice, at fullback and tailback. He knows both and he’ll play both for us.”
What is the value in having a guy like Gray that Brown feels is versatile enough to play both backfield roles?
“I think it’s huge,” Brown said. “Obviously you have a guy who has played some - not a whole lot throughout his career, but at least has been around the program and been in our system. He knows what we kind of expect from a coaching staff standpoint. The effort every single day, the accountability every single day, is huge to have in that room – especially when you have new guys who just got here with Cam [Davis], Lorenzo [Lingard] and Realus [George].
“The more guys we have in that room who can help lead those guys when I’m not around, the better off we’ll be. So I think the fact that he was not hesitant to move when I asked him to move, didn’t have an attitude about it, he just accepted his role, embraced his role and kept working at it, and now he’s back in the mix at tailback.”
True freshman QB Jarren Williams was a limited participant in practice today with an undisclosed injury, but Brown declined to offer much information when asked about the specifics of the injury, other than to say he believes the injury is minor.
“That’s a question for the head coach,” Brown said. “But he’s fine.”
“I’m so proud of that dude. I said it yesterday at [Media Day], his development not just as a player, but as a person – what he’s done off the field, being more responsible, being accountable,” Brown said on Gray. “He has always been a very talented guy – super fast, straight ahead [runner], very strong. He’s limited some east and west [running]-wise, but we kind of work around that. But his maturity level has come along so fast this past spring and summer. I’m really excited about what he’s doing.”
Now, Gray is repping both at fullback and running back in practice and Brown sees himself using Gray in multiple roles during the season.
“He knows both right now,” Brown said. “We give him reps of both at practice, at fullback and tailback. He knows both and he’ll play both for us.”
What is the value in having a guy like Gray that Brown feels is versatile enough to play both backfield roles?
“I think it’s huge,” Brown said. “Obviously you have a guy who has played some - not a whole lot throughout his career, but at least has been around the program and been in our system. He knows what we kind of expect from a coaching staff standpoint. The effort every single day, the accountability every single day, is huge to have in that room – especially when you have new guys who just got here with Cam [Davis], Lorenzo [Lingard] and Realus [George].
“The more guys we have in that room who can help lead those guys when I’m not around, the better off we’ll be. So I think the fact that he was not hesitant to move when I asked him to move, didn’t have an attitude about it, he just accepted his role, embraced his role and kept working at it, and now he’s back in the mix at tailback.”
True freshman QB Jarren Williams was a limited participant in practice today with an undisclosed injury, but Brown declined to offer much information when asked about the specifics of the injury, other than to say he believes the injury is minor.
“That’s a question for the head coach,” Brown said. “But he’s fine.”
