Gray down to five; Buckeyes in a good spot
MIAMI – The Buckeyes continue to remain in the thick of things with Miami Central cornerback Henry Gray as a decision date is getting closer. The Rivals250 corner was a one-time commit of the local Hurricanes but Gray has moved on from that and now has turned his attention to five teams, none of them from within the Sunshine State.
Gray said he has five teams of primary interest now with the list being made up of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Texas A&M and Alabama.
"I am getting out of Florida," Gray told us after a Thursday practice. "I either want to play in the Big Ten or the SEC. I feel those two are the best for me."
Even when Gray was committed to Miami, the Buckeyes remained in contact and Gray remained interested. Ohio State has made sure to let Gray know that he is a target of serious interest.
"I would say that I talk to Ohio State every day, the whole coaching staff, from coach (Ryan) Day to coach (Jeff) Hafley to coach (Keenan) Bailey, I talk to the whole coaching staff every day," Gray added.
Ohio State's defensive back targets have all taken notice of the addition of Jeff Hafley from the NFL ranks. Gray has built a strong relationship with the new defensive backs coach and co-DC.
"When he first got the job, I talked to him the same day that he got the job and when coach Day was announced that he had the job, I talked to him the day after that" Gray said. "They have been pretty heavy on me since."
Gray still is excited that the Buckeyes are showing as much attention as they are. He made a visit during spring practice during Ohio State's 'Student Appreciation Day' and spent several days up on the Ohio State campus.
Needless to say, the visit went well.
"It was a dream for me with me loving Ohio State since I was a young boy, it was crazy for me and I never thought I would be in this position," Gray said. "For me to go to my dream school, it was amazing."
Look for Gray to make another visit during Ohio State's camp season coming up in June. This won't be just to walk around and stand off to the side, he is going there to take part.
"When I go there, I am going to work out," Gray said.
There has been some talk that Gray might come up for a game as well on an official visit, but that all depends on where he commits, as he explains.
"By the time that I take my official visit during the season, I am going to be committed. So, if I do choose Ohio State, I would probably do the Penn State game."
Look for a decision, one way or the other to come in July. He is unsure of a day at this point but just knows that he is ready for the process to come to an end.
"To be honest, I just want to be done with the process, there are a lot of stressful nights and it is crazy," Gray said. "I just want to be done and focus on my team and my season."
