32 Days to Miami football: FB Trayone Gray 2018 preview

Running back Trayone Gray had only seven carries last season as a backup running back on the Miami football team. He was not able to take advantage of the opportunity for more playing when Mark Walton was lost for the season. He will play fullback in 2018.

Gray’s move to fullback came this spring. Mark Richt has repeatedly talked about how the absence of a fullback hurt the Miami football team in 2017. The Hurricanes will have two fullbacks on the roster this season. Joining Gray will be the top fullback in the Class of 2018, Realus George.

Gray will battle with George to be the starter at fullback. Both players will likely see playing time. Gray might just have gotten lost in the shuffle not being one of Richt’s guys. He came to Miami in 2014 as part of former Miami Head Coach Al Golden’s second to last recruiting class.

Gray had 29 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns in his first two seasons during Golden’s tenure. The final six games of the 2015 season were under interim Head Coach Larry Scott. Scott took over when Golden was fired following the 58-0 loss to Clemson.

The majority of Gray’s workload came in the 2015 season. He had 23 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Gray also added one reception for 11 yards. Gray sat out the 2016 season after tearing his ACL during training camp. He received a medical redshirt.

Gray came back last season. Despite Walton missing the final nine games of the 2017 season, Gray was unable to make a dent in the running back rotation. Travis Homer had a stranglehold on the position. Homer had 1,1185 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns last season.

DeeJay Dallas who was a Freshman in 2017 passed Gray on the depth chart. Dallas was moved from wide receiver to give the Hurricanes more depth in the backfield after Walton’s season-ending injury. Dallas had 309 total yards last season and three touchdowns He ran for 217 yards.

More than a third of Gray’s career rushing yards came in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman in 2015. He had eight carries for 77 yards. Gray added three carries for 25 yards against the Wildcats last season.

Miami Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown told the Miami Herald that Gray will begin the season as the starting fullback. It sounds like they plan to give Gray some carries as well.

"“Trayone Gray will start camp as our starting fullback; he worked his butt off in spring time. Put on good solid weight. He has super fast straight line speed.”"

Brown also told the Herald that Gray will usually play fullback. Miami is much deeper this season at running back. Freshman Lorenzo Lingard will definitely be a part of the rotation with Homer and Dallas. Lingard’s classmate Camron Davis could also work his way into the mix.

Gray is listed at a solid 6’2 240 pounds on his official bio on HurricaneSports.Com. That’s excellent size for a fullback. Robert Burns could be another player to watch at fullback. Burns and Gray both had reps at fullback this spring.