OU football: Eric Gray flashes potential, shows 'what the boy from Memphis can do' in aggressive debut with Sooners

Eric Gray planted his feet and cut left.

The junior running back had just fielded a 10-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler, and his left turn sent redshirt freshman defensive back Kendall Dennis right past him.

Now running straight into the Sooners’ defense, Gray cut left again, this time sending freshman safety Jordan Mukes the wrong way before Dennis was able to corral him from behind. The play, which was the first from scrimmage during OU’s annual spring game on Saturday, resulted in a 14-yard gain.

Gray, who transferred to Oklahoma from Tennessee on Jan. 27, later showcased his skillset on a 19-yard touchdown rush in the second of two 15-minute halves. The play saw him explode through a gap in the Sooners’ offensive line into open field, where he made Mukes miss again before scampering into the endzone.

Behind Gray, Oklahoma’s white-team offense went on to defeat its red-team defense, 30-29, in the Sooners’ spring game on Saturday. Ending the game with four total rushes for 23 yards and a score to coincide with his lone reception, Gray’s day was short but successful, and perhaps gave a glimpse of how he’ll be incorporated into OU’s offense in the fall.

“He had the best day of the (running back) group,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “And I thought he ran the most aggressively, kept his footing, did some nice things. So I thought he was really impressive. There’s no surprise, I mean, he’s just one of those guys that shows up and works every day, and you know what you're going to get out of him each and every day, and so (I’ve) been impressed there.”

Gray previously proved himself as a running and receiving threat during his two-year career with the Volunteers. He amassed 258 carries for 1,311 yards and eight scores along with 43 catches for 369 yards and three touchdowns at Tennessee. When he entered the transfer portal, Gray said he began looking for places where he could make an immediate impact.

And that’s when he was drawn to playing for Riley and running backs coach DeMarco Murray at OU. It was a chance to play in one of the country’s best offenses and learn under a former NFL running back, Gray said. So far this offseason, he’s flourished under the two coaches’ teachings.

“Eric Gray had a tremendous spring,” senior safety Delarrin Turner-Yell said. “He’s a guy that can come in and out of cuts really quick. So, for defensive guys, it’s important that you close space on him because, if you don’t, he can get you with a few cuts in the open field.

“He's not only the guy that we can hand the ball off to. He's a guy that can go out there and run routes, and that can make our offense more explosive. We have a high powered offense, we have receivers that can catch balls all day long. But if we can incorporate a running back coming out of the backfield and being able to do that … that can only benefit us.”

Comprised of Gray, sophomore Mikey Henderson, redshirt sophomore Marcus Major, redshirt junior Kennedy Brooks and others, the Sooners’ running back room appears to be one of the most competitive on the team. 

However, if his efforts from Saturday translate into this fall, Gray should have little issue getting his name to stand out.

“(I) wanted to come and show what the Tennessee guy had,” Gray said. “What the boy from Memphis can do. (I) wanted to definitely put on a show. ... You only get one shot, you get one opportunity to go in front of the fans until September. So, I definitely wanted to put my best foot forward.”

“What surprises me about this offense is how good we can be. We haven’t hit our stride yet. We got a lot of things we got to work on. We have some guys out. I feel like once we hit our stride, we're going to be a really great offense in the country.”