Aledo RB Gray likes the feel of UT family
ALEDO _ Aledo's highly recruited running back Johnathan Gray announced in person Friday morning he had committed to Texas for the Class of 2012 after Gray had sent out the information in a text late Thursday evening.
On his 18th birthday, Gray had set up a news conference in the Aledo indoor practice facility after an off-season morning workout which happened to have Texas offensive coordinator Major Applewhite in attendance during an NCAA spring evaluation period.
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Sitting with family members, Gray said he selected Texas over his other two finalists, TCU and Texas A&M, because of the connection he'd made with the players and coaches and the overall quality of the UT program.
"I felt like part of a family," Gray said. "I went to the spring game and all the players I knew, I'd played against and it was such a great group. A lot of good people."
One of the country's highest rated prospects with his speed and power, the 5-11, 190-pound Gray visited Texas, TCU and A&M during the spring. He had trimmed his list to three after narrowing a list of college offers from around the country to a list of five which included Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Playing since he was a freshman at Aledo and the son of former Texas Tech star running back James Gray, Johnathan already has had a record-setting career while leading Aledo to back-to-back Class 4A state titles.
In Aledo's 69-34 victory over La Marque at Cowboys Stadium in the 2010 4A Division II state final, Gray rushed for 320 yards and eight touchdowns to set a single-season record with 59.
His mom and dad, Tech graduates Tonya and James Gary, were with Johnathan at his announcement and James Gray wore a University of Texas golf shirt but had a Texas Tech pin on the collar.
"It was tough paying for this shirt," James said. "But it's not tough wearing it."