Rochester (Mich.) Adams three-star cornerback Vincent Gray has signed his letter of intent and is officially a Wolverine.
Measurables
• At Nike's regional camp in Cleveland on April 9, 2017, Gray ran a 4.76 40 and a 4.27 20-yard shuttle. He also leapt 33.4 inches in the vertical jump and recorded a 38.5-foot toss in the power throw, earning him a Nike+ Football Rating of 96.00.
Statistics
• Racked up 26 tackles and one interception as a senior. Also caught 19 passes for 394 yards and five touchdowns during his final prep season.
• Compiled 19 tackles, including one for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery as a junior. He also reeled in 16 receptions for 184 yards that year.
• Had 15 tackles and intercepted two passes as a sophomore. Was used sparingly on offense.
Honors
• Named to the 2017 Michigan Associated Press Division 1-2 All-State second team.
• Named to The Detroit Free Press' All-North football first team as a defensive back during his senior campaign.
• Came in at No. 32 on The Detroit Free Press' Top 50 Michigan High School Football Players for 2017.
All-Star Games And Camps
• Participated in The Opening regional camp in Cleveland in 2017.
• Attended the Rivals camp in Columbus, Ohio, in 2017.
• Took part in Penn State's elite camp in 2016.
• Impressed many during his performance at the United Stars Chicago Showcase in 2016.
Recruitment
• Committed to Michigan on Jan. 21, 2018.
• Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich led Gray's recruitment.
• Took late-cycle official visits to both West Virginia and Iowa State, but wrapped things up after an official visit to Ann Arbor.
• Michigan offered on Dec. 18, and offers from Duke, Cal, Oregon and UCLA followed in January.
• Originally committed to the Missouri Tigers on July 21, but opened things up once Michigan offered.
Notable
• Born on Dec. 28, 1999.
• Was a three-year varsity starter on defense and went two for two with a pair of touchdowns as a passer on trick plays over the course of his career.
2018 Projection
Cornerbacks David Long and Lavert Hill will be juniors in 2018, while Ambry Thomas and Benjamin St-Juste will be sophomores, and all of them will have at least a year year of experience under their belts.
Gray has really solid length and good speed — a lot like the other cornerbacks committed to U-M in 2018. Gray also has a lot of natural athleticism and great ball skills as a high school wide receiver making him a threat to pick passes off whenever he's in the area on defense. None of the newly signed DBs will necessarily be needed on the field in 2018, but it will be interesting to see who rises to the top of the group.
They Said It
Rochester (Mich.) Adams head coach Tony Patritto: "He’s pretty special in that he’s one of the best match corners around. In terms of benchmarks he covered a couple of big time receivers this year. He held [Wisconsin signee] A.J. Abbott from West Bloomfield to one catch and another all-state guy, Ty Slazinski from Bloomfield High, to just two. When we needed him he really stepped up and locked guys down. He brings a lot of talent when it comes to covering guys, especially in man to man, and that’s exactly what Michigan does and that’s what they were looking for. He was also an exceptional blocker and a pretty decent vertical threat as a receiver on offense. He’s a great team guy and he works really hard."
West Bloomfield (Mich.) High head coach and former Michigan wide receiver Ron Bellamy: “I was blown away by his level of competition. He started on both sides of the ball against us and did an exceptional job each way. He’s just a player that you see and immediately say he’s a high-caliber athlete. He was under-recruited. I always thought that when I saw him. He’s about 6-1 or 6-2 with long arms, great footwork and good speed. He’s an absolute steal for Michigan.”
Rivals.com Midwest regional analyst Josh Helmholdt: "What made Gray a highly coveted prospect late in the process is that he is a tall cornerback. College coaches are enamored with height at the cornerback position, overly so in my opinion. In general, height and fluidity are inversely proportional and so most times coaches are trading a cornerback's ability to flip his hips smoothly for a couple extra inches of height. Why we had Gray highly rated from the early stages of the process, though, was because he is one of those rare cornerbacks who possess both height and fluidity."
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