Football Recruiting Report
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
By
Sammy Batten |
|
Ray takes
path of Lewis, Allison, Stokes
By
Sammy Batten
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
Lance Ray once played for
a team that dealt East Carolina one of its toughest defeats during the
Skip Holtz era. But next fall, Ray hopes to contribute to the Pirates
success as a big-play wide receiver and kick returner.
Ray is one of the major
talents in the recruiting class ECU coach Ruffin McNeill hopes to welcome
aboard next Wednesday as college football conducts its annual national
signing day. He's scheduled to arrive in Greenville sometime next fall from
Northwest Mississippi Community College, where he earned first-team National
Junior College Athletic Association All-American honors during the 2011
season.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder used
his 4.35-second speed in the 40-yard dash to make 37 catches for 704 yards
and 12 touchdowns, while also scoring twice on kickoff returns of 73 and 84
yards for the Rangers. Ray achieved those statistics in only eight games.
Prior to his one season at
Northwest Mississippi, Ray spent two years at Arkansas, where he was
redshirted as a true freshman in 2009. The Razorbacks capped Ray's rookie
season by beating the Pirates, 20-17, on a 37-yard field goal by Alex Tejada
in the Liberty Bowl.
“Skip Holtz recruited me out
of high school,'' Ray said. “I remember it was such an exciting game … and
it was really cold.''
Ray would play a major role
for Arkansas the following season as a kick returner. He made 23 returns for
518 yards in nine games, caught one pass for six yards and set himself up to
take on an even bigger role in 2011.
But before Ray got that
opportunity he hit an unfortunate stretch that would eventually cause his
career at Arkansas to end prematurely. First, he was arrested on a
misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance in January 2011 when a
marijuana cigarette was found in his dorm room. The situation prompted the
Arkansas coaching staff to hold him out of spring practice, a move that
pushed Ray well down the depth chart at receiver.
Feeling his chances of getting
on the field at Arkansas dwindling, Ray made the difficult decision to
transfer.
“It was one of the toughest
decisions I ever had to make,'' Ray said. “My whole family bled red and
white and there were so many expectations for me at that specific school. I
spent two years there, working hard to develop my skills during a long
redshirt year and then putting in a lot of work in the off season (before
2011 season). Suddenly making the decision to leave, and not knowing what
else was really out there for me … it was difficult.
“But I knew when the time came
it was the best decision for me in the long run.''
In Northwest Mississippi, Ray
found a place to showcase his talents to major programs like he had
previously done at East Gadsden High School in his hometown of Havana, FL.
Ray was a man of many
positions at East Gadsden, where he played everywhere from safety to
defensive end to tight end until his senior season. He became a full-time
receiver in 2008, making 33 receptions for 632 yards and six touchdowns. The
performance earned Ray scholarship offers from schools like Illinois,
Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Missouri, but it was Arkansas
that won the recruiting battle.
Because he was so new to the
position, Ray was still refining his skills as a receiver while with the
Razorbacks. By the time he reached Northwest Mississippi, he had honed those
talents enough to pull in offers from many of the same schools that
recruited him out of East Gadsden, plus Kansas State, Southern Miss,
Marshall and Troy.
East Carolina came into the
picture in November after Ray had already taken official recruiting trips to
Kansas State, Kentucky and Troy.
The graduation of top deep
threat Lance Lewis led ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley to the junior
college ranks, where the Pirates have enjoyed great success recruiting
receivers over the years. Players like Lewis, Aundrae Allison and Keith
Stokes cut their teeth at the JUCO level before becoming record-setting
receivers and return men for ECU.
Ray was immediately impressed
with the clear role Riley had in mind for him with the Pirates.
“From day one, he shot it to
me straight as far as the role I could come in and play,'' Ray said. “He
referred to the role Lance Lewis played, the Z position at receiver, and the
kickoff returns. Coach Riley was very clear and there was really no guess
work after speaking with him.''
An official visit to
Greenville came soon after the initial contact with Riley in early December.
Ray gave his verbal commitment to the Pirates less than a week later.
Ray, who'll have two years of
eligibility remaining, believes he can provide big-play ability for the ECU
offense next season.
“I'm known mostly for my
speed, but I feel like I'm a playmaker,'' Ray said. “I feel like I can make
things happen with the ball in my hands. I do a good job making something
out of nothing.''
The Pirates are expecting Ray
to make an immediate impact on a receiving corps that not only loses Lewis
to graduation, but Michael Bowman and Joe Womack as well. He'll compete for
playing time with a large contingent of returning lettermen headed by Justin
Hardy, Justin Jones and Andrew Bodenheimer.
E-mail Sammy Batten
PAGE UPDATED
01/25/12 01:15 AM.
|