(Photo Courtesy of Grant Gray/Instagram)
Receiver Grant Gray Becomes UCLA Football's First Class of 2023 Commit
The Bruins' 2023 recruiting class was barren for the past three months, but they finally got a keystone member to add to the bunch.
Wide receiver Grant Gray committed to UCLA football on Sunday night, he announced via Twitter. Gray, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound pass catcher from Norco (CA), is also in line to play for UCLA baseball.
Gray also had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Boise State, Fresno State, Rice, San Diego State and UNLV.
The Bruins previously had a one-member 2023 recruiting class from last summer all the way through the end of 2021. However, cornerback Maliki Crawford decommitted in late January, and UCLA was next to Arizona State as the only Pac-12 programs without a tangible 2023 class entering Sunday.
Midway through April, not only is Crawford back visiting Westwood, but the Bruins have actually added another recruit for him to potentially rejoin in Gray.
Gray is a three-star prospect according to both 247Sports and Rivals. According to the 247Sports Composite, Gray is the No. 79 receiver in the country and No. 42 player in California, all while coming in as the No. 6 wideout in the state.
The Bruins offered Gray on Jan. 24, becoming just the second Power Five program to reach that stage in his recruitment.
Gray racked up 956 yards and 10 touchdowns on 61 catches for Norco as a junior this past season.
Throughout the fall and before the Bruins even offered the Riverside County native, Gray would post the messages he received from UCLA's staff in support of his high school games. The Bruins were in contact with Gray as early as September.
Gray starred at the Under Armour Next All-America Camp in Southern California in early March, and was seen as a high-riser following the event. Gray has been praised for his ability to run smooth routes and rise up to haul down 50/50 balls.
On the other side of the coin, Gray is also a top-ranked prospect on the diamond. Linebacker JonJon Vaughns is currently playing for both UCLA football and baseball, starting in the outfielder in the spring and patrolling the middle of the gridiron in the fall.
Gray plays both outfield and infield, utilizing the speed, quickness and strength he is known for as a football player in the baseball setting as well.
Wide receivers coach Jerry Neuheisel ran point on Gray's recruitment, and he has several other targets he is currently working on as well. A trio of in-state four-stars – Rico Flores, Jeremiah McClure and Malachi Riley – are the uncommitted wideouts who have picked up offers from Neuheisel and the Bruins, with each of them at varying stages of their recruitments but all still considering UCLA.
Regardless of who joins Gray out of that group, they will be joining a receivers room that is set to face additional turnover next offseason. After losing Kyle Philips to the NFL Draft and Chase Cota and Keontez Lewis to the transfer portal this winter, Kazmeir Allen, Jake Bobo and Josiah Norwood are set to depart after this coming season and Kam Brown could possibly join them as well.
With Logan Loya, Titus Mokiao-Atimalala and Jadyn Marshall set to lead the receiver room after those key names pack their bags, Gray and the rest of UCLA's receiving targets stand to be integral depth pieces right off the bat with a tangible chance at earning early playing time.
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