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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU's Gray, Willis Picked on Final Day of NFL Draft
April 29, 2023 | Football
NORMAN — The 2023 NFL Draft wrapped up Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., and Oklahoma running back Eric Gray and tight end Brayden Willis were selected by the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. Gray was the 37th pick of the fifth round (No. 172 overall), while Willis was taken with the 30th pick of the seventh round (No. 247 overall).
Gray, who became the fifth OU running back draftee over the last seven years, and Willis, who is OU's first tight end selection since Mark Andrews in 2018, gave the Sooners five picks in this year's draft. They joined offensive lineman Anton Harrison (first round by Jacksonville Jaguars), wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (second round by Denver Broncos) and offensive lineman Wanya Morris (third round by Kansas City Chiefs).
The Sooners are the only program in the country with at least four players drafted each of the last 16 years.
Gray spent the 2019-20 seasons at Tennessee before transferring to OU for the 2021-22 campaigns. He played in 47 career games in his four seasons and made 23 starts, totaling 549 carries for 3,087 yards and 21 touchdowns, and 99 receptions for 827 yards and five scores. As a Sooner, he played in 25 games and made 18 starts, rushing for 1,776 yards (6.1 per carry) and 13 TDs, while catching 56 passes for 458 yards (8.2 average) and two scores.
The Memphis, Tenn., product, who graduated from OU last August with a degree in multidisciplinary studies, earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition from PFF and second-team honors from the league's coaches and AP as a senior in 2022. One of three recipients of OU's coveted Don Key Award (presented for excellence on and off the field), he started all 12 regular season games and rushed for 1,366 yards, the ninth most in school single-season history, and 11 touchdowns on 213 carries. He led the Big 12 (ranked 14th nationally) by averaging 6.4 yards per rush and with 43 carries of at least 10 yards (tied for eighth nationally). He also ranked second in the league (13th nationally) in rushing yards per game (113.8) and third in all-purpose yards per outing (132.9).
The 5-10, 207-pound Gray registered eight 100-yard rushing performances last season and reached the 1,100-yard mark in 10 games, the fastest by a Sooner since Adrian Peterson in 2004. He rushed for an OU-career-best 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns at West Virginia in November.
As a junior in 2021, he played in all 13 games and made six starts, rushing for 412 yards and two touchdowns and making 23 receptions for 229 yards and two more scores. He rushed eight times for 82 yards and caught a team-high five passes for 25 yards and a TD in an Alamo Bowl win over Oregon.
Gray enjoyed a productive sophomore season at Tennessee in 2020, starting five of his nine games and scoring a team-high six TDs (four rushing, two receiving) and ranking sixth in the SEC in rushing yards per game (85.8) and yards from scrimmage per game (114.0) and eighth in total rushing yards (772).
He was a PFF College All-Freshman Team honorable mention selection in 2019, playing in all 13 games and leading the Volunteers with four rushing TDs. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and finished second on the squad with 539 rushing yards on 101 carries. He combined for 366 total yards and four TDs over the final two games vs. Indiana and Vanderbilt.
Gray was a four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals out of Lausanne Collegiate School and was rated as the nation's No. 99 overall player and the No. 2 all-purpose back by 247Sports.
Willis was a member of three Big 12 championship teams, two College Football Playoff squads and teams that won the 2020 Cotton Bowl and 2021 Alamo Bowl and participated in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl in his five seasons in Norman (teams went a combined 50-15). He played in 58 career games and made 25 starts, registering 75 catches for 998 yards (13.3 yards per reception) and 13 touchdowns.
His most productive season came as a super senior in 2022 when he garnered second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches and the AP, and like Gray was a recipient of the Don Key Award. He started all 13 games and totaled 514 yards (ranked second on team) and a team-high seven touchdowns on 39 receptions (13.2 yards per catch). His receptions, yards and touchdowns represented career highs, and his seven receiving TDs tied for the fifth most nationally among tight ends. He recorded two TD catches in each of three games.
Willis, who graduated in May 2022 with a degree in economics, earned the opportunity to showcase his versatility last season, also rushing 10 times for 26 yards and completing his only pass attempt for a touchdown. After the regular season, he was selected as one of the team's permanent captains.
The 6-4, 240-pounder from Arlington, Texas, played in all 13 games in 2021 and made eight starts over the last nine contests, finishing with 15 receptions for 177 yards (11.8 per catch) and two TDs.
He saw action in five games in 2020 (two starts), all 14 games in 2019 (two starts), and 13 of 14 contests in 2018. He won Big 12 titles each of those three seasons and played in the College Football Playoff his first two years.
A three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals out of James Martin High School, Willis was ranked as the nation's No. 19 tight end/H-back by ESPN and the No. 70 overall tight end by 247 Sports.
Gray, who became the fifth OU running back draftee over the last seven years, and Willis, who is OU's first tight end selection since Mark Andrews in 2018, gave the Sooners five picks in this year's draft. They joined offensive lineman Anton Harrison (first round by Jacksonville Jaguars), wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (second round by Denver Broncos) and offensive lineman Wanya Morris (third round by Kansas City Chiefs).
The Sooners are the only program in the country with at least four players drafted each of the last 16 years.
Gray spent the 2019-20 seasons at Tennessee before transferring to OU for the 2021-22 campaigns. He played in 47 career games in his four seasons and made 23 starts, totaling 549 carries for 3,087 yards and 21 touchdowns, and 99 receptions for 827 yards and five scores. As a Sooner, he played in 25 games and made 18 starts, rushing for 1,776 yards (6.1 per carry) and 13 TDs, while catching 56 passes for 458 yards (8.2 average) and two scores.
The Memphis, Tenn., product, who graduated from OU last August with a degree in multidisciplinary studies, earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition from PFF and second-team honors from the league's coaches and AP as a senior in 2022. One of three recipients of OU's coveted Don Key Award (presented for excellence on and off the field), he started all 12 regular season games and rushed for 1,366 yards, the ninth most in school single-season history, and 11 touchdowns on 213 carries. He led the Big 12 (ranked 14th nationally) by averaging 6.4 yards per rush and with 43 carries of at least 10 yards (tied for eighth nationally). He also ranked second in the league (13th nationally) in rushing yards per game (113.8) and third in all-purpose yards per outing (132.9).
The 5-10, 207-pound Gray registered eight 100-yard rushing performances last season and reached the 1,100-yard mark in 10 games, the fastest by a Sooner since Adrian Peterson in 2004. He rushed for an OU-career-best 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns at West Virginia in November.
As a junior in 2021, he played in all 13 games and made six starts, rushing for 412 yards and two touchdowns and making 23 receptions for 229 yards and two more scores. He rushed eight times for 82 yards and caught a team-high five passes for 25 yards and a TD in an Alamo Bowl win over Oregon.
Gray enjoyed a productive sophomore season at Tennessee in 2020, starting five of his nine games and scoring a team-high six TDs (four rushing, two receiving) and ranking sixth in the SEC in rushing yards per game (85.8) and yards from scrimmage per game (114.0) and eighth in total rushing yards (772).
He was a PFF College All-Freshman Team honorable mention selection in 2019, playing in all 13 games and leading the Volunteers with four rushing TDs. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and finished second on the squad with 539 rushing yards on 101 carries. He combined for 366 total yards and four TDs over the final two games vs. Indiana and Vanderbilt.
Gray was a four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals out of Lausanne Collegiate School and was rated as the nation's No. 99 overall player and the No. 2 all-purpose back by 247Sports.
Willis was a member of three Big 12 championship teams, two College Football Playoff squads and teams that won the 2020 Cotton Bowl and 2021 Alamo Bowl and participated in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl in his five seasons in Norman (teams went a combined 50-15). He played in 58 career games and made 25 starts, registering 75 catches for 998 yards (13.3 yards per reception) and 13 touchdowns.
His most productive season came as a super senior in 2022 when he garnered second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches and the AP, and like Gray was a recipient of the Don Key Award. He started all 13 games and totaled 514 yards (ranked second on team) and a team-high seven touchdowns on 39 receptions (13.2 yards per catch). His receptions, yards and touchdowns represented career highs, and his seven receiving TDs tied for the fifth most nationally among tight ends. He recorded two TD catches in each of three games.
Willis, who graduated in May 2022 with a degree in economics, earned the opportunity to showcase his versatility last season, also rushing 10 times for 26 yards and completing his only pass attempt for a touchdown. After the regular season, he was selected as one of the team's permanent captains.
The 6-4, 240-pounder from Arlington, Texas, played in all 13 games in 2021 and made eight starts over the last nine contests, finishing with 15 receptions for 177 yards (11.8 per catch) and two TDs.
He saw action in five games in 2020 (two starts), all 14 games in 2019 (two starts), and 13 of 14 contests in 2018. He won Big 12 titles each of those three seasons and played in the College Football Playoff his first two years.
A three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals out of James Martin High School, Willis was ranked as the nation's No. 19 tight end/H-back by ESPN and the No. 70 overall tight end by 247 Sports.
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