Have you ever had as confident a group of defensive backs?
Gray: “No, I haven’t had a group that’s playing with the confidence that this group is playing with right now. They’re really executing and it’s how those guys are really playing in practice. I’ve been very impressed with the way we’re handling our business, going about our business and it’s showing up on Saturdays.”
You have some big personalities in your position room. How do you handle that?
Gray: “It’s fun because those guys, they’re big personalities but they really have a great chemistry with each other. It helps them to be able to mesh all that and come out and play together. Those guys genuinely have great chemistry. They’re so competitive they want to race each other. I’m like, ‘Dude, you don’t have to race, you don’t have to pull a hamstring.’ But that’s the type of fun and games they’re always doing. It’s a great atmosphere.”
If they did race, who would win?
Gray: “I always tease and say I think Duke (Dawson) has the quickest explosion. Now would that get him to the 40 or the 50 faster than the other guys? I don’t know, but I always tease that Duke would win.”
Have you ever seen a duck pull a truck?
Gray: “I have not seen a duck pull a truck but apparently if, I guess it’s supposed to go like this, if I tell you that a duck can pull a truck, believe it. I guess that’s part of the analogy or what not. Coach Rumph was trying to explain to me what that means. But if I tell you a duck can pull a truck then a duck can pull a truck. Believe it.”
What is it like to see that kind of confidence from your players?
Gray: “Well, you want your guys to be confident. How else are you going to answer certain questions? We’re not going to say we’re not going to win. You want to have confidence. We’re confident in how we’re preparing and we’ll see on Saturday.”
What have you seen from the progression of Marcell Harris, who recorded an INT against North Texas?
Gray: “Marcell has been a guy since I got here in the spring who has taken great steps, improving as a football player and to have that come to a culmination on a certain play… he’s continued to play well. It’s been fun to see his progression.”
What have you seen from Marcus Maye?
Gray: “Marcus has been lights out. Just dialed in, toned in, tackling well, playing the ball real well, breaking on the ball well. He’s just playing at a very elite level. We just want him to keep doing what he’s doing. I tell you, he’s doing everything well. He’s, like I said, he’s playing the ball in the air, he’s breaking on the ball, covering a lot of ground, coming downhill, tackling guys with force. He’s really playing a great all-around game.”
Are Tabor and Wilson the best CB tandem in country?
Gray: "Obviously I haven't seen everybody, but knowing the talent level and the competitiveness that those two guys have, I do think that they're the best cornerback tandem in the country. ... They're confident. They're athletic. They're long. They play with swagger and they're just two talented guys."
What's your approach against Tennessee's offense?
Gray: "We try not take anyone for granted, to be honest. We're going to approach as if ... As a defensive back, you're always want to play away from not being very good if they throw a ball over your head. So we don't take that approach. We think Dobbs will come out and have his best game. That's the approach we kind of take with it."
Where do you feel the DB position is now from a depth standpoint?
Gray: "Right now, at corners we still need the Joseph Putus of the world, the Chris Williamsons of the world to progress and come along. It's not where we want to be from a depth perspective right there. At safeties, we've got three pretty good safeties with Jeawon Taylor coming along so we feel a little better about that spot. At nickel you've got Chauncey Gardner trying to learn that and get better behind Duke Dawson, so we're kind of green or got to grow a lot on the perimeter part of the (defense) right now."
How tough is it as a recruiter to determine if guys can come in and contribute right away?
Gray: "Well we want to recruit the best possible players and you're hoping the guys that we get, if there in that caliber of player, we're going to need guys to have a chance to come in and help us. So hopefully those are the type of guys we're getting."
Is that easier to do at cornerback?
Gray: "It's hard. It's not hard -- you can see the talent -- but just how those guys actually transition to the college level, to the SEC level once they get here, you know, you've kind of got to wait and see a little bit. But you've got a pretty good idea from their skill set if they'll be able to help."
Gray: “No, I haven’t had a group that’s playing with the confidence that this group is playing with right now. They’re really executing and it’s how those guys are really playing in practice. I’ve been very impressed with the way we’re handling our business, going about our business and it’s showing up on Saturdays.”
You have some big personalities in your position room. How do you handle that?
Gray: “It’s fun because those guys, they’re big personalities but they really have a great chemistry with each other. It helps them to be able to mesh all that and come out and play together. Those guys genuinely have great chemistry. They’re so competitive they want to race each other. I’m like, ‘Dude, you don’t have to race, you don’t have to pull a hamstring.’ But that’s the type of fun and games they’re always doing. It’s a great atmosphere.”
If they did race, who would win?
Gray: “I always tease and say I think Duke (Dawson) has the quickest explosion. Now would that get him to the 40 or the 50 faster than the other guys? I don’t know, but I always tease that Duke would win.”
Have you ever seen a duck pull a truck?
Gray: “I have not seen a duck pull a truck but apparently if, I guess it’s supposed to go like this, if I tell you that a duck can pull a truck, believe it. I guess that’s part of the analogy or what not. Coach Rumph was trying to explain to me what that means. But if I tell you a duck can pull a truck then a duck can pull a truck. Believe it.”
What is it like to see that kind of confidence from your players?
Gray: “Well, you want your guys to be confident. How else are you going to answer certain questions? We’re not going to say we’re not going to win. You want to have confidence. We’re confident in how we’re preparing and we’ll see on Saturday.”
What have you seen from the progression of Marcell Harris, who recorded an INT against North Texas?
Gray: “Marcell has been a guy since I got here in the spring who has taken great steps, improving as a football player and to have that come to a culmination on a certain play… he’s continued to play well. It’s been fun to see his progression.”
What have you seen from Marcus Maye?
Gray: “Marcus has been lights out. Just dialed in, toned in, tackling well, playing the ball real well, breaking on the ball well. He’s just playing at a very elite level. We just want him to keep doing what he’s doing. I tell you, he’s doing everything well. He’s, like I said, he’s playing the ball in the air, he’s breaking on the ball, covering a lot of ground, coming downhill, tackling guys with force. He’s really playing a great all-around game.”
Are Tabor and Wilson the best CB tandem in country?
Gray: "Obviously I haven't seen everybody, but knowing the talent level and the competitiveness that those two guys have, I do think that they're the best cornerback tandem in the country. ... They're confident. They're athletic. They're long. They play with swagger and they're just two talented guys."
What's your approach against Tennessee's offense?
Gray: "We try not take anyone for granted, to be honest. We're going to approach as if ... As a defensive back, you're always want to play away from not being very good if they throw a ball over your head. So we don't take that approach. We think Dobbs will come out and have his best game. That's the approach we kind of take with it."
Where do you feel the DB position is now from a depth standpoint?
Gray: "Right now, at corners we still need the Joseph Putus of the world, the Chris Williamsons of the world to progress and come along. It's not where we want to be from a depth perspective right there. At safeties, we've got three pretty good safeties with Jeawon Taylor coming along so we feel a little better about that spot. At nickel you've got Chauncey Gardner trying to learn that and get better behind Duke Dawson, so we're kind of green or got to grow a lot on the perimeter part of the (defense) right now."
How tough is it as a recruiter to determine if guys can come in and contribute right away?
Gray: "Well we want to recruit the best possible players and you're hoping the guys that we get, if there in that caliber of player, we're going to need guys to have a chance to come in and help us. So hopefully those are the type of guys we're getting."
Is that easier to do at cornerback?
Gray: "It's hard. It's not hard -- you can see the talent -- but just how those guys actually transition to the college level, to the SEC level once they get here, you know, you've kind of got to wait and see a little bit. But you've got a pretty good idea from their skill set if they'll be able to help."
