3 fast risers among 2024 recruits Texas football must offer in February

Tionne Gray, DL

Defensive line coach Bo Davis and the Longhorns have done a nice job scooping up a lot of depth and talent in the trenches upon the move from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2024. But the 2024 cycle will be a critical one for the Longhorns along the defensive line as the depth could start running a bit thin given some of the projected departures in 2023 and 2024.

Texas has already lost the likes of senior interior defensive linemen Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn. And we’re likely to see seniors T’Vondre Sweat and Alfred Collins leave Texas next year.

To help replenish some of the depth along the defensive line, Texas probably has to reserve at least two or three spots in the 2024 class.

And I would anticipate that at least one or two of the defensive linemen that Davis and the Longhorns nab in the 2024 class fit that “big human” mold. One name to watch here could be the towering 6-foot-6 and 300-pound four-star St. Louis Hazelwood Central (MO) defensive lineman Tionne Gray.

The sizable Missouri defensive tackle has picked up a lot more attention on the recruiting trail in the last month or so. In the last 30 days alone, he’s picked up offers from the likes of the Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks, Iowa Hawkeyes, Washington Huskies, Colorado Buffaloes, and Tennessee Volunteers, among others.

His offer sheet has essentially doubled in size since the turn of the calendar year, with Oklahoma being the 19th school to offer him on Feb. 16.

What Gray brings to the table is a strong and agile lineman that plays on both sides of the ball at Hazelwood Central High School. He plays offensive and defensive tackle at Hazelwood Central.

Gray is someone that is definitely adept at moving bodies off the line of scrimmage regardless of the position and side of the ball he’s playing. He’s got good get-off speed when lined up in the three-technique along the defensive line. Gray’s large frame and lengthy wingspan combined with his quickness off the line of scrimmage mean he’s able to rapidly and effectively shed blocks and blow up plays in the opposing team’s backfield.

He is also a disruptive pass rusher given his violent hands at the point of attack and strong base that allows him to generate pressure up the middle.

What really stands out to me on film for Gray, though, is his ability to finish plays. He’s got an insane motor, which he shows off when finishing blocks down the field on offense and by always playing through the whistle on defense.

He’s a little bit more speed in pursuit in the open field than people give him credit for, at least from what I’ve seen from the early evaluations on him from the major recruiting services.

All in all, Gray checks a lot of the boxes in terms of what Davis and the Longhorns are seeking out to fit the “big human” mold along the defensive line. If Texas wants to get in on this recruitment to have a legit shot to make some noise, an offer will need to be sent to Gray in the near future before he starts whittling down his top list of schools.