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Tennessee football: Eric Gray on Doak Walker preseason watch list

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 30: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 30: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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The award’s preseason watch list includes the Tennessee football Volunteers running back.

Ty Chandler may have been the leading rusher for Tennessee football over the past two years, and he is entering his senior season on Rocky Top. Eric Gray’s 2019 finish, however, seems to have had a more lasting impression.

Gray, a rising sophomore running back from Memphis, was included in the preseason watch list for the 2020 Doak Walker Award, according to Patrick Brown of GoVols247. The award goes to the nation’s best running back every year.

Last season, Gray averaged nearly five and a half yards a carry last year with 539 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. That was behind Chandler’s 655 yards, although he averaged just under five yards a carry.

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Towards the end of the season, though, Gray emerged as a star with 246 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Vols’ final regular season game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. He then recovered the onside kick, rushed for 86 yards and had the game-winning touchdown in Tennessee football’s Gator Bowl comeback win over the Indiana Hoosiers.

Those things are likely the reason there is a lot of hype behind him. At 5’10” 195 pounds, Gray is an elite all-purpose back who also hd 115 receiving yards and could play in the return game if Jeremy Pruitt chose to use him there.

Earlier in the week, another rising sophomore from Rocky Top earned a spot on a preseason watch list, as linebacker Henry To’o To’o made it for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s best defensive player. This should give you an idea of the rising talent in Knoxville.

With the dismissal of Tim Jordan, there will probably be more carries for both Gray and Chandler in 2020 than initially expected, although Carlin Fils-Aime will see action as a senior fresh off his redshirt year. All of them could end up being productive.

Still, it’s a bit shocking that Chandler didn’t make this list along with Gray. Sure, he had a bit of a drop-off last year, but he did have to play with a developing offensive line. It had all come together by the time Gray broke out.

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This year, with extremely high expectations surrounding the offensive line, Tennessee football could have a dominant rushing attack. It’s clear that Jim Chaney loves to have multiple elite rushers based on his history, and Gray and Chandler may provide th

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