On Monday, Nebraska landed its fourth commitment of the 2019 class when 3-star (HV rating: 82.8) RB Thomas Grayson from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, joined the class. Last season, Grayson had 1,332 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the way to a state championship. Here are five thoughts on his commitment.
Need for Speed
Nebraska now covets speed as much as any other trait in the players it recruits. Grayson has plenty of it. He’s run a reported 10.7 100-meter dash and with that type of speed in this offense, he can be a dangerous weapon for the staff to utilize. The offense currently doesn’t have enough home-run threats but adding Grayson will change that.
Early Bird Gets the Worm
Nebraska jumped on Grayson relatively early, well at least earlier than the in-state schools Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Grayson held offers from Syracuse, Texas Tech, Tulsa and recently added an offer from Tennessee. It was a good sign for where things were heading with the Huskers when he canceled his trip to Knoxville to come to the spring game at Nebraska. Don’t be surprised if Grayson gets a significant ratings bump during his senior season, making the staff look even smarter for being out in front on him.
Versatility
Grayson is not just a track athlete playing football. He shows legitimate power and a good stiff arm if you watch his film. His blend of speed and power gives him additional versatility that Ryan Held has consistently talked about wanting to have in his running back room.
Loading Up Within 500-mile Radius
The 500-mile radius is bursting with talent in the 2019 recruiting class. If Nebraska has a successful recruiting class, doing well in the area could end up being a huge part of it. So far every recruit the Huskers have verbal commitments from is from the radius. In addition, Nebraska has put itself in good position with quarterback Luke McCaffrey (Highlands Ranch, Colorado), running back Breece Hall and defensive end Marcus Hicks (Wichita, Kansas), tight end Chris Hickman and linebacker Nick Henrich (Omaha, Nebraska), offensive lineman Danielson Ike (Kansas City, Missouri), offensive lineman Barrett Miller (Aurora, Colorado), defensive end Mosai Newsom (Waverly, Iowa), and defensive end Issac Townsend (Aurora, Colorado) among others.
Fit in the Offense
One of the things that sold Grayson on Nebraska was the fit for him in the offense. That was a big part of running back coach Ryan Held’s pitch to him and the versatile running back was in agreement. Grayson can stress a defense in a number of ways, and that type of skill set is coveted in an offense that will use multiple running backs.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
