2015 Football Roster
Roster
Donald Gray
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 5-10
- Weight:
- 193
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Memphis, TN
- High School/Previous School:
- Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC
CAREER: Explosive receiver who served as a team captain in 2017 … Has some of the strongest hands in the SEC … Arrived at MSU as one of the nation’s most coveted junior college skill players … Played in 34 games with 21 starts in his three seasons … Produced 86 catches for 1,309 yards and 10 touchdowns, which is 12th in school history … Averaged an exceptional 15.2 yards per catch … Five of his 10 scores came on plays of 49 yards or more, including two of 70 or more yards … Tallied two 100-yard receiving games … Enrolled at MSU in January 2015 … Originally committed to MSU in July 2013 and then went the junior college route to Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson, Miss. … One of two players on the squad who played the 2017 season with a degree already in hand.
2017 SENIOR SEASON: MSU’s most explosive receiver who despite injuries still managed to finish second on the team in receptions (24) … Recorded three touchdowns on 214 yards receiving … Averaged 9.0 yards per punt return … Played and started in eight games … Missed the final five games of the year – UMass, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and the TaxSlayer Bowl – due to a sports hernia … Caught three passes for a season-high 57 yards in season-opener vs. Charleston Southern (9/2) … Also had a career-long 52-yard kickoff return in that game … Hauled in his first touchdown catch at the year at Louisiana Tech (9/9) … Solid game against LSU (9/16) with three catches for 19 yards and a career-long 35-yard punt return that helped set up at MSU drive … Made four catches for 41 yards, including a 9-yard TD reception against BYU (10/14) … Season-high six catches for 51 yards vs. Kentucky (10/21).
2016 JUNIOR SEASON: MSU’s second-leading receiver behind Fred Ross … Started all 13 games … Caught 41 passes for 709 yards and five touchdowns … Ranked fifth in the SEC in yards per catch (17.3) … One of only two players in the SEC with multiple catches over 70 yards and he did it in the same game … Tied for eighth nationally in 70+ yard receptions (2) … Produced one of the best games in school history in win over Samford (10/29) as he tied the school record for touchdown catches with three and finished with four catches for 207 yards … Became the first 200-yard receiver for MSU since Dec. 31, 2014 … Had TD catches of 71 and 74 yards in the first half vs. Samford … Grabbed a career-best eight catches for 79 yards at UMass (9/24) … Put MSU up 14-0 vs. South Carolina (9/10) with a 17-yard TD catch and finished with five catches for 71 yards … Made three catches for 86 yards at LSU (9/17) … Hauled in seven passes for 92 yards against Arkansas (11/19), putting him over 1,000 for his career … Gave MSU the lead for good in the Egg Bowl (11/26) on an 8-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter … Caught at least one pass in seven straight games to end the year.
2015 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Made an immediate impact at receiver in his first season with the program … Played in all 13 games with no starts … Caught 21 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns … Averaged a team-best 18.4 yards per reception … Had four receptions for a career-best 140 yards and a touchdown in the Northwestern State win (9/19), recording the most receiving yards by a Bulldog since Jameon Lewis had 220 in the 2013 Liberty Bowl … His score came on a 49-yard pass from Nick Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter … Hauled in two catches for 58 yards against Troy (10/10), including a 49-yard touchdown reception … Recorded his first career blocked punt and first career punt return (21 yards) in the Louisiana Tech (10/17) home win … His blocked punt was recovered at the 2-yard line and set up a Dak Prescott score on the following play that gave MSU the lead for good … Finished the Kentucky victory (10/24) with 56 receiving yards on a season-high five receptions … Pulled down a brilliant season-long 54-yard reception over the shoulder against No. 2 Alabama (11/14).
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Ranked the No. 6 junior college prospect by ESPN.com … Shifted solely to wide receiver at Copiah-Lincoln … Named a 2014 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American after having recorded 55 catches for 989 yards (eighth best in the nation) last season … Reeled in 10 touchdowns and averaged 90 yards receiving per game in his only season at Copiah-Lincoln … Also shined as a punt returner in 2014 with three touchdowns and 419 yards gained on 20 returns … Finished as the team leader with 1,403 all-purpose yards … Named NJCAA Region 23 Most Valuable Player, All-Region, First Team All-State as a wide receiver, Second Team All-State as a punt returner, and Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges (MACJC) Most Valuable Back … Twice named state player of the week and twice named national player of the week … Missed the 2013 season due to a preseason ankle injury … Coached by Glenn Davis.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended White Station High School in Memphis … Ranked the No. 2 player in Tennessee by 247Sports coming out of high school by ESPN.com … Played the wide receiver and safety positions … Four-star prospect
Carter was his favorite NFL player … Earned his undergraduate degree in sociology in December 2016.
GRAY’S CAREER HIGHS
Receptions – 8, at UMass (9-24-16)
Receiving Yards – 207, vs. Samford (10-29-16)
Longest Reception – 74, vs. Samford (10-29-16)
Receiving Touchdowns – 3, vs. Samford (10-29-16)
