2017 Football Roster
Roster
Gray, J.T.

Jersey Number 12
J.T. Gray
- Position:
- DB
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 202
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Clarksdale, MS
- High School/Previous School:
- Clarksdale HS
Bio
CAREER: Versatile defensive back/linebacker who is one of the strongest players on the team … Can come off the edge and drop back … Made the move back to his more natural position of safety in the spring of 2017 under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and had an outstanding senior campaign … Played safety in high school before moving to linebacker in 2014 … An important contributor on special teams coverage as well … Played in 45 games with 17 starts … Collected 210 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight pass breakups and one interception.
2017 SENIOR SEASON: Ranked third on the team in tackles (65) while playing MSU’s safety/linebacker hybrid position … Tops on the team in pass breakups (8) and ranked 13th in the SEC in that category … Played in all 13 games with seven starts … Started vs. Louisiana Tech, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss … Added three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and registered his first career interception, in which he returned it 58 yards for a touchdown … In season-opener led MSU with six tackles and forced his first career fumble … Recorded six tackles and one tackle for loss in win vs. LSU (9/16) … Back-to-back games with eight tackles at Auburn (9/30) and vs. BYU (10/14) … Went over the 200-tackle mark for his career with three at Texas A&M (10/28) and had a career-high two PBU in the win … Put MSU on the board, returning his first career interception 58 yards on UMass’ first drive of the game (11/3) … Collected four tackles and his first sack of the year against Alabama (11/11) … Sack came on the first drive of the game and forced a Tide punt … Closed his career with four tackles and 0.5 sack of Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in TaxSlayer Bowl (12/30).
2016 JUNIOR SEASON: Ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (8) … Played in all 13 games at Viper and started 10 contests … Did not start against UMass, Alabama and Miami … Made his first career start against South Alabama (9/3) and collected eight tackles, including a sack for a loss of four yards … Notched 1.5 tackles for loss in an eight-tackle performance at LSU (9/17) … Collected a career-best two tackles for loss against Arkansas (11/19) … Also had eight tackles in games against Auburn and Ole Miss … Collected at least 0.5 tackles for loss in seven contests, including the final three games of the year.
2015 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in all 13 games at linebacker with no starts … Ranked fourth on the team in total tackles with 74 and added 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack … Totaled four tackles in each of the first three games of the year … Credited with five tackles in the win at No. 25 Auburn (9/26) … Recorded seven tackles in the Troy victory (10/10) … Delivered his first double-digit tackle game with 10 against Louisiana Tech (10/17) … Collected his first career sack to go along with three tackles at Missouri (11/5) … Had eight tackles and a tackle for loss against No. 18 Ole Miss (11/28) ... Outstanding Belk Bowl (12/30), collecting a game-high nine tackles and notching one sack.
2014 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Appeared in six games after having not appeared in the first seven games of the season … Totaled nine tackles and two quarterback hurries … Made his collegiate debut vs. Arkansas (11/1) … First-career tackle came against Arkansas on the game’s opening kickoff … Recorded two total vs. the Razorbacks, both as a part of the special teams unit … Collected his first tackle on defense against UT Martin (11/8) in the game’s final minute … Recorded three tackles against Vanderbilt (11/22), along with a quarterback hurry.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played junior season at Coolidge High School in Ariz., before transferring to Clarksdale for senior campaign ... Grew up in the Magnolia State and came home for final season ... A three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports ... The 20th-best prospect in the state according to ESPN.com ... Played at Clarksdale for head coach Henry Johnson and helped the Cougars to a 7-5 record as a senior ... Team advanced to the second round of the Mississippi High School Athletic Association 5A state playoffs after a 38-21 victory against Ridgeland in the postseason opener ... Team fell to Callaway in the second round of the playoffs ... Named to the 2013 247Sports All-State All-Prospect First-Team Defense ... A member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Targeted 22 ... Selected to take part in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic ... Earned Arizona Division IV Section II First-Team honors as a defensive back after junior season and second-team accolades as a running back in 2012 ... Played on both sides of the ball as a senior and recorded 58 tackles ... Offensively, rushed for 939 yards and 16 scores ... Helped Clarksdale defense allow 390 points, an average of 32.5 a contest ... As a junior at Coolidge, tallied 60 carries for 914 yards and 15 scores while catching 10 passes for 117 yards and a TD ... Defensively, booked a team-leading 112 tackles (75 solo) and two interceptions ... On special teams, added a combined 271 yards on kickoff and punt returns ... As a freshman for Clarksdale, rushed 11 times for 42 yards ... On defense, intercepted one pass and returned it 15 yards ... Named the MVP of the Rivals Camp Series at Hamilton High School in March, 2013 ... Ran track for Coolidge and qualified for the state meet in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter run, high jump and long jump.
PERSONAL: Full name is Juantavius Tavon Gray … Born Jan. 18, 1996 … Parents are Michelle and Solomon Gray … Has three siblings – Solomon, Damian and KaDeja … Mario Haggan is his all-time favorite MSU player … Majoring in industrial technology.
GRAY’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 10, vs. Louisiana Tech (10-17-15)
Sacks: 1.0, (three times) last vs. Alabama (11-11-17)
Tackles for loss: 2.0, vs. Arkansas (11-19-16)
Pass Breakups: 2, at Texas A&M (10-28-17)
Interceptions: 1, vs. UMass (11-3-17)
2017 SENIOR SEASON: Ranked third on the team in tackles (65) while playing MSU’s safety/linebacker hybrid position … Tops on the team in pass breakups (8) and ranked 13th in the SEC in that category … Played in all 13 games with seven starts … Started vs. Louisiana Tech, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss … Added three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and registered his first career interception, in which he returned it 58 yards for a touchdown … In season-opener led MSU with six tackles and forced his first career fumble … Recorded six tackles and one tackle for loss in win vs. LSU (9/16) … Back-to-back games with eight tackles at Auburn (9/30) and vs. BYU (10/14) … Went over the 200-tackle mark for his career with three at Texas A&M (10/28) and had a career-high two PBU in the win … Put MSU on the board, returning his first career interception 58 yards on UMass’ first drive of the game (11/3) … Collected four tackles and his first sack of the year against Alabama (11/11) … Sack came on the first drive of the game and forced a Tide punt … Closed his career with four tackles and 0.5 sack of Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in TaxSlayer Bowl (12/30).
2016 JUNIOR SEASON: Ranked third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (8) … Played in all 13 games at Viper and started 10 contests … Did not start against UMass, Alabama and Miami … Made his first career start against South Alabama (9/3) and collected eight tackles, including a sack for a loss of four yards … Notched 1.5 tackles for loss in an eight-tackle performance at LSU (9/17) … Collected a career-best two tackles for loss against Arkansas (11/19) … Also had eight tackles in games against Auburn and Ole Miss … Collected at least 0.5 tackles for loss in seven contests, including the final three games of the year.
2015 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in all 13 games at linebacker with no starts … Ranked fourth on the team in total tackles with 74 and added 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack … Totaled four tackles in each of the first three games of the year … Credited with five tackles in the win at No. 25 Auburn (9/26) … Recorded seven tackles in the Troy victory (10/10) … Delivered his first double-digit tackle game with 10 against Louisiana Tech (10/17) … Collected his first career sack to go along with three tackles at Missouri (11/5) … Had eight tackles and a tackle for loss against No. 18 Ole Miss (11/28) ... Outstanding Belk Bowl (12/30), collecting a game-high nine tackles and notching one sack.
2014 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Appeared in six games after having not appeared in the first seven games of the season … Totaled nine tackles and two quarterback hurries … Made his collegiate debut vs. Arkansas (11/1) … First-career tackle came against Arkansas on the game’s opening kickoff … Recorded two total vs. the Razorbacks, both as a part of the special teams unit … Collected his first tackle on defense against UT Martin (11/8) in the game’s final minute … Recorded three tackles against Vanderbilt (11/22), along with a quarterback hurry.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played junior season at Coolidge High School in Ariz., before transferring to Clarksdale for senior campaign ... Grew up in the Magnolia State and came home for final season ... A three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports ... The 20th-best prospect in the state according to ESPN.com ... Played at Clarksdale for head coach Henry Johnson and helped the Cougars to a 7-5 record as a senior ... Team advanced to the second round of the Mississippi High School Athletic Association 5A state playoffs after a 38-21 victory against Ridgeland in the postseason opener ... Team fell to Callaway in the second round of the playoffs ... Named to the 2013 247Sports All-State All-Prospect First-Team Defense ... A member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Targeted 22 ... Selected to take part in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic ... Earned Arizona Division IV Section II First-Team honors as a defensive back after junior season and second-team accolades as a running back in 2012 ... Played on both sides of the ball as a senior and recorded 58 tackles ... Offensively, rushed for 939 yards and 16 scores ... Helped Clarksdale defense allow 390 points, an average of 32.5 a contest ... As a junior at Coolidge, tallied 60 carries for 914 yards and 15 scores while catching 10 passes for 117 yards and a TD ... Defensively, booked a team-leading 112 tackles (75 solo) and two interceptions ... On special teams, added a combined 271 yards on kickoff and punt returns ... As a freshman for Clarksdale, rushed 11 times for 42 yards ... On defense, intercepted one pass and returned it 15 yards ... Named the MVP of the Rivals Camp Series at Hamilton High School in March, 2013 ... Ran track for Coolidge and qualified for the state meet in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter run, high jump and long jump.
PERSONAL: Full name is Juantavius Tavon Gray … Born Jan. 18, 1996 … Parents are Michelle and Solomon Gray … Has three siblings – Solomon, Damian and KaDeja … Mario Haggan is his all-time favorite MSU player … Majoring in industrial technology.
GRAY’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 10, vs. Louisiana Tech (10-17-15)
Sacks: 1.0, (three times) last vs. Alabama (11-11-17)
Tackles for loss: 2.0, vs. Arkansas (11-19-16)
Pass Breakups: 2, at Texas A&M (10-28-17)
Interceptions: 1, vs. UMass (11-3-17)
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Postgame vs. Southern Miss
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Brylan Lanier INT
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Fluff Bothwell TD
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Ferrie 55-yard FG
Saturday, August 30