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Tennessee Football: Eric Gray could be SEC’s breakout player

By Colton Pickard

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 30: Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball to score a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first quarter of the game 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 to score a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first quarter of the game at Neyland Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee Football and Eric Gray had an amazing end to the 2019 season, and SEC Network analyst Gene Chizik thinks he could be a breakout player.

Gene Chizik gave his prediction on who the SEC’s breakout players could be, and he focused on Tennessee football running back Eric Gray.

Gray will be apart of the Vols’ backfield in 2020 with Ty Chandler along his side. After the end of last season, Gray is the favorite to be the starter or at least the Vols’ best running back in 2020. Chizik seems to agree and thinks that he will be one of the best running backs for Tennessee and the SEC.

The former four-star recruit out of Memphis finished off his freshman season about as good as anyone could. He broke the single-game rushing yards record for a true freshman against Vanderbilt and was apart of the comeback against Indiana to win the Taxslayer Bowl.

Gray finished with 246 yards and three touchdowns in the Vanderbilt game to record his best game of the season. That’s where a lot of his numbers came from as Gray finished the season with 539 yards and four touchdowns.

Chizik knows how Gray finished off his freshman season and he doesn’t expect Gray to fall off at all this season. In his prediction, Chizik said that everyone “will know Eric Gray’s name by the end of 2020.”

Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee joined Gray as Chizik’s two breakout players in the SEC.

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There’s no doubt that Gray is a special player. If he can continue to develop throughout this year and next year, he could put himself in a good spot to be one of the best running backs in the country and have an opportunity to be drafted after his junior season.

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