HISTORY — from college profile
2First-Team All-ACC (2023)
First-Team AP All-ACC (2023)
Butkus Award Semifinalist (2023)
Sporting News and PFF Second-Team All-American (2022)
First-Team All-ACC (2022)
2023 – Senior Season
Started all 12 games he appeared in • Posted 121 tackles, five sacks, 11 TFL, seven QB pressures, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and INT and four PBU • Named first-team All-ACC by the league and the AP • Butkus Award Semifinalist • Recorded five double-digit tackle games • Second in the ACC in tackles (121) • One of two players in the ACC to eclipse 120 tackles • Led the team in tackles (121) and fumble recoveries (2) • Tallied nine tackles and 1.5 sacks in the season opener against South Carolina • Made 11 tackles while adding a TFL and a QB pressure versus Appalachian State • Had seven tackles, a QB pressure and a PBU against Minnesota • Registered seven tackles, three QB pressures, a TFL, a fumble recovery and a PBU at Pittsburgh • Added eight tackles, one sack, a QB pressure and a forced fumble against Syracuse • Tallied 10 tackles, one TFL, an interception, a fumble recovery and a PBU versus Miami to earn ACC LB of the Week honors • Collected 18 tackles, 1.5 TFL and a QB pressure versus Virginia to earn Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week honors • Made six tackles against Georgia Tech • Had nine tackles, three TFL, two sacks and one forced fumble against Campbell • Made 11 tackles against Duke • Added eight tackles and a PBU at Clemson • Had 17 tackles, a TFL and a half sack at NC State.
2022 – Junior Season
Started all 14 games at linebacker • A second-team All-American according to Sporting News and PFF • Tabbed first-team All-ACC by the league and the AP • Named the team’s William Fuller Defensive MVP • Voted a season-long team captain • Served as a game captain six times • Tallied 145 tackles, including 82 solo stops, a sack, 12 TFL, two INTs, six PBU, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries • His 145 tackles and 82 solos ranked first among Power 5 players • Led the team with 12 TFL • Recorded double-digit tackles in six games • Had six stops and a breakup against FAMU • Tallied 14 tackles and an INT at App State • Named ACC Linebacker of the Week after coming up with 14 tackles for a second-straight week and adding two TFL at Georgia State • Recorded a game-high 13 tackles and 1.5 TFL against Notre Dame • Made eight tackles and had an INT against Virginia Tech • Tallied 13 stops, a pair of hurries and a forced fumble at Miami • Notched six tackles, a TFL and a breakup at Duke • Had a game-high nine tackles, a QB hurry and forced and recovered a fumble against Pitt’s Israel Abanikanda in the fourth quarter that led to a UNC touchdown three plays later • Posted a career-high 16 tackles, two TFL, two breakups and a sack at Virginia. • Tallied nine tackles at Wake Forest • Recorded 14 tackles vs. Georgia Tech along with 1.5 TFL, a hurry and a PBU • Posted eight tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery vs. NC State • Notched seven tackles and a TFL in the ACC Championship game against Clemson • Recorded eight tackles, two TFL, a PBU and a pressure versus Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.
2021 – Sophomore Season
Appeared in all 13 games and started the last 11 games at linebacker • Tied for fourth in the ACC with a team-leading 100 tackles and had five TFL, 2.5 sacks, three breakups, two hurries, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery • Recorded double-figure tackle totals in five of the last eight games • Had three tackles and forced a fumble against Georgia State • Made first start against Virginia and responded with six tackles and had a breakup • Had six stops at Georgia Tech • Had four tackles against Duke • Registered 11 tackles against Florida State • Named ACC Linebacker of the Week after his performance against Miami when he had six tackles, two interceptions and a breakup • His game-saving interception with six seconds left saw Gray become the first UNC player with two interceptions in a game since 2019 • Had 11 stops at Notre Dame • Led the way with 12 tackles against Wake Forest • Made eight tackles and notched his first career sack at Pittsburgh • Had eight tackles and a half a tackle for loss against Wofford • Recorded 12 tackles and had 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, a hurry and a fumble recovery at NC State • Had a career-high 13 tackles, two TFL and one sack against South Carolina at the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
2020 – True Freshman Season
Appeared in all 12 games as a linebacker and on special teams • Had single-tackle games against Virginia Tech, NC State and Western Carolina.
Ardrey Kell High School
An early enrollee who is a four-star prospect listed as the No. 16 player in North Carolina and the nation’s 38th-ranked athlete in the 247Sports Composite • Ranked as the No. 30 player in the state according to Rivals • Tabbed as the state’s No. 29 player according to ESPN • Selected to play in the 2019 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas • A three-year team captain • A two-way athlete who caught 143 passes for 2,467 yards and 27 TDs over three prep seasons and posted 130 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 12 TFL and three INTs in two years on defense • Tabbed SoMECK Conference Defensive Player of the year as a senior • A finalist for the Big 22 • Led Ardrey Kell to an 11-2 record and a trip to the second round of the state playoffs • Tallied 70 tackles, 1.5 sacks, six TFL, three INTs, two PBU, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery • Also caught 51 passes for 892 yards and 13 TDs • A WSOC-TV Big 22 Player to Watch • Helped the Knights to a 5-1 conference record and a berth in the state playoffs as a junior • Recorded 60 tackles, three sacks, six TFL and eight pressures • Added 55 receptions for 891 yards and 10 TDs • Made 37 catches for 684 yards and four TDs as a sophomore • Also played basketball for three seasons • Coached by Greg Jachym.
Personal
Son of Mike and Esther Gray • Birthday is Oct. 30.