LaBryan

Ray

Ray’s injury was not immediately apparent. He remained down after a run play for some time and his stride appeared labored as he exited the field. Ray is notably playing with a large, round cast encompassing his right hand.

Serving mostly as a backup during his time at Alabama, Ray (6’4/283) recorded 76 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks in 36 career games. Ray was a former five-star prospect who dealt with injuries throughout his career. A foot injury derailed much of his 2019 season, while an elbow injury limited him to just five games in 2020. Ray showed above-average athleticism at Alabama’s pro day, posting a 6.65 relative athletic score. When healthy, he displays an aggressive style of play and hand fighting that gives opposing offensive linemen problems. While he saw work at defensive tackle, Ray also got plenty of work at end, where he could be better suited given his frame. For a player with as much pedigree as Ray once had, it will be interesting to watch his development on an NFL roster with a clean bill of health.

Ray (6'5/295) is one of the elder statesmen of the Crimson Tide roster, as the three-tech DL has been on campus since 2017 when he was a five-star strong-side defensive end who was rated as the 28th best recruit in the nation. He has recorded 640 snaps, 65 tackles and 5.0 sacks over his four years at Bama. Last year, Ray started the first three games and performed quite well before sustaining an injury that forced him to miss the next five games and severely limited his effectiveness when he eventually returned. Hopefully Ray is fully mended by the time Alabama takes on Miami in Atlanta in their season opener on September 4.

AL.com’s Matt Zenitz is hearing that Ray will be out indefinitely as he recovers from this surgery, but does offer a ray of hope -- it’s possible, he relays, that the 6-foot-5, 292-pounder could potentially return in November (perhaps as early as the team’s Nov. 9 date with LSU). Ray sustained the problematic foot injury in Saturday’s win over South Carolina. Justin Eboigbe, a true freshman, stepped in for Ray after the injury and will likely be tasked with much larger responsibilities moving forward. Alabama remains as talented as any team in the country, but even their deep cupboards are being tested by the injury bug. The team is now starting multiple true freshmen in their front seven. Nervous moments for a title contender.

With the Crimson Tide already down two key defenders for the season (LB Dylan Moses, LB Josh McMillon), losing another would be suboptimal. Per the report, there is legitimate concern that Ray (6'5/292) could be ruled out for the remainder of the season due to the injury. If the junior defensive end, who underwent surgery on the same ankle/foot during the summer, does have to miss a significant amount of time then freshman Justin Eboigbe would likely be next in line.

Ray’s 21 stops added up to a 10.8% run-stop percentage. He was a dominant force on the line last year but had a few incidents in the offseason. He was arrested for public intoxication in January and then suffered an ankle injury which required surgery over the summer. Ray’s public intoxication will likely be slid under the rug but he is still recovering from the ankle injury and has been “extremely limited” early in fall camp. He is expected to be healthy for the season opener against Duke on August 31st but we’d like to see some progress in terms of practice participation prior to believing it.

Ray (6'5/292) has not had the cleanest of offseasons, having been arrested for public intoxication in January and later suffering a summer ankle injury which required the above surgery which he is currently rehabbing from. Playing as a true sophomore last season, Ray registered 39 tackles (6.0 for loss) and 2.5 sacks while playing in all 15 of Alabama’s games. Zenitz hears that the expectation is that Ray will be able to return in full before the Crimson Tide open against Duke on Aug. 31.

Ray (6'5/294) was arrested after he refused to leave a Tuscaloosa establishment. When authorities arrived, they determined that he was intoxicated. This past season, the defensive end appeared in all 15 of Alabama’s games while registering 39 tackles (6.0 for loss) and 2.5 sacks along the way. It remains to be seen what kind of punishment will be coming down the pike as a result of Ray’s arrest. He will be competing for a starting role during the upcoming campaign assuming that he doesn’t get pushed too far back into HC Nick Saban’s doghouse.

Florida is considered something of a dark horse, here, but Ray did visit them on Friday. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder ranks as Rivals’ No. 1 prospect in the state of Alabama and stands as the outlet’s No. 45 overall prospect for the 2017 cycle. While he is listed as a defensive end, he also has potential as a defensive tackle should he pack more weight onto his frame.

Apologies to Tennessee and Florida, who were also hoping to reel Ray into the fold. While Rivals ranks the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder at a lofty No. 45 overall, ESPN is even higher on the newest member of the Bama machine. The Worldwide Leader slots him into their master list at No. 17 overall. Scout.com, meanwhile, notes that while he is not yet the sharpest pass-rusher on the block, he possesses a constantly running motor. “He also plays his keys, plays disciplined football, and does his job,” the outlet notes.