Charlotte’s Cedric Gray gave up catching TDs at UNC. In exchange, he got a chance at the NFL

Ask Cedric Gray about his football-playing life before he arrived at UNC, where he eventually became a standout four-year linebacker as the Tar Heels surged into a new era of success, and you learn something pretty quick:

All along, he thought he’d be a receiver.

He made that known to everyone.

“Oh yes!” said Cedric’s mother, Esther, when asked about her son’s wide receiver dreams. She laughed. “I mean, a receiver is all the pride and joy. You get to have all the fun and score touchdowns.”

Four years ago, Cedric Gray exchanged touchdown catches for interceptions. Yards for tackles. Playing with Drake Maye in youth 7-on-7 camps to practicing against him in college. When he arrived on the Chapel Hill campus from Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, he even exchanged his No. 11 jersey number he wore throughout his life — his favorite player was the remarkable Julio Jones — for No. 33.

As a result, he’s now a few days away from the NFL.

Gray, the 6-foot-2, 234-pound linebacker, will be one of the handful of prospects from the Carolinas to hear his name called at some point during the 2024 NFL Draft, which will be hosted in Detroit from April 25-27. Gray’s draft profile states that he’ll contribute most as a weak-side linebacker at the next level, that he has the athleticism and traits to handle man coverage and that he can be a disruptive defender when “playing proactively and taking aggressive, downhill shots” through gaps. He’s projected to be a third-round pick — a result of his prolific career at UNC and the agility and speed (4.64 40-yard dash) he showcased at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

And when he does hear his name called, he’ll be proud to call Charlotte home, he said.

“I’m very proud to come out of Charlotte,” Gray said at his Pro Day in March. “We have a lot of talented guys to come out of Charlotte. Definitely the best football that’s being played in North Carolina at the high school level. So just glad to be a part of that group, glad to represent my city well, and to be the next Charlotte guy to come out and put on.”

Gray, 21, was born in Fort Washington, Maryland, about 20 miles south of Washington, D.C. He’s the youngest of three brothers, Devon (nine years older) and Michael (six years older), and has played football and basketball all his life. He’s remained competitive and singularly focused throughout.

A few flashpoints that give you a picture of who Cedric Gray is:

There was the time when he was 8 years old, when he scored the game-winning touchdown in a youth championship game on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, a result of a play that his coaches spelled out simply for their team: Get Cedric the ball. (Cedric’s mother still has a photo of that day, with Cedric holding up a trophy larger than him and smiling ear to ear.)

At 11, Gray moved from Fort Washington to Charlotte and used football to find his friends, find his community. Throughout high school, with all the pressures to transfer to another football program, he stayed at Ardrey Kell. At 19, in the third game of his sophomore season, he started his first game at linebacker for the Tar Heels and “it was on” from there, posting 99 tackles and 2.5 sacks and two interceptions that sophomore year — one INT was the game-sealer against Miami in a 45-42 shootout that marked Gray’s arrival. And simply throughout college, he was consistent — as a player on the field, yes, but also as a presence; not resentful because he only played special teams as a freshman; not tempted to leave by any other opportunities out there; not motivated to do anything but lead the team he’s on.

Gray finished his senior season with 121 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery en route to a First-Team All-ACC nod, a Butkus Award Semifinalist nomination and a second-team All-American accolade.

He hopes to showcase all this at the next level.

“This is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a child,” Gray said, reflecting on his move from Maryland to Charlotte, his transition from wide receiver to linebacker, his switch from college standout to an NFL prospect with everything to prove.

“So if this is what it takes, this is what it takes.”