The college football dream becomes a reality for three-star tackle, Grayson Morgan
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BVM) — In 2010, the whole world watched the dominance of Cam Newton, leading the Auburn Tigers to a 22-19 national championship win over the Oregon Ducks. The run of the undefeated Tigers that season was enough to hook a young Grayson Morgan on the sport for life.
The son of two Auburn alums was enticed by football from an early age and enamored with the Southeastern Conference.
“I’ve grown up watching SEC football from the day I was born,” Morgan said. “I’ve just been in love with the game since I was little.”
Morgan has grown up a lot since the day he saw Cam Newton lift up his Heisman Trophy. The Nashville native now stands at 6-foot-6, 265 lbs., playing left tackle at Montgomery Bell Academy. Morgan is listed on 247Sports as the 27th-best player in Tennessee and a top-75 recruit for his position in the 2022 class.
With the help of his personal coach, Daryl Graham, Morgan has been able to get his tape out to more and more schools. In result, the high school junior has been heating up on the recruiting trail with 15 total offers, eight coming within the month of March.
“It’s been a little crazy,” Morgan said. “I’m starting to figure the system out a little bit. I’ve talked to a lot of different people, which has been great. Just talking about the game I love, which is just great to do.”
Things started to amp up for Morgan once he received an offer from the University of Kentucky on March 5, 2021, his first from the conference he grew up idolizing.
Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky! @Rbcoachdgraham @mbafootball @FBCoachWolf @UKFootball @swiltfong247 @allentrieu @rivalswoody @demetricDwarren @joshhelmholdt @ChadSimmons_ @D1highlights pic.twitter.com/lSuTHct6JO
— Grayson Morgan (@GraysonMorgan2) March 5, 2021
“I was just amazed about what was happening,” Morgan said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play in the SEC, whether I’ll do that or not, depending on how everything goes, but it really just hit me then, that I really have the chance to go and achieve that.”
Despite the odd preparation going into the 2020 season with the COVID-19 pandemic, Morgan still managed to have a big jump in his play, making the all-state team this past fall.
“There were some great tackles in our league,” Morgan said. “I didn’t think I was gonna make it, so that was really exciting for me. It really started giving me the confidence that I can really play.”
Morgan is looking forward to taking advantage of a somewhat more normal offseason this summer, getting more hands-on work with coaches. He is focusing mainly on getting stronger and working on his technique.
“Playing O-line you’ve gotta be able to hit somebody to really get to know everything and learn all of the techniques, so that was kind of hard,” Morgan said. “I’m really excited about getting to learn all of that stuff.”
Morgan already possesses the speed and length needed for the position, but gaining power and an overall better feel for the core fundamentals should put him over the top.
Morgan also knows how crucial it is at the next level to be vocal in the locker room, something he is looking to prioritize in the upcoming season.
“Coming into my senior year, I really want to lead and teach those guys work ethic and how to play the game the right way,” Morgan said.
As Morgan approaches his senior year, there should be more collegiate opportunities headed his way.
“He is a good athlete that could very well stay outside at tackle in the college game,” Chris Smith at Prep Redzone said. “The Big Red lineman is most definitely being evaluated by multiple staffs right now and could be in line for a big push of Division 1 offers.”
Morgan is hoping that newfound leadership skills could push Montgomery Bell Academy over the top and take home a state title this season before he starts the next journey in his football career.
