Texas Longhorns RB Johnathan Gray cleared for workouts

Charlie Strong received some great news on Friday upon hearing Johnathan Gray has been cleared to return to workouts, according to CBS Sports’ Jeremy Fowler, after rupturing his Achilles tendon last November.

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Gray, a former top recruit and prep sensation, rushed for 780 yards and four touchdowns on 159 carries before suffering the injury on Nov. 9 with four games remaining on the schedule. The Longhorns were 7-2 with him in the lineup, but after the injury, the team closed the season with a 1-3 record.

Texas has questions to answer at the quarterback position with David Ash a persistent injury concern and Tyrone Swoopes has little in the way of experience after receiving limited playing time last season as a true freshman, so a healthy Gray is key for the offense in Strong’s first season in Austin.

The combination of Gray and Malcolm Brown will take the pressure off the quarterback and put Texas in third-and-manageable situations so Ash or Swoopes won’t be asked to pick up too many third-and-long’s.

The plan is to let Gray loose in fall camp and then turn him loose on Big 12 defenses this season and see if he can approach the type of production that was expected of him when he came to Austin as the nation’s No. 6 overall recruit and No. 1 running back, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Gray is the all-time scoring leader in Texas high school history, breaking the record set by Sugar Land’s Ken Hall in 1953.