Throughout his freshman season, West Virginia wide receiver Traylon Ray started to turn heads as he worked his way up the depth chart and flashed multiple times.
Ray finished 2023 with 18 catches for 321 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown reception on the first play from scrimmage in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, helping WVU get off to a hot start. However, he did not have the same preparation for the season as some of his peers, joining the Mountaineers mid-summer, but now with a season under his belt and a full offseason, Ray looks to continue to make a name for himself in the old gold and blue.
For the 6-foot-3 rising sophomore from Tallahassee, it all starts with confidence and comfortableness. Since last season he has built the two and looks to breakout in 2024.
“It’s just more confidence because I’m more confident with my body on the field, I’m not really scared to take any hits,” Ray said when asked if he felt different as a receiver this spring.
With his late arrival to team practices last season, Ray was put at a disadvantage but managed to work through it and prove himself once he became comfortable.
“Yeah definitely, after a couple of practices, once I got comfortable around the guys because that’s a big thing for me, once I get comfortable that’s when I can really show my personality,” Ray said when asked if there was a point where he thought he was in-line to get playing time last season.
Now comfortable and confident, Ray has high hopes for his sophomore season and has goals he would like to achieve.
“This upcoming season is going to be a really big season for me, just for what I want to do. I’m hoping to have 1,000 yards, just because we’ve been working with GG (Garrett Greene), all of our receivers have and I’m really confident in what we have, in GG how he’s been working and how all of our receivers have been working,” Ray said.
Ray also noted areas in his game he needs to improve to help the team achieve success.
“Blocking because I feel like when coaches cut all that film, a lot of guys at times can run routes but blocking is a big thing because if you can block a guy 10-20 yards down the field, let the running back ‘bop’ open, a lot of guys can’t do that, So I feel like blocking is a big thing,” Ray said when asked how he could be better as a receiver.
Last season, West Virginia used being picked last in the Big 12 as motivation which Ray embodied, but now after having an encouraging season the Mountaineers have set the bar high and aim at winning the conference, to which Ray says the mentality has remained the same.
“We still have the same mentality that nobody respects us, so we all just keep our heads down, keep working, but it’s a lot more ‘okay we’re going to go and we’re going to win the season and win the conference’,” Ray said.
It won’t be easy, but Ray looks to be a big part of a WVU squad with high hopes in 2024 as he continues to develop and be a mainstay in the offense. With a young and revamped receiving core Ray has taken on a vocal role and looks to be a leader next to Hudson Clement and Preston Fox.
