Proving His Believers Right

Nolan Ray made his collegiate debut as a true freshman in Maryland’s 2023 season opener against Towson on Sept. 2. 

Unbeknownst to him, it was the only game he would appear in the entire year. Ray touched the football three times and netted just seven yards. He says he was dealing with an injury that lingered since training camp. During a practice preparing for Maryland’s week two matchup, he suffered a knee injury that cut his promising season short. 

“It was tough, but I believed everything was happening for a reason,” Ray said. “It was just important for me to stay focused and take it one day at a time, continue to work out and continue to get stronger and faster so that when the time came, I was able to play and would be ready physically and mentally.”

The running back was forced to redshirt in 2023, and rehab was difficult. Ray watched from the sidelines as the Terps continued their most successful start to a season in over two decades. He was homesick. Being a native of Southfield, Michigan, he was over 500 miles away from home. 

Ray worked tirelessly to overcome his injury. He also didn’t get to see his family until Maryland’s bye week — over a month after the injury — and even then, it was only for a few days. He didn’t get to see them again until after the season was over. 

However, the injury allocated more time for Ray to familiarize himself with the team’s playbook. He credits Roman Hemby, his veteran teammate in the running back room, for helping him get up to speed. Hemby’s assistance gave Ray confidence, and although he wasn’t on the field, it allowed him to get mental reps and learn intricacies daily. 

Head football coach Michael Locksley referred to Ray as Hemby’s “little brother” and mentioned how he has taken him under his wing and taught him what it takes to be successful.

“When I see a guy like Nolan, I see a lot of potential,” Hemby said. “I often tell him that he's in a way better place than I was in because of his talent, his work ethic and things like that. On the field, I see a lot of big play ability out of him, and that's what makes me really want to give him every tool that I have. … He has all the tools needed to be a great back in the Big Ten. However I can help is something that I'm really looking forward to doing, and that's what I took pride in throughout the season."  

Now, as a redshirt freshman, Ray has become one of Maryland’s best playmakers. Through nine games, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back has rushed 60 times for 268 yards (4.4 YPC) and two touchdowns. He’s added seven receptions for 60 yards. 

“He's one of our top playmakers in our offensive system,” Locksley said. “As I think of things, and I know as Josh [Gattis] puts together his thoughts in our game plan on offense, it's always geared toward getting our best players the ball, and Nolan is one of our best players on offense. 

He continued, “With Nolan, he's a high-touch guy, and we know if you get him enough opportunities, he's going to make a play for you, [an] explosive play. He did it all summer in our practices, and he's one of those guys that we got to continue to find ways to keep him involved.”

Ray fully recovered from his injury in time to participate in spring and fall camps entering the 2024 season. He promptly began turning heads every time he touched the ball in practice. Locksley and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis took every chance to praise their young running back during the offseason. They often expressed the vital role he would play in an already deep running back room. 

“I think there's going to be some names in that room that really excited people,” Gattis said ahead of the 2024 season. “Nolan Ray is a young guy that really came on in the spring and probably made one of the biggest jumps and impacts on our team that people are really excited about.”

When asked about the consistent praise, Ray admitted he made an effort not to pay attention to it because he didn’t want to feel he had done enough to carve out a role in the backfield. 

“I treated every practice, especially in camp and in the spring, like I had to go out there and prove myself every day,” Ray said. “That’s still how I look at it. I'm always trying to prove myself to me and the people around me.”

The public's earliest glimpse of Ray’s abilities occurred in Maryland’s annual Red-White Spring game. He led all rushers with 96 yards, including a 49-yard burst, the longest offensive play of the day. 

Locksley praised Ray in the postgame press conference and shared a sentiment similar to his play caller. 

“Today, you guys finally got a glimpse of what we have seen from the day he got here,” Locksley said. “He's a big play threat. He's got great vision, balance [and] body control. [He] looks like a few of these Big Ten running backs that we've had around here, and I think he will be a guy that people take notice to this year.”

Ray’s big-play ability continued once the season began. He took his first carry of the season 48 yards to the house for his first career touchdown against UConn, proving that all the hype he received from his coaches during the offseason was warranted. 

The scamper also encapsulated Ray's work getting back on the field. He says it was amazing to make his comeback in an emphatic style.  

“I had to put in a lot of work being hurt last year, just a lot of grinding, not playing the game with my guys and [not] having fun,” Ray said. “I couldn't ask for it to go better. … I wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. … I'm blessed that I was able to get back and show people what I’ve been working on this entire year.”

Locksley continues to praise Ray for proving everything he said about him right. He even joked that the University of Michigan stole running back Blake Corum from Maryland. Corum, who attended St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, became a two time All-American and the football program’s all-time rushing touchdown leader. He’s now in the NFL, playing for the Los Angeles Rams. However, the Terps stole Ray from Michigan. 

With three more years of eligibility, Ray has the time, tools and work ethic to achieve comparable success. Ray appreciates his coaches' constant praise, which motivates him to become a better player. 

“It’s just a reminder to keep working,” Ray said. “Hearing stuff like that reminds me I got to go out and practice every day and prove them right. Even though it's just us out there, I got to prove it to myself. I got to prove it to them, and that's just what I'm trying to do every day at practice.”