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football Edit

Gray unfazed by Kiffins dismissal

A pre-senior year relocation from Arizona to Mississippi didn't change J.T. Gray's thinking. A cross-country move couldn't budge USC from the top of his list. Lane Kiffin's departure isn't going to do the trick either.
Coaching change? So what? Gray doesn't care much about who's calling the shots. The Trojans' standing remains unchanged. The Clarksdale (Miss.) High School athlete is nothing if not consistent. Gray picked up an offer at a USC camp over the summer, immediately listed the program as his frontrunner and has stayed the course since.
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This Kiffin mess never had a chance of budging him.
"I don't care," Gray about the USC coaching change. "I'm still as interested as ever. They're still up high. I haven't talked to anybody at USC yet. I was going to call, but I think I'm going to wait.
"I was just kind of surprised."
Then, with a coaching change, you never know. Gray's offer may not be honored. He may not like the new staff. A lot of what-ifs come into play in such a situation. Gray isn't naive. He's aware of what could happen. It's the reason he has other schools creeping up his list. He doesn't call them "backup plans" in as many words. He's at peace with a handful his options.
"I like Washington, Mississippi State and Arizona State," Gray said. "That's about it right now. I like Ole Miss a little bit, too."
Gray says he intends to take official visits to Arizona State, Washington and USC but is yet to set dates for his trips. He may have to wait until after his season to do so. While Gray remains open to all suitors, he says the schools he plans to visit have pulled away from the pack for the time being.
Because of Gray's postseason timetable for official visits, he does not plan to make a college commitment in the near future. In fact, he may take it down to the deadline.
"I'm planning to wait for signing day," Gray said.
Gray played his junior season at Coolidge (Ariz.) High School before moving in with his father in Mississippi and transferring to Clarksdale over the summer.
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