#33

Cedric Gray

Former linebacker at North Carolina. 2023: 121 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks.

LB · North Carolina · Sr. · #33

6′3″ · 235 lb · Charlotte, NC

CFB Index 89 · #18 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceTennessee — drafted 2024, Rd 4, Pick 6, #106 overall

Recruiting

3★

ATH recruit

No. 643 nationally · Signed with Ardrey Kell

Statement game17 tackles · 1 TFL · 0.5 sacksat NC State (FBS) · L 20-39

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at North Carolina. 2023: 121 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ardrey Kell in 2020.
Drafted round 4 by the Tennessee in 2024.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at North Carolina, 359 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2022) — drafted at #106 overall by Tennessee.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20203 games

Recruited3-star out of Ardrey Kell

202214 games

The role got bigger.

All-ACCfirst

2024

Drafted by Tennesseeround 4, pick 106

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#643 national

CFB

College

North Carolina

2020–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

R4 · #106

Tennessee · 2024

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

5 honors · 1 category

🥈

ALL-ACC · 1ST TEAM

All-ACC 1st team (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2023

1 coach

2020–2023

Mack Brown

North Carolina

Played his entire career under Mack Brown.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

TennesseeEntering 3rd NFL season

#106Rd 4 · Pick 6

TennesseeEntering 3rd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Mack Brown — 31-21 over that span.

2020North Carolina8-4HC: Mack Brown · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021North Carolina6-7HC: Mack Brown · Run-leaning

2022North Carolina9-5HC: Mack Brown · Balanced

2023North Carolina8-5HC: Mack Brown · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

89All-Conference level #18 of 577?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (99th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Tackles#15 / 2842 · 99th pct

121

Solo tackles#17 / 2842 · 99th pct

QB hurries#70 / 2842 · 97th pct

Tackles for loss#87 / 2842 · 97th pct

11.0

Sacks#123 / 2842 · 95th pct

5.0

Passes defended#362 / 2842 · 85th pct

Forced fumbles#54 / 710 · 46th pct

Interceptions#323 / 827 · 31st pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home8g	10.4	1.1	0.6	0.2
Road4g	9.5	0.5	0.1	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	8.7	0.9	0.4	0.5
Weeks 8+6g	11.5	0.9	0.4	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Bill Belichick

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Impact starter

Tackle volume for the position among the most productive regulars.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

89 · #18 of 577 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #18 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	North Carolina	121	64	11.0	5.0	4	1	--
2022	North Carolina	136	76	10.0	1.0	6	2	--
2021	North Carolina	99	52	6.0	2.5	3	2	--
2020	North Carolina	3	--	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		359	192	27.0	8.5	13	5	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2023

W 41–31

vs Miami

10 TOT · 7 SOLO · 1 TFL

Edged out Miami at home in a shootout.

With D. Maye — 273 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 70.4 · 10 rush yds (10 car) · O. Hampton — 197 rush yds (24 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 31-17vs South Carolina	9	3	1.5	1.5	—	0
Wk 2	W 40-34vs App State	11	7	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 31-13vs Minnesota	7	4	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 4	W 41-24@ Pittsburgh	7	1	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 6	W 40-7vs Syracuse	8	6	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 41-31vs Miami	10	7	1.0	0.0	1	1
Wk 8	L 27-31vs Virginia	18	11	1.5	0.0	—	0	Season-high 18 tackles
Wk 9	L 42-46@ Georgia Tech	6	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 59-7vs Campbell	9	7	3.0	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 11	W 47-45vs Duke	11	5	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 20-31@ Clemson	8	4	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 13	L 20-39@ NC State	17	6	1.0	0.5	—	0
Total		121	64	11.0	5.0	1	4

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology