Getting a player like Kendarin Ray back is like a perfect Christmas present coming way early for the Golden Hurricane.
Ray, who missed more than half the year last season due to injury, is back and ready to wreak havoc as the leader of the TU safeties.
"K-Ray has got a tremendous upside. I think he can go play at the next level," said Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery. "He's got length, size. He can work into coverage. You can put him on a receiver, you can put him on a tight end.
"He can play the deep safety. He can come down into the box and be physical down in the box. I think he's a tremendous asset for us."
The 6-foot-4, 208-pounder from Benham, Texas is in his fifth year at Tulsa, and in his fourth year of playing. After playing all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2019, Ray broke into the starting lineup in Tulsa's terrific 2020 season where TU was ranked in the top 25 for much of the year, starting all 9 games.
Ray started the first 6 games in 2021 before being injured and lost for the season. The fact that TU was able to rebound and finish 7-6 and win a bowl game is a testament to the talent behind Ray that was there in the secondary.
Despite missing the final 7 games, Ray still finished 8th on the team in tackles with 33, including one sack, along with a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Ray had 63 tackles in 2020, including one for a loss, and broke up 7 passes. In 2019, Ray had 40 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, with 3 fumble recoveries and a pass breakup.
"A great leader for us on the back end. Makes a lot of calls for us. Gets us aligned," Montgomery said of Ray. "Understands our defense from top to bottom. And he's got that experience factor that you just can't replace.
"I think he's got to stay healthy. But that being said, when he does that, I think his production, he'll be lights out come this fall."
At free safety, there will be competition for the spot after losing starter TieNeal Martin to graduation. Martin will be tough to replace, as he led the team with four interceptions and also broke up six passes.
"At the other safety, it's going to a competing, revolving deal for them," Montgomery said.
Perhaps leading the way to start at free safety is L.J. Wallace, a 6-2, 200-pound juco transfer from Iowa Western Community College who started his career at Colorado in 2018. From Atwater, California, he was a three-star recruit out of high school.
"I thought L.J. Wallace came in and did some good things for us last year," Montgomery said. "Made some nice plays. I thought he had a really good spring. He can play both the boundary and the field, working him at both, letting him compete for those things. But a guy who has good speed, good power.”
Wallace had 27 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble while playing in 13 games for Tulsa in 2021. He played in the final five games in his first year at TU in 2020.
"L.J. is just mature. He's one of those guys who understands what his goals are, what his intent is," Montgomery said. "I think he's got a chance to win that spot."
