DeSoto (Texas) athlete Adrian Bushell will be busy this fall on offense, defense and special teams. That's if anyone decides to challenge him. If opponents stay away from Bushell there is teammate Cyrus Gray waiting for the ball. That's what makes this tandem so dangerous.
"(Bushell will) play most of every game at cornerback and on offense some running back and some receiver," DeSoto coach Dave Meadows said. "Of course, he'll return punts. That's if anybody will kick it to him…He and Cyrus just act like brothers. They lean on each other and push each other. It's been a good 1-2 combination so far."
Bushell, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound recruit with 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash, recently told Rivals.com Florida, Michigan and Nebraska are his top three schools. California, Louisville, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech have also offered Bushell, who is originally from south Florida.
Rivals.com rates him as the 14th best athlete nationally and the No. 21 prospect in the Texas top 100 of 2008. He has a visit set up to Nebraska when it hosts Southern California on Sept. 15. Trips to Michigan and Florida are also in the works. In a scrimmage this past weekend, Bushell scored a touchdown and had an interception.
Gray had a monster junior season and has the offers to back it up. The 6-foot, 188-pound recruit with 4.4-second speed finished with 1,510 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns on 222 carries. He also caught 38 passes for 438 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida, Arizona, California, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Texas A&M and others have offered Gray, rated as the 10th best running back nationally and the No. 16 prospect in the Texas top 100. The only running backs rated higher than Gray in the state are Oklahoma commit Jermie Calhoun, Texas' top-rated player, and Michigan commit Sam McGuffie at No. 12.
Gray recently told Rivals.com he would like to take official visits to Florida, Notre Dame, Arizona and California and he has not decided on a fifth school. He's set no timetable for his decision.
For now, Gray and Bushell, who transferred to DeSoto from Miami Pace, are focused on a dominant senior season. Defensive end Tony Jerod, a four-star prospect who has committed to Texas A&M, should have a big year as well.
DeSoto opens its season Sept. 7 against Garland. Four-star defensive end and Florida recruit Chancey Aghayere and Louisville commit Jacques Caldwell lead Garland in that contest.
"Adrian has been really good," Meadows said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's been a regularly attendee at all of our events. He and Cyrus are really meshing well together."
