Plano West offensive lineman Aidan Ray (2027) has set up an official visit with Houston for June 4-6. UH offensive line coach Eman Naghavi recently completed an in-house visit with the massive prospect.
Who is Aidan Ray?
In a recent extended interview with Recruiting+, Ray told me that his motivation is to find a place where he can truly get the education he desires. He hopes to pursue a degree in biology and eventually study medicine, specifically anesthesiology. His high school offers a course called Clinical Rotations, where he gets to shadow medical professionals. That’s not a conversation I have every day with a recruit.
Ray understands that even with a successful professional football career, he’ll need options. And he mentioned that he is looking forward to meeting with academic advisors during his official visit to Houston to learn more about the science courses offered. Aidan was still in his scrubs when we spoke.
“I just wanted to have a backup in case football didn’t work out for me. I don’t want to go straight football and then if it doesn’t work out, I get injured, I’m out of luck. Nothing to do”, Ray said.
He first heard from the staff when general manager Wes Fritz invited him to a spring practice. Since then, Coach Naghavi has been building a relationship with Ray. What makes Houston so attractive to him is the bond the players have with each other, as well as the way that Naghavi and his assistants coach them.
Aidan on the field
Ray has a big frame: He is listed at 6’6” and 301 pounds with very long arms. That size will allow him to continue to play offensive tackle at the next level. He shows the ability to get to the second level when pulling that may allow him to play inside if that’s what the team needs in the future.
He does a good job in the run game, moving people off the line and creating space for ball carriers. Watching some film on him, run blocking is his strength, and when asked, he agreed. Ray says he prefers to run the ball and push people around. “It’s just fun,” he said.
Aidan’s pass-blocking is solid, and he says he is working to develop his kick step and get out of his stance quicker. But you can see on film that he has good agility and takes small, subtle steps to shift and stay in front of pass rushers. He also uses the full extent of his long arms to keep defenders at bay.
“I feel like I can improve more on like outside zone, staying on blocks as I’m going out. Maybe more on pulls and getting out faster”, Ray said. He mentioned dealing with a nagging sprained ankle all season that hindered him a bit. So he hopes to be healthy his senior year.
Of the teams recruiting him, Ray tells me that Houston comfortably sits at number two, just behind the University of Texas. Currently, he has two other official visits scheduled: Kansas State and North Texas. Ultimately, he wants to go where he can get the education he desires. And to a program that doesn’t just value him, but also treats his family well.
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