Lausanne star running back Eric Gray leaving for IMG Academy

Lausanne's football team will have a giant hole to fill in its quest to become the first team from Shelby County to win three straight state championships.

Star running back Eric Gray, who would have been among the top seniors in the state in 2018, is leaving the school and enrolling at IMG Academy in Florida. 

Attempts to reach Gray were unsuccessful Thursday, but Lynx coach Kevin Locastro confirmed the player's decision.

"We think highly of Eric. ... He's a great kid and we love him to death," Locastro said. "It's just a personal decision he felt like he had to make. But we appreciate everything he's done for us, and it's been a pleasure to coach him."

Gray won his second consecutive Mr. Football award after rushing for 3,151 yards and scoring 45 touchdowns as Lausanne finished 13-0. The touchdowns are a Shelby County single-season record; the yardage total is second only to former Whitehaven star Mark Dodson, who ran for 3,295 as a senior in 2012.

In addition, Gray won the Gatorade Player of the Year award for Tennessee and was the state's lone player on the 62-member MaxPreps Junior All-American team. He was The Commercial Appeal's Player of the Year as a sophomore after running for 2,215 yards and scoring 38 times.

More:Lausanne running back Eric Gray wins Gatorade player of the year award

In a 41-13 victory over Notre Dame on Dec. 2 that gave the Lynx their second straight title, Gray picked up 281 yards and scored five times. Their 27-game winning streak is the longest in the state.

Gray told The Commercial Appeal in late November that he plans to narrow his college choices down to five on April 1 before announcing his commitment over the summer. Michigan, Stanford, Tennessee and Baylor are among the many schools in pursuit of the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder.

He is ranked the No. 15 player in the state for the Class of 2019 in the 247sports composite.