When speaking with recruiting editor Lee Wardlaw in July, three-star Zahir Rainer (Richmond, Virginia) noted what he most likes about Coach Torrian Gray and his coaching style.
"Obviously, Coach Gray goes above and beyond. There's a militaristic mindset. Obviously he’s hard nosed, determined, and ambitious, but I know what he’s talking about. He know how to get the best out of his players, his defensive backs," he said, referring to former student-athletes he coached like Jaycee Horn and Vernon Hargreaves.
"He will always have my respect and I love his coaching style," the Trinity Episcopal Titans safety with 22 offers said.
"Coach Gray, he just reminds me of my father. He's just a hard nosed, vocal, old-fashioned type of guy. Finish every drill, finish every rep. That type of personality and mindset resonates with me, because that's just how I am, and I know he (Gray) knows how to get the best out of me. Talking to him on the phone and in person at South Carolina was a great experience. And obviously, his knowledge for the game is tremendous. So he gets me excited and I want to learn more," he said.
His father, Wali Rainer, is a former linebacker with the Virginia Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans. Rainer is in a family chock full of athletes, as older brother, Elijah, recently committed to William and Mary, and younger brother, Class of 2027 Khalid Rainer, also seeks to become a radar student-athlete, as he will soon enter high school.
His father, Wali, played college ball in the Commonwealth Cup with Shane's father, Frank, coaching the rival Hokies on the sidelines.
The student-athlete is pleased with what head coach Shane Beamer is bringing to South Carolina. "He's bringing that swagger back to South Carolina, that mojo, that juice. I see it on TikTok, I see it all the time. He's a fun, high-energy guy to be around. He demands excellence out of his players, and in the SEC, you need that excellence. He's a coach that I'm very high on," Rainer said.
#LeeWardlaw
#ZahirRainer
#WaliRainer
#TorrianGray
#ShaneBeamer
#Rivals
"Obviously, Coach Gray goes above and beyond. There's a militaristic mindset. Obviously he’s hard nosed, determined, and ambitious, but I know what he’s talking about. He know how to get the best out of his players, his defensive backs," he said, referring to former student-athletes he coached like Jaycee Horn and Vernon Hargreaves.
"He will always have my respect and I love his coaching style," the Trinity Episcopal Titans safety with 22 offers said.
"Coach Gray, he just reminds me of my father. He's just a hard nosed, vocal, old-fashioned type of guy. Finish every drill, finish every rep. That type of personality and mindset resonates with me, because that's just how I am, and I know he (Gray) knows how to get the best out of me. Talking to him on the phone and in person at South Carolina was a great experience. And obviously, his knowledge for the game is tremendous. So he gets me excited and I want to learn more," he said.
His father, Wali Rainer, is a former linebacker with the Virginia Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans. Rainer is in a family chock full of athletes, as older brother, Elijah, recently committed to William and Mary, and younger brother, Class of 2027 Khalid Rainer, also seeks to become a radar student-athlete, as he will soon enter high school.
His father, Wali, played college ball in the Commonwealth Cup with Shane's father, Frank, coaching the rival Hokies on the sidelines.
The student-athlete is pleased with what head coach Shane Beamer is bringing to South Carolina. "He's bringing that swagger back to South Carolina, that mojo, that juice. I see it on TikTok, I see it all the time. He's a fun, high-energy guy to be around. He demands excellence out of his players, and in the SEC, you need that excellence. He's a coach that I'm very high on," Rainer said.
#LeeWardlaw
#ZahirRainer
#WaliRainer
#TorrianGray
#ShaneBeamer
#Rivals
