There’s a massive new transfer portal addition that Notre Dame football and Marcus Freeman need to make a strong push for

Another talented defensive tackle just entered the transfer portal, and Notre Dame should have a lot of interest.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Sep 14, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Tionne Gray (50) with pressure on Oregon State Beavers quarterback Gevani McCoy (4) during the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Notre Dame football has been on quite the transfer portal heater this week, something that Fighting Irish fans have been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for. With head coach Marcus Freeman landing commitments at wide receiver from Quincy Porter (Ohio State), cornerback with DK McKinney (Colorado), and Jayden Sanders (Michigan), as well as defensive end Keon Keeley (Alabama), it was quite the eventful Monday morning.

All eyes for the Notre Dame fanbase now turn to the defensive tackle position. With the team still making a strong push for Francis Brewu, the Irish staff are conducting due diligence to identify other potential interior fits. From conversations I have had, there seems to be at least some initial interest in former Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray, who just entered the portal over the weekend. This is a massive human that Notre Dame should make a strong push for.

At 6-6 and 336 pounds, Gray is a massive human with all the upside in the world. That natural size and physicality would be a huge boost to the Fighting Irish’s run defense. While there may be some interest early, it is unclear whether Gray is interested. We should gain a deeper understanding of whether there is some interest over the next couple of days.

Although Gray just played a rotational role with the Ducks in 2025, the flashes were impressive. This is a type of kid that teams are going to invest heavily in, given the upside he can bring.

Tionne Gray’s career background

Despite Gray possessing an insane amount of raw talent, his recruiting rankings were all over the place. Gray ended up a four-star player on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, while multiple services had him rated as a three-star. On that specific ranking, the former St. Louis (Mo.) Hazelwood Central finished ranked as the No. 422 overall player, the No. 46 defensive lineman, and the No. 9 player in the state of Missouri for the 2024 recruiting class.

While his rankings weren’t exceptional, the Missouri native had quite a few impressive options. Some of his top offers included the Ducks, Tennessee, Washington, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas State, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, and Minnesota, among several others. The market for Gray is going to be even larger this time around. Funny enough, Gray’s comparison on the 247 Sports page is former Irish defensive tackle Jerry Tillery.

The redshirt freshman became a valuable member of the Oregon defensive tackle rotation in 2025. In 13 games, Gray recorded 18 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one blocked kick. As a pure nose tackle, the box score does not tell the full story about just how impactful Gray was this past year.

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