Notre Dame football set to host transfer portal behemoth who would fill the biggest need for the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame set to host former Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray, the potential missing link for the Irish defense.
Notre Dame football is on quite a hot streak this week when it comes to the transfer portal. With head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish having already signed wide receiver Quincy Porter (Ohio State), defensive end Keon Keeley (Alabama), and cornerbacks DJ McKinney (Colorado) and Jayden Sanders (Michigan), there aren’t a ton of needs left for the program to fill. While the Irish still want to bring in one more wide receiver and a kicker, there is no question what the biggest remaining need on the roster is right now.
Notre Dame received some good news this week when it was announced that defensive tackle Armel Mukam is returning to the team. The Fighting Irish also feel great about their chances to close on Francis Brewu (Pitt), a top overall target in the portal. Even if Notre Dame can get Brewu in the fold, there is also still a need, and want, for the defense to bring in more size on the interior.
There is no example in the portal that possesses as much natural size as former Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray. At 6-6 and 336 pounds, the Missouri native is a massive interior presence who is going to have an even bigger market. That includes Notre Dame, a team I mentioned would have a ton of interest this week. It appears there is at least some interest on Gray’s side, and the mammoth defensive tackle is expected to visit South Bend on Thursday of this week.
That visit could either make or break the chances to close on Gray in the end. The vibes are good for Notre Dame in the transfer portal right now. That will hopefully continue at the end of this week.
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.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
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