Notre Dame football and Marcus Freeman predicted to land the missing piece for an elite transfer portal class

Notre Dame predicted the final piece toward an elite transfer portal haul at a very important position.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after the defense scored a safety in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football have struck gold this week in the transfer portal. There was a lot of attention on improving the defensive line, the wide receiver group, and the secondary. For the former, the big boys up front caught most of the attention from Fighting Irish fans. A dominant defensive front is something the fanbase has been longing for in South Bend.

After landing defensive end Keon Keeley (Alabama) and defensive tackle Francis Brewu (Pitt), there was a ton of optimism in the air. Both players are very talented, offering some versatility on the defensive front. Even with both players now a part of the program, there was still a need to get bigger on the interior. Former Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray is the player that the Irish staff wants.

After reporting there was interest in Gray earlier this week, it was solidified for the Missouri native to head to South Bend for a trip on Thursday of this week. Even before that visit, things are moving quickly. Expert predictions have been logged by both Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos of On3 for Notre Dame to land Gray. I share their optimism for getting this one done based on a couple of conversations I have had recently.

If Notre Dame does indeed land the 6-6, 336-pound behemoth, it would be a monumental victory for Coach Freeman’s staff. He is exactly the type of interior presence that Notre Dame has been missing. Gray would be a difference maker if he ends up in the blue and gold.

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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