Massive defensive tackle Tionne Gray arrives from Oregon, bringing immense size and run-stopping power to bolster Notre Dame's defensive line.
Notre Dame went out West to land a massive transfer portal pickup as former Oregon big man Tionne Gray will play for the Irish in 2026. Notre Dame wanted to beef up its defensive line after losing four key members of last season's rotation, including big man Gabriel Rubio. Landing Gray helps fill that void and gives the Notre Dame defensive line a chance to continue rolling.
Let's look at the scouting report for Gray.
School: Oregon
Height/Weight: 6-6, 336
Class/Eligibility: Junior/Sophomore
2025 Stats: 18 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 blocked kick
Analysis: The most obvious trait that you will see with Gray is his size. He's massive at 6-6 and 336 pounds, but he's not a chubby player that just eats up space. Gray has a lean frame for such a massive player and he won't need to do much body reshaping. He's strong already, but he is also young, which means he'll continue to get stronger and add a bit more power to his game. This is especially true with his lower body. I am fine if Gray stays around his current 336, but I wouldn't be surprised if Notre Dame's strength program knocks off about 10-15 pounds and he gains more burst off the line while adding more power and explosiveness.
Gray was a two-down player for Oregon and I expect him to at least bring that to the defense at Notre Dame. He's physical at the point of attack and is hard to move off the ball. His ability to anchor and eat up space is impressive, especially when he keeps his base, drives his feet through contact and keeps working throughout the play. At times he'll narrow his base, which causes him to lift up and he'll stop his feet, which makes him a bit easier to work off the point. When he plays with good technique he's a major force against the run. Gray uses his hands well and shows good pop, and when he gets extension he is able to rock blockers back off the line.
Oregon didn't ask Gray - or its other defensive tackles - to really get to the football. Gray has the ability to do that, especially when he's allowed to work a gap instead of anchoring against double teams. He's a quality athlete for his size, one that shows a good first step and nimble agility for such a big player. There is playmaking potential to his game in a defense that allows its lineman to attack. He shows solid block destruction skills already, and as his hand play/technique improves I do believe he has the kind of talent that should allow him to improve upon his two tackles for loss and six run stops we saw in Oregon's two-gapping defense.
Gray is stout against downhill/vertical runs like Inside Zone, Duo or gap plays. When teams run stretch plays he has a tendency to lose his base and he can get washed down more than a player with his size, strength and athletic skill should. This is a technical issue that can be corrected with quality coaching, and he'll certainly get that at Notre Dame. He also brought very little in the pass game outside of getting a push inside. I believe Notre Dame will ask him to do more, and I do think Gray has the ability to be a very good pocket collapser up the middle, but his athletic skills should allow him to be more effective on passing downs in the Notre Dame defense.
Notre Dame Fit: I have had criticisms of new defensive coordinator Chris Ash, but one area where he really did strong work in his first season was improving the run defense. Notre Dame dropped 39 yards off its 2024 average and dropped the per carry average by almost 0.8 yards, which is a major improvement. Landing Gray gives the Irish a run plugger that fits right into the middle of the defense. I'm not sure he's a 30+ snaps per week player, although I think you can certainly ramp him up in bigger games. What he provides, however is a strong, big bodied nose that can pummel the interior of the line, anchor and should help the run defense be very stout when he's in the game.
Gray also played all over the defensive line for Oregon, lining up over the center at times, over the guards and he even played at times over the tackle when the Ducks went with their odd looks. The fact he could play nose and a 4i or 5-technique in odd fronts shows his versatility. Adding him to the depth chart - along with Francis Brewu - gives the run defense a major, major boost.
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