Oregon transfer Tionne Gray adds immediate impact to Notre Dame's defense, earning recognition as the top newcomer on CBS Sports' early list.
Like they do every season, Notre Dame looks to bring in impact transfer portal players whether that's to add depth or replace other impact players that departed for the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. We've seen several players come in and make their impacts immediately felt whether that was Javonte Jean-Baptiste in 2023, Riley Leonard in 2024 or Malachi Fields and Jared Dawson this past season.
Notre Dame, once again, looked to the portal to bring in several players they felt could contribute this upcoming season and fit the mold of what head coach Marcus Freeman was building in South Bend. This year, they brought in eight players; amongst those was Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray who adds significant size and depth to an already-talented interior defensive line group.
According to CBS Sports, the Oregon defensive tackle transfer was the best newcomer for the Irish.
"Early returns from the transfer portal weren't encouraging for Notre Dame, but Marcus Freeman and his staff quickly flipped the narrative. While the Fighting Irish haul remains modest at just seven additions, it is quality over quantity in South Bend. Notre Dame currently leads the FBS in average rating per transfer (92.29), headlined by former Oregon defensive lineman Tionne Gray. A massive presence at 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, Gray brings immediate size and upside to the interior. The redshirt freshman made three starts this past season, finishing with 18 tackles and two tackles for loss." - Cody Nagel, CBS Sports
Gray played in 13 games this season for the Ducks including all three of their post season games. The 6-6, 336-pound defensive tackle also started the first three games of the season against Montana State, Oklahoma State and Northwestern. He didn't light the stat sheet on fire in the 2025 season, but after watching his film, his impact was felt. According to Pro Football Focus, he ended the year with only one total pressure which resulted in a sack against James Madison in their home playoff game in the first round.
Gray was also credited with six run stops. The St. Louis native played 232 snaps on the season, 133 in run defense and 99 in pass rushing snaps. He was used more as a force against the run, which was reflective in Oregon finishing the season ranked 24th in the country. That was an overall improvement from where they ended 2024 (No. 38).
His role in South Bend is pretty cut and dry; be who you were against the run and contribute to Notre Dame's Top 12 rush defense in the country. Gray brings immense size to the room and will also continue to be developed under new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who came over from the Indianapolis Colts. It's unlikely Gray will put up the pass rushing numbers that Rylie Mills did in 2024, but his impact will be reflected on film and Notre Dame's rush defense as a whole.
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