Listed measurements: 5-foot-11 ¾, 184 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: An early-enrolled freshman, Gray has all four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Barring a preseason breakout, Gray projects to be a third-string cornerback, to be determined if he will focus on field or boundary duties, though consider boundary more likely thanks to a plus-three wingspan. With a preseason All-American (sophomore Benjamin Morrison) joined by two tested upperclassmen (fifth-year Cam Hart and senior Clarence Lewis) and a graduate transfer (Thomas Harper from Oklahoma State), Notre Dame can afford to let its pair of freshman cornerbacks take their time.
Recruiting: A consensus four-star prospect and the No. 93 overall recruit in the class, per rivals.com, Gray committed to the Irish exactly a year ago on Tuesday. He had narrowed his choices to Notre Dame, LSU, Ohio State and USC. After back-to-back visits to Baton Rouge and South Bend in June, he found his decision.
WHAT WAS SAID WHEN GRAY SIGNED IN DECEMBER
“Like speed cannot be taught, neither can wingspan. Those long arms help Gray in press coverage as much as they break up passes, and that press coverage fits Marcus Freeman’s preferred aggressive defensive schemes.
QUOTES
If there is a set of three buzzwords most sought in a cornerback, they were the three used by Freeman to describe Gray back in December.
“The length, the athleticism, the competitiveness that he brings to the position is something that will translate right here to Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “And he’ll fit into that room.”
Defensive coordinator Al Golden echoed the most intangible of those buzzwords, and while intangible is meant as a bit of a disclaimer, that kind of approach is needed from a cornerback more than any other position on the field.
“Just a great mentality, great attitude, competitor,” Golden said. “... Really excited about his prospects and the ability to make an impact early.”
CB Christian Gray on the hardest part of enrolling early at Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/nmwJaxbLZy
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) February 12, 2023
NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Well, his name is Christian Gray, and to pull from an April column previewing the Blue-Gold Game and discussing entertainment titles available on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock …
“Oh, look, the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilo—don’t get fired, don’t get fired, don’t get fired.”
2023 OUTLOOK
A pile of hype accompanied Gray’s signing, hype that reached a peak before he had so much as practiced in a gold helmet. In part due to Morrison’s success as a freshman, the thought of another highly-touted freshman cornerback contributing was too easy a narrative to ignore.
It was always unfair to Gray. Morrison was an exception, not a norm.
And then a knee injury requiring a relatively minor surgery curtailed Gray’s spring work, somewhat diminishing the advantages he gained as an early enrollee. In a roundabout way, that may prove to be the best for him. Lessening the comparisons to Morrison will create a more realistic conversation around Gray.
In 2023, that conversation should be about contributing on special teams and perhaps in a few blowouts. Notre Dame has depth at cornerback for a change, thus sparing Gray the baptism by fire that Morrison surprisingly thrived in. (Surprisingly as in not a shot at Morrison, but the usual reality for freshmen cornerbacks.)
Christian Gray: Early Enrollee pic.twitter.com/J2ebXAVFLL
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) April 1, 2023
DOWN THE ROAD
Do not temper that Gray enthusiasm entirely, however. Hart hoped to head to the NFL last season until injuries forced a return. If he makes it through 2023 healthy, he almost certainly will make that leap. Harper has just one season of eligibility remaining.
Suddenly, the proven cornerbacks will be Morrison, Lewis and current sophomore Jaden Mickey. Needing three cornerbacks at just about every moment, and with two of those far less cemented in their roles than the third, a strong 2024 spring could push Gray into the Irish starting lineup. Morrison may be entrenched as the boundary cornerback, but Gray should be plenty talented at field for the 2024 season before possibly moving over to boundary whenever Morrison heads to the NFL, which may be as soon as after the 2024 season.
NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 93 Armel Mukam, incoming freshman defensive end, former Stanford commit
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U
No. 87 Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year ...
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit
No. 76 Joe Alt, first-team All-American left tackle
No. 75 Sullivan Absher, incoming freshman offensive lineman
No. 74 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard, likely starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, fifth-year right guard, likely starter
No. 72 Sam Pendelton, early-enrolled freshman offensive lineman
No. 70 Ashton Craig, sophomore interior offensive lineman
No. 68 Michael Carmody, senior offensive lineman
No. 65 Michael Vinson, sixth-year long snapper, four-year starter
No. 64 Joe Otting, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 59 Aamil Wagner, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 56 Charles Jagusah, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 56 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle, multi-year starter
No. 55 Chris Terek, incoming freshman offensive lineman, four-star recruit
No. 54 Blake Fisher, junior right tackle, second-year starter
No. 52 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center, third-year starter
No. 51 Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, junior offensive guard
No. 47 Jason Onye, junior defensive tackle on the verge of playing time
No. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka, sophomore defensive end, former linebacker
No. 42 Nolan Ziegler, sophomore linebacker, Irish legacy
No. 41 Donovan Hinish, sophomore defensive tackle following in his brother’s footsteps
No. 40 Joshua Burnham, sophomore linebacker-turned-Vyper end
No. 38 Davis Sherwood, junior fullback/H-back, former walk-on
No. 34 Drayk Bowen, early-enrolled freshman linebacker, baseball infielder
No. 32 Spencer Shrader, South Florida transfer kicker
No. 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah, fifth-year defensive end
No. 17 Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 13 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 12 Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience
No. 4 Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth