Notre Dame Makes An Immediate Impact On OL Darius Gray

Notre Dame made a great impression on 2026 offensive lineman Darius Gray during a recent visit

2026 offensive lineman Darius Gray / Darius Gray

Only eight 2026 class offensive lineman were offered by Notre Dame during their Pot of Gold offer push in March, which wasn’t much of a surprise considering the Irish usually keep a smaller offensive line target board. One member of that exclusive club was Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s School standout Darius Gray, who was on campus for the first time this week. 

This was a visit that Gray had finalized very shortly after he was officially offered. The Notre Dame campus was on his short list of places to visit this spring, and the visit did not disappoint.  

"The visit was great,” Gray told Irish Breakdown. "I definitely loved everything about the school. Some of my favorite parts were the balance of academics and the sports. Everyone was comfortable with one another and the campus as a whole was so quiet. They were all focused on what they were at Notre Dame for, and that was getting a degree.” 

The coaches have also made a tremendous early impact on the Virginia native. There were two coaches that really seemed to have him raving. It’s a place that he could really see himself potentially. 

“My conversations with Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach (Joe) Rudolph and the staff were great,” he explained. “You can tell that it's way bigger than just football for everyone there. My opinion on Notre Dame is they’re one of the best options for me and my family. I definitely see myself fitting in playing for Coach Freeman and Coach Rudolph.” 

The coaches also reiterated that they think Gray is a good fit on and off the field. It’s early on in the process, but it’s clear that Notre Dame has made an immediate impact on Gray, who is one of the top offensive lineman nationally. 

"They see me fitting in as well,” he explained. "Notre Dame is a hard school to attend, so just for me to keep my grades to the highest of my ability and show them that I am willing to do what it takes to come to a school like Notre Dame.” 

Gray is being pursued by some big time programs already. Some of his top offers to date include Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Miami, Penn State, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas Tech, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Maryland, NC State, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Duke and Virginia among others.

The 6-3, 285-pound offensive lineman is considered a four-star recruit by both On3 and Rivals, the two major recruiting platforms that have offered thus far. On3 has Gray pegged as a top 50 overall recruit, currently sitting at No. 42 overall, and he's ranked as the No. 4 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class.

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