Ducks Digest

Class Impact: What Tionne Gray's Commitment Means for Oregon Football

Breaking down Oregon Football's latest commitment in the 2024 recruiting class.

Max Torres

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Oregon stayed hot on the recruiting trail Wednesday, as 2024 defensive lineman Tionne Gray flipped his commitment from the Missouri Tigers to the Oregon Ducks following a weekend visit to Eugene. 

The Ducks have now landed three verbal commitments in less than a week and we're here to break it all down.

Recruiting Impact

Just from a numbers standpoint, three commitments in less than a week is a big deal. I think Gray's commitment is more of a needle mover for the Ducks compared to Trent Ferguson.

Dan Lanning going back to Missouri is a big plus in this recruiting win as the state continues to pump out solid talent year after year. Here in the 2024 class, Oregon is also recruiting defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri, the No. 1 DL in the country, as well as wide receiver Jeremiah McClelan.

I've been pretty adamant that Oregon's defensive line play has not lived up to the standard the coaches have set and will need to continue improving if the program wants to reach some of its goals like returning to the playoff and winning the Pac-12. Adding someone like Gray helps you do that, as his 6-foot-6, 295-pound frame is not one you can find easily, particularly out West.

The Ducks now have two solid commitments along the front seven, as Gray joins edge rusher Jaxson Jones. Lastly, Oregon's class moves to No. 6 nationally according to the 247Sports rankings and the timing couldn't be better with the spring game quickly approaching on April 29.

Evaluation

If you watch the first couple of minutes of Gray's film, you might think he committed to Oregon as an offensive tackle. That speaks to both his athleticism and versatility. 

He plays at a couple different spots along the defensive line and has plenty of power to compliment his big frame. He uses that frame to his advantage and his long arms help him bat down passes at the line of scrimmage and drag down ballcarriers for losses on a regular basis. 

Gray does a good job of creating separation and has more success than your average D-lineman fighting through double teams. He plays with good pad level and leverage--something that's not easy to do and even more important when you're as big as he is.

When I look at Gray I'm reminded a bit of former Oregon defensive lineman Jayson Jones (6'6", 339). They don't really have a body type like that aside from Jordan Burch, although they did add Terrance Green in the 2023 class, who stands at 6'5", 265 pounds.

Long story short, Dan Lanning and company need more big bodies on the defensive line of scrimmage to overpower their opponents and Gray gives them just that.

Roster Impact

Oregon's defensive line is loaded with veterans. While that's a great thing for 2023, it means depth needs to be monitored for 2024. 

Brandon Dorlus, Casey Rogers and Popo Aumavae will all depart after next season. The Ducks attacked the defensive line last cycle and will hope players like Matayo Uiagalelei, Terrance Green and Johnny Bowens II can get up to speed quickly.

Ben Roberts and Sir Mells will be in their third years by the time Gray gets to Oregon, but the competition should be fairly open with so many veterans on their way out so I think Gray will have a great chance at early snaps.

He certainly checks all the boxes physically, so I anticipate it'll be more about how he adjusts to the speed of the college game and how he stacks up with the other talent in the room.

Read More

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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