Notre Dame Offer Leaves '23 CB Christian Gray Emotional

2023 De Smet (Mo.) cornerback Christian Gray‍ isn’t a stranger to earning big-time offers. 

Arizona State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kent State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State and Oklahoma have already offered the 6-foot, 175-pounder, but Sunday’s offer from Notre Dame was special.

"I felt very, very excited and I sort of cried,” Gray told ISD. “They offered me in the office and they talked about the school. I really enjoyed the talk. They spoke more about education and how you can develop yourself as a student and as a student-athlete." 

The emotion came from a history of watching football games with his grandfather. The two would watch Notre Dame and Ohio State - and yes, Gray admitted he cried when he received the Ohio State offer last week. 

"It was my grandpa's dream school,” said Gray. “We used to watch Notre Dame and Ohio State a lot. Me and my grandpa loved those schools." 

On the field, Gray’s speed has been the hot topic of coaching staffs across the country. The four-star prospect ran a 4.4 at Ohio State and flashed the same speed in South Bend. 

At Notre Dame, Gray was not only able to work with cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens, but he also got an excellent feel for Mickens’ coaching style. 

"Camp went well for me,” stated Gray. “I loved the footwork and speed drills. I loved the transition drills and I loved the coaches.

"I liked his coaching style. It's really great. It kind of reminds me of Coach (Robert) Steeples a little bit." 

Steeples, the former head coach at De Smet, left the program this spring to take a job with the Minnesota Vikings, but he has left a lasting impression on the St. Louis community, including with Gray. 

"Coach Steeples was a mentor to me,” Gray explained. “He was a great mentor to me. He taught me everything. He taught me how to develop as a man - as a MAAD MAN (Mindset Accountability, Action, Discipline). That's our standard. 

"He taught me how to develop my DB skills and how to commit myself to the things I love." 

Gray will head to Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the coming weeks and while he didn’t have a date in mind, the St. Louis native knows his recruitment won’t be drawn out. 

"It will not be a long process,” said Gray.