2028 Four-Star LB Tahj Gray Sees Fit in Notre Dame Defense After Junior Day
The last time 2028 St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) linebacker Tahj Gray made his way to Notre Dame was for Irish Invasion.
Gray left South Bend in June with an offer.
The four-star prospect returned to Notre Dame over the weekend for Junior Day and it couldn’t have gone better, as he was able to get an in-depth look at the program.
“It was great,” Gray told ISD. “I remember coming up here for camp. It was a totally different experience. Got to see more of the campus and spend time with the staff. It was an overall great weekend.”
Gray was not only able to see the bells and whistles of the football program, but also what Notre Dame could do for him once football was done.
“I was able to learn about their steps to life after football,” explained Gray. “They're really big on that and the culture of that school. It was good to learn about the opportunities that the school brings.”
The four-star prospect was also impressed with how Notre Dame went to work during its practice on Saturday.
It wasn’t just Notre Dame’s talent that stood out to Gray. The ability of the coaches and players to move on from mistakes caught his attention as well.
“Very fast,” Gray said of Notre Dame’s practice. “Next play mentality, like their mentality is really different than some other schools. If a guy messes up, next play. Very fast pace and just they break it down step by step to overcome those challenges and those mental errors.”
The practice also allowed Gray to see how and where he’d fit into Chris Ash’s defense and it could be a natural fit.
“Most definitely,” Gray said when asked if he fit into the defense. “I had a talk with the linebackers coach and some of the staff. We were going over their defense scheme. I just feel like I can really fit in that defense scheme.”
Gray spent plenty of time with new linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary during the visit.
The St. Joseph Regional standout was able to get a strong feel for Jean-Mary’s coaching style and who he is off the field.
“It was good,” said Gray. We were just talking about football and stuff outside of the field. That's really big to me because having a relationship with the coach off the field is very important. It was great.”
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman made another big impression on Gray. The two met last June, but this trip allowed them to build on that relationship.
“It was great,” explained Gray. “A lot of lessons. I learned a lot. He’s very smart. I'm just looking forward to putting what he said into my life.”
After his latest trip to South Bend, Gray made it clear Notre Dame made a significant move in his recruitment.
“I would say just a lot more interest,” said Gray. “To see what they can do outside of football is very important. The academics and the football aspect of it – that's really what did it for me.”
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