3-star DL Tionne Gray flips to Oregon Ducks from Missouri Tigers
Saint Louis (Mo.) Hazelwood Central three-star defensive lineman Tionne Gray has flipped his commitment to Oregon from Missouri. He chose the Ducks after taking an unofficial visit to Eugene on April 8.
Gray is the No. 392 overall prospect and No. 35 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 9 player in Missouri.
“First and foremost I want to say thank you to the Mizzou football family,” Gray wrote on Twitter. “Coach (Eliah Drinkwitz), Coach (Al) Davis and the entire staff have been great throughout this entire process. After careful consideration, I have decided to de-commit from the University of Missouri. This is not a decision that I take lightly, however I must make the best decision for my life and football future. I have decided to commit to the University of Oregon. I look forward to Saturdays in Eugene.”
The 6-foot-6, 295-pound recruit is the second player to join head coach Dan Lanning and his staff over the past two days. Salem (Ore.) West Salem three-star offensive tackle Trent Ferguson pledged to Oregon on the morning of April 12.
Gray’s visit to Eugene this month played a key role in Oregon flipping him from the Tigers.
“The main thing was really how peaceful it was there,” Gray told Justin Hopkins of Scoop Duck on April 10. “It felt like a safe environment and a place I wouldn’t mind going back to with my family after I retire.
“The second part was the coaches. They spent a lot of time with me and really showing me a lot of love. I spent time with coach (Tony) Tuioti, coach (Tony) Washington Jr., coach (Dan) Lanning and coach Tosh (Lupoi). I love coach Lanning’s energy and his enthusiasm, I feel like he’s a coach that could definitely get me to the league.”
For more Oregon recruiting intel, check out Scoop Duck.
Gray is the latest member of Oregon’s top 10 class
Following Gray’s commitment, Oregon’s 2024 recruiting class now contains eight players. It ranks No. 9 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 1 in the Pac-12.
Three of Oregon’s commits are top-150 players in Newport Beach (Calif.) Newport Harbor four-star wide receiver Jordan Anderson, Forney (Texas) four-star safety Aaron Flowers and Philadelphia (Penn.) Roman Catholic four-star wide receiver Tyseer Denmark. Meanwhile, Gray is the first defensive lineman to choose the Ducks this cycle.
Vancouver (Wash.) Evergreen four-star offensive tackle Fox Crader, Yuma (Ariz.) Yuma Catholic three-star EDGE Jaxson Jones and Medford (Ore.) North Medford three-star tight end A.J. Pugliano are other members of Oregon’s class.