2021 Senior

• Played in all 12 games with seven starts
• 48 tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries on the season
• Led Illinois with 10.0 TFLs and five quarterback hurries
• Tied for third on the team with 3.0 sacks
• Tied for eighth on the team with 48 tackles
• Tied for 22nd in the nation and third in the Big Ten in fumble recoveries (2)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week 11/20/21 following career-high 5.5 TFLs and a sack at Iowa, the third-most TFLs in a game in Illinois history and the most ever by an Illini in a Big Ten game
• Six tackles and 1.5 sacks for 14 yards in Illinois' road win over No. 20 Minnesota 11/6/21
• Season high eight tackles vs. Rutgers 10/30/21
• Five tackles,  0.5 TFL and a pass breakup against Charlotte 10/2/21
• 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack and two tackles, against Purdue 9/25/21

2020 Senior

• Played in seven games and started three at defensive end
• 19 tackles, 3.0 TFLs including 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, two QB hurries on the season

2019 Junior

• Played in 11 games and started five at defensive end
• 27 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, three PBUs, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery on the season
• Career-high six tackles, career-high two pass breakups, his first career forced fumble, and 1.0 sacks in 38-10 win over Rutgers 11/2/2019
• Season-high three tackles (all solo) in Illinois’ 24-6 win at Purdue 10/26/19
• Fumble recovery vs. No. 6 Wisconsin 10/19/19 to help Illinois win 24-23 and complete one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten history

2018 Sophomore

• Played nine games with three starts at defensive end
• 20 tackles, 1.0 TFL and 1.0 sack on season
• Tied career high with four tackles against South Florida 9/15/18 and Penn State 9/21/18 in back-to-back games
• Career-high four solo tackles against South Florida 9/15/18
• Sack and three tackles in win over Western Illinois 9/8/18

2017 Freshman

• Played in all 12 games with two starts at defensive end
• 20 tackles (12 solo), 4.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, two quarterback hurries on season
• Third-youngest player in FBS to start a game in 2017
• Made his Illinois debut in the opener against Ball State
• First career start in the second game of the season against Western Kentucky
• Blocked a field goal at South Florida

High School

• Played at Northern Nash for head coach Randy Raper
• 117 tackles, 25 TFLs, 17 sacks and three forced fumbles as a senior
• 2016 Big East Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year
• Two-time all-conference and three-time letterwinner
• Led Northern Nash to a 5-7 record and trip to the state playoffs as a senior
• Team captain
• Also played basketball and competed in track & field in HS

Personal

• Born Sept. 17, 1999
• Son of Derek and Chirley Gay
• Has two brothers and three sisters
• Picked Illinois because, “of the program fit – academically and in sports. Big Ten, big stage.”
• Listed Jadeveon Clowney as his favorite athlete because, “We have the same playing style, violent and fast.”
• Four-year honor roll student in high school
• Graduated with a bachelor's degree in learning and education studies in December 2021