As we look towards Notre Dame’s playoff game later this month do not forget the winter transfer portal window is now open from December 9th and will remain open through December 28th. Let’s look at where the Fighting Irish are likely to target transfers this month and during the off-season.

As a reminder, the following players are out of eligibility:

QB Riley Leonard
RB Devyn Ford
WR Kris Mitchell
WR Jayden Harrison
WR Beaux Collins
TE Mitchell Evans
TE Davis Sherwood
OT Tosh Baker
DE Jordan Botelho
DE RJ Oben
DT Howard Cross
DT Rylie Mills
LB Jack Kiser
CB Jordan Clark
S Xavier Watts
S Rod Heard
PK Mitch Jeter

A few notes:

  • Jordan Botelho has confirmed he WILL return for a 6th season following his injury against Purdue.
  • Punter James Rendell has reportedly been given 2 more years of eligibility.
  • Cornerback Benjamin Morrison is a near-lock to leave early for the NFL with his current injury. We are removing him from our projected numbers.

Now, let’s look at each position group heading into 2025:

QUARTERBACK (4): LOW

Redshirt Junior: Angeli
Redshirt Sophomore: Minchey
Redshirt Freshman: Carr
Freshman: Hebert

Freeman indicated they will not be in the market for a transfer quarterback which is kind of what you have to say when you currently have 4 quarterbacks set to return next year. He also mentioned it’s difficult to keep 4 quarterbacks on the roster, so yeah. I’m not sure how proven a guy would have to be in order to make a move at this position, but it would have to be someone extremely talented.

Will Minchey fight for the starting job?

Theoretically, I could see them adding an Ivy League-type backup later in the process should one or more rostered players decide to leave. We thought one of Angeli or Minchey would leave last off-season and neither did. Perhaps they will surprise us again.

RUNNING BACK (6): LOW

Redshirt Junior: Price, Payne
Junior: Love
Sophomore: Williams
Redshirt Freshman: Young
Freshman: James

The odds of keeping all 6 running backs for 2026 seem pretty low. Gi’Bran Payne was a highly favored backup prior to his injury but comes back to a very different running back room for 2025. That is unless we see Jadarian Price decide to leave for an unquestioned no. 1 role at another school. For now, we are likely holding serve with no transfer targets needed, especially with Kedren Young flashing numerous times in 2024 but ultimately keeping a redshirt.

WIDE RECEIVER (11): MEDIUM to HIGH

5th-Year Senior: Colzie, Thomas
Junior: Greathouse, Faison
Redshirt Sophomore: Smith
Redshirt Freshman: Gilbert, Williams, Saldate
Freshman: Richardson, Burris, Bettis

Carrying ten receivers in a season seems like a modern-day minimum for any offense that isn’t of the caveman variety. Maybe 1 of the 5th-year seniors will return but I can’t see both making it a priority. The Irish for sure are looking to add 1 top-notch receiver in the transfer portal and would probably take another player, too. I don’t think there’s a need for 3 new transfers like last off-season, though. Either way, the ability to upgrade this receiver room is a major off-season project.

TIGHT END (4): LOW to MEDIUM

Redshirt Junior: Raridon
Junior: Flanagan
Redshirt Freshman: Larsen
Freshman: Flanigan

It feels weird that Notre Dame would want to or need to add a tight end from the transfer portal. Are 4 tight ends enough when your star player is leaving for the NFL? There is some risk involved here, but seeking out a quality transfer would make some sense.

Tanner Koziol might be worth a look at tight end. 

OFFENSIVE LINE (19): LOW then go even LOWER

5th-Year Senior: Coogan, Spindler
Redshirt Junior: Craig, Schrauth, Wagner, Chan
Redshirt Sophomore: Jagusah, Pendleton, Otting, Absher, Terek
Sophomore: Knapp
Redshirt Freshman: Lambert, Prescod, Jones
Freshman: Black, Strebig, Herron, Augustine

We have 8 players who have started a game for Notre Dame on this list, and it would be 9 if Charles Jagusah didn’t get injured during fall camp. The question isn’t whether the Irish are going to add someone in the transfer portal (it would have to be someone with All-American status) but rather how many players will be leaving the program. Nineteen players is insane!

DEFENSIVE END (9): LOW to MEDIUM

6th-Year Senior: Botelho
Redshirt Junior: Burnham, Tuihalamaka
Redshirt Sophomore: Traore
Sophomore: Young, Thomas
Freshman: Burgess, Hulak, Reiff

With Botelho returning and hopefully completely healthy it gives this position group some much-needed breathing room. A top 5 of Botelho, Traore, Burnham, Tuihalamaka, and a potentially emerging star in Young is a really nice group. However, this is a spot that any team would be looking to add talent if it’s the right fit, particularly with the ability to rotate playing time over the course of a season. Can they find that person, though?

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (10): SUPER HIGH

5th-Year Senior: Rubio, Onye
Redshirt Junior: Hinish
Redshirt Sophomore: Mukam, Houstan, Vernon
Redshirt Freshman: Sevillano, Mullins
Freshman: Dixon, Sulfstead

Sad Oh No GIF by Paddington Bear

Ten players? That’s fine. The makeup of these 10 players is pretty scary, in a bad way. We’re not even sure about the status of Jason Onye and when/if he’ll return to Notre Dame. Rubio* has been a solid player in his career but is he starter-level? The same goes for Hinish who looks awfully improved over the latter stages of 2024 but being the no. 1 guy is a different story.

*News emerged that Rubio has entered the portal today, but hopefully that is fake news.

There’s an argument to be made that the Irish should be looking at two talented starters at this position. Maybe even three transfers overall! Either way, this has to be a huge, huge priority this off-season. The beat media have been hinting at a big transfer in the works at this position for quite some time–let’s hope so.

LINEBACKER (11): LOW aka LOADED

Redshirt Junior: Sneed
Junior: Bowen
Redshirt Sophomore: Ausberry, Zinter, Kia
Sophomore: KVA
Redshirt Freshman: Kahoun, Rezac
Freshman: Faraimo, Kia, Sacca

We would need a really painful transfer from someone in this group to even contemplate the transfer market. There was scuttlebutt that Sneed was ready to leave this off-season. He’s turned into a valuable piece on defense who you’d rather have come back but even Sneed bolting wouldn’t change the makeup of 2025 too much.

CORNER (7): MEDIUM

5th-Year Senior: Tucker
Junior: Gray
Sophomore: Moore
Redshirt Freshman: Hobbs
Freshman: Zackery, Golden, Thomas

Notre Dame has been bringing in a transfer corner every off-season and 2025 should be no exception. The likely loss of Benjamin Morrison with the prior transfer of Jaden Mickey leaves the senior class empty. With Chance Tucker never being a factor–and coming off an injury–there’s a lack of upperclassmen depth that will need to be addressed.

SAFETY (9): LOW

Junior: Talich
Redshirt Sophomore: Shuler, Minich
Sophomore: Urlacher
Redshirt Freshman: Johnson, Bennie-Powell
Freshman: Blair, Logan, Long

Will Urlacher be a starter next year?

Will any of these safeties win the nickel cornerback spot? If not, the Irish may be looking for 2 corners in the portal. I don’t think they will be looking too hard for a true safety to come in for 2025, especially if the hype surrounding Kennedy Urlacher is real and he’s viewed as the likely starter next season opposite Adon Shuler.

PUNTER/KICKER (2): LOW

Junior: Rendell
Freshman: Schmidt

It feels good to bring in a freshman kicker who could potentially hold down a starting job for the next 4 years. I’m not sure if the staff consider Rendell a nailed-on starter, though. With the 105 roster/scholarship limit it would make some sense to continue looking for experienced kickers and punters because they are highly valuable.