Boise State lands former Notre Dame safety in transfer portal

Boise State must replace both starting safeties from last year’s team as Ty Benefield transferred to LSU while Zion Washington is out of eligibility.

The Broncos may have found one of the replacements in the transfer portal.

According to multiple reports, former Notre Dame safety Taebron Bennie-Powell committed to the Broncos on Sunday. Bennie-Powell also held a reported offer from Central Michigan.

The 6-foot-1, 178-pound Bennie-Powell appeared in one game last season as a redshirt freshman. He recorded one tackle in a November victory over Syracuse.

Bennie-Powell is rated a three-star transfer portal prospect and the No. 98 overall safety in the portal. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

A three-star recruit coming out of Ohio’s Lakota West High School, Bennie-Powell signed with Notre Dame in December 2023 over offers from Duke, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, among others. He was rated the No. 39 athlete nationally and the No. 22 overall prospect in Ohio in the 247Sports class of 2024 composite rankings.

Bennie-Powell is the second defensive back to transfer from Notre Dame to Boise State in the last year, joining Jaden Mickey.

Mickey, a former four-star high school recruit, won the starting nickelback job for the Broncos. He finished his junior season with 38 total tackles, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a sack.

Mickey is the lone returning starter in a depleted Boise State secondary that must also replace cornerbacks Jeremiah Earby and A’Marion McCoy, who are both out of eligibility.

Here are Boise State’s eight transfer portal commitments this cycle.

Taebron Bennie-Powell, freshman, safety (Notre Dame)

Logan Brantley, sophomore, linebacker (Kansas)

Mikaio Edward, sophomore, defensive line (Central Washington)

Tyler Ethridge, junior, offensive line (CSU-Pueblo)

Caden Kellow, sophomore, long snapper (Weber State)

Darren Morris, junior, wide receiver (Southern University)

Harry Stewart III, freshman, running back (Kansas)

JeRico Washington Jr., sophomore, cornerback (Kennesaw State)

Here are the 18 Boise State players who have entered the transfer portal this cycle.

Kaleb Annett, freshman, quarterback

Greg Ard, freshman, running back

Davon Banks, graduate, defensive back

Ty Benefield, junior, safety (LSU)

Ja’Bree Bickham, freshman, defensive back (North Texas)

Breezy Dubar, junior, running back

Hayden Hanks, freshman, defensive line

Tyler Keinath, graduate, offensive line

Chase Martin, junior, linebacker (Cal Poly)

Clay Martineau, sophomore, linebacker

Chris Marshall, junior, wide receiver (Arkansas)

Eyitayo Omotinugbon, freshman, offensive line

Roland Podesta, freshman, punter

Jarrett Reeser, junior, kicker

Hall Schmidt, junior, offensive line (UCLA)

JJ Talo, junior, offensive line

Jaylen Webb, junior, defensive back

Demetric Whitlock Jr., junior, wide receiver