Mizzou Earns Transfer Pledge From Talented Notre Dame Safety

The Tigers are adding some youth to its secondary with the addition of JaDon Blair.

Notre Dame defensive back JaDon Blair (11) during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in South Bend. | © MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Missouri Tigers have earned the commitment of Notre Dame safety JaDon Blair. Blair is ranked No. 273 in 247Sports' transfer portal rankings, along with No. 23 of all safeties in the transfer portal.

BREAKING: Notre Dame true freshman Safety JaDon Blair has Committed to Missouri, he tells @On3Sports

The 6’5 215 S was ranked as a Top 75 Recruit in the 2025 Class (per On3)

He’ll have 4 years of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/Osq4aUUVUi

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 7, 2026

Blair only appeared in one game this season for the Fighting Irish, doing so against Syracuse. That game resulted in a 70-7 win in favor of Notre Dame and Blair logged his only tackle of the season.

What makes the commitment of Blair notable is his high school recruiting pedigree. He was the No. 155 player in the 2025 class according to composite rankings, along with the No. 13 safety. Blair is a North Carolina native and was the sixth-best player in his home state. He also had offers from many programs nationally, including Louisville, South Carolina, Michigan, Penn State, LSU, Miami, Tennessee and others.

Blair pulled home multiple high school awards, including multiple All-Conference appearances and being a two-time North Carolina Defensive Player of the Year.

Per Blair's social media, Missouri was the only school to offer him.

Another part of Blair's appeal, despite his inexperience, is his build and athleticism. He's 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and can move with top-end speed wide receivers. In high school, Blair was also known for his ability to make big hits and force fumbles. His size may intrigue the Tigers to give him a look at linebacker, depending on the depth of Missouri's roster has moving forward.

There was a clear need for depth and talent in the safety room after the Tigers took multiple hits in the position group. Daylan Carnell and Jalen Catalon both ran out of eligibility and starter Marvin Burks Jr. and former four-star recruit CJ Bass III both hit the transfer portal.

Those losses left the Tigers with Santana Banner, Mose Phillips III, Jackson Hancock, Trajen Greco and a trio of true freshmen in the room. This makes the addition of Blair a crucial one, but it may mean he'll have to be ready to play earlier than expected. His lack of experience with the Fighting Irish is slightly alarming, given the experience the returners have, but his talent may be enough on its own to get him on the field.

Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers are also expected to host San Diego State transfer Dalesean Staley on a visit, starting on Jan. 6 and going through Jan. 7.

To keep up with all of the offseason movement for Missouri, follow our offseason tracker.