Could Notre Dame Go To The Transfer Portal For Another Quarterback?

The composition of Notre Dame’s quarterback room looks a lot different today than it did a year ago. The Fighting Irish had three scholarship quarterbacks as they prepared for the final month of Marcus Freeman’s first season as head coach, but only one of the three, Steve Angeli, remains on the roster a year later.

Angeli was the No. 2 signal caller, behind Drew Pyne and a still recovering from an early season shoulder injury Tyler Buchner. The offseason hadn’t even officially begun before Pyne entered the transfer portal. Sam Hartman joined the team from Wake Forest in January and then Buchner hit the portal at the conclusion of spring practice.

Hartman is guaranteed to be gone after using his sixth year of eligibility this season, but Freeman has not ruled out bringing in another transfer portal quarterback when the upcoming offseason arrives.

"I think all options right now are in consideration,” Freeman said Thursday when asked about his 2024 quarterback plans. "That’s something we said that we’ll truly discuss the second bye week on what is going to be a decision moving forward. I feel really good about the future of our program at the quarterback position with the guys coming in, with the guys we have here. But you look at numbers, too, right?

"Most rosters have four quarterbacks on scholarship, which we lost when Tyler (Buchner) left,” Freeman continued. "So, we’ve been in discussions on what we want to do. Do you want to take another quarterback or do you not? We have three quarterbacks on scholarship right now. So, we’ll make final, probably, decisions here as we get into the next bye week. But I am really pleased with the growth and confident with the growth and performance of Kenny (Minchey) and Steve Angeli.”

As of today, the Irish are due to have three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster next season. Angeli would be entering his academic junior year, with current freshman Kenny Minchey going into his sophomore year with four years of eligibility intact. The third quarterback would be highly touted incoming freshman CJ Carr.

Notre Dame has already gone to the transfer portal for quarterbacks twice in the past two three seasons. Jack Coan brought a veteran presence and much needed experience when he came to Notre Dame from South Bend in 2021 and Hartman has made his own impression on the young quarterbacks in the room this season as well.

“I think the most important thing they’ve benefited (from) is the preparation,” Freeman said of how Hartman has impacted Angeli and Minchey this season. "How they prepare throughout the week, outside the time that’s permitted through the NCAA rules. The four hours we get with them a day...it’s the preparation in terms of watching film, a routine, a pre-practice routine, a post-practice routine. That’s the biggest addition they’ve received from Sam Hartman, and they all do it. They’re always together. They’re always watching film together. They’re always going through the routine together. So, that, to me, has been the biggest benefit.”

There were a reported 1,285 FBS players who entered the transfer portal between Dec. 5 and Jan. 18 last year. More than 1,000 more entered the portal in the April window. This year’s portal runs from Dec. 4-Jan. 2. The spring window is open from April 16-30.

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