Notre Dame Has A Clear Transfer Portal Plan

The NCAA’s transfer portal has only been in existence for a little more than five years, but with each passing year it seems to gain popularity. College athletes in all sports, including football, use the portal to transfer from one school to another, sometimes multiple times.

Notre Dame has been a player in the portal since its birth, but the Fighting Irish have gained more traction in getting players from the portal in Marcus Freeman’s two years as head coach.

"I think we’ve done a good job,” Freeman said this week of Notre Dame’s transfer portal activity. "I think our coaches, our scout department has done a good job of identifying guys that are the right fit and then the ability to meet with them and show them exactly the plan we have for them but also what this place can do for them in terms of this next year (and) what they’re aspiring to do. It’s very similar in terms of the guys that we’ve announced that are coming. There’s a specific reason these guys are looking to transfer for a year, so our job is being able to just show them here’s our plan and here’s what it can do.”

Former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman was the highest profile of the five players Freeman and his staff brought in via the transfer portal. With Hartman leaving after his lone season with the Irish, Freeman went to the portal for a quarterback again this offseason to pluck Riley Leonard from Duke.

Per NCAA rules, Freeman cannot mention Leonard by name until he officially signs with Notre Dame when the early signing period begins this Wednesday. But Freeman did discuss what he was looking for in a quarterback when he was asked about it on Saturday.

"We were looking for something very similar in terms of Sam,” Freeman began. "When we looked at Sam Hartman, we were looking for a guy that was talented. He’s a good football player and proven football player but a guy that would fit into our locker room and fit into that quarterbacks room and that’s what we were looking for when we talked about making another addition to this program. But you’ve to one, be proven to be a good quarterback. We owe it to our football program to find the best football player that fits our locker room that’s out there and that’s what we tried to identify.”

Leonard was a three-year starter at Duke. He was limited to seven games this season due to ankle and toe injuries. He suffered the ankle injury at the end of Notre Dame’s 21-14 win over the Blue Devils in September.

The Irish were able to fill other key needs last season with defensive end Javontae Jean–Baptiste from Ohio State and defensive back Thomas Harper from Oklahoma State. Defensive back Antonio Carter also transferred from Rhode Island, but is back in the portal this year after not really catching on in the Irish secondary.

Notre Dame also got kicker Spencer Shrader from USF last year after bringing in Blake Grupe from Arkansas State the previous season. They have already landed the commitment of South Carolina kicker Mitch Jeter this cycle and are likely to go after veteran kickers with a proven college track record annually rather than investing heavily in unproven high school kickers.

Leonard and Jeter are among six portal commitments Freeman and his staff already have. Duke defensive end RJ Oben, Arizona State defensive back Jordan Clark, FIU receiver Kris Mitchell and Clemson receiver Beaux Collins are the other four. The current portal window will remain open until Jan. 2 and Freeman has not ruled out more activity before it closes.

"We’ll always look for ways to enhance our team,” Freeman remarked. "If there’s a need and a fit, we’re going to truly dive into it and see if this is something we want to do. So, I don’t think it ever truly closes in terms of are you going to be active in the transfer portal but there has to be a need and there has to be a right fit.”

The transfer portal will be open again from April 16-30 after spring football practices conclude.

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