Spring Portal Watch: 3 Key Notre Dame Transfer Predictions

What movement will Notre Dame see in the transfer portal this week?

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

College football's spring window opens for the transfer portal and Notre Dame figures to have some players opting to depart. We all obviously wish when a player signed their letter of intent with Notre Dame that everything works out perfectly and there is no need to transfer, but that's just not going to happen in all cases in major college football anymore.

Who might those players be that choose to depart or what positions could be most impacted?

Here are three predictions for Notre Dame football departures as the spring transfer portal is set to open. Remember, this is just a prediction, not any kind of report, and its nothing personal against anyone mentioned.

Notre Dame Transfer Portal Predictions: Steve Angeli Departs

Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Steve Angeli (18) throws a pass during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Angeli has done nothing wrong in his time at Notre Dame and was pivotal in the Fighting Irish beating Penn State in last season's Orange Bowl. However, he just doesn't appear to be able to reach the level Notre Dame needs a starting quarterback to play at in order to truly contend for a national championship. In the three-man race to be Notre Dame's starting quarterback, Angeli is the odd man out as spring football ends and chooses to finish his career where he has a better chance at starting.

Notre Dame Transfer Portal Predictions: Running Back Departure

Nov 25, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Gi'Bran Payne (3) eludes the tackle of Stanford Cardinal inside linebacker Gaethan Bernadel (0) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Notre Dame is blessed to have one of the nation's most talented running back rooms ahead of the 2025 season. That however means that because of the talent levels of Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Aneyas Williams, and others in Notre Dame's backfield, that carries will be extremely difficult to come by.

There are multiple candidates and I assume one will decide to move on from Notre Dame this time around. Gi'Bran Payne, who carried the ball 45 times during the 2023 season before missing last year with a torn ACL, would appear to be as likely of pick as any to look elsewhere.

Notre Dame Transfer Portal Predictions: An Offensive Lineman Exits

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Like at running back, Notre Dame is loaded on the offensive line. Last year showed everyone how important depth across the unit is, but that's not always the easiest of selling points when it comes to keeping a player around when they think they're capable of starting but aren't cracking the lineup. With that in mind, it would seem to make sense that an offensive lineman, and perhaps a linebacker on defense also choose to enter the portal.

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