USC Trojans Land Elite Transfer From Notre Dame, Son Of NFL Hall Of Famer

After entering the transfer portal on Wednesday, Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher has committed to the USC Trojans, according to reports from On3.

Urlacher's father is Brian Urlacher, a former NFL star who spent his 13-year career with the Chicago Bears. A former first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Urlacher played his college football for New Mexico. Now, his son has decided to leave Notre Dame for the Fighting Irish's rival: the USC Trojans.

The Trojans are recruiting high school prospects at an elite level, but USC coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden are also proving their ability to recruit some of the top prospects out of the transfer portal.

According to On3's rankings, USC has the No. 17-ranked transfer portal class in 2025 out of 18 Big Ten teams. While second-to-last in the conference is far from ideal, the addition of Urlacher could give the Trojans a boost.

Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

BREAKING: Notre Dame transfer Safety Kennedy Urlacher has Committed to USC, he tells @on3sports

The 5’11 200 S will have 3 years of eligibility remaining

He’s the Son of NFL Hall of Fame LB Brian Urlacherhttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/AmHes99hGk
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 19, 2025

With Notre Dame, Urlacher was part of the Fighting Irish defense that reached the National Championship in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Notre Dame fell to Ohio State in the national title game, and Urlacher was expected to be a key returner on the Fighting Irish's defense under coach Marcus Freeman.

It appears as though Bowden and the rest of USC's coaching staff were able to convince the young safety to leave South Bend, Indiana, for Southern California. Urlacher has three years of eligibility remaining.

Urlacher joins a USC transfer portal class that feels focused on defense. The Trojans added San Jose State defensive back DJ Harvey, Kentucky defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver, Georgia defensive lineman Jamal Jarrett, and North Carolina State safety Bishop Fitzgerald.

However, Riley and his staff have also added a few impact transfers on the other side of the ball, including Syracuse offensive lineman J'Onre Reed, Boise State wide receiver Prince Strachan, and Purdue offensive lineman DJ Wingfield.

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The Trojans certainly have an elite group of transfers entering the program this offseason, but USC's ranking is brought down by the number of outgoing transfers. Riley and his staff have lost 25 players to the transfer portal, including wide receivers Zachariah Branch, Duce Robinson, Kyron Hudson, offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon, and defensive lineman Bear Alexander.

Bowden spoke about USC's strategy in terms of balancing high school recruiting and the transfer portal.

Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher (23) talks with teammates on the sidelines during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“We’re going to major in high school recruiting and minor in the portal. We’re not just recruiting the kids, we’re recruiting families. . . and we’re going to keep the best players in California home.” Bowden said

It appears as though Bowden and the Trojans are acting on Bowden's promise of prioritizing high school recruiting without entirely abandoning the portal. According to 247Sports' rankings, USC has the No. 1 recruiting class for the class of 2026 with 22 overall commitments.