Notre Dame transfer portal primer: Where the Irish stand at every position as spring window begins

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — As the transfer portal opens Wednesday, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will need to make decisions. It’s just not entirely clear how he’ll make them or the math he’ll apply to an unprecedented offseason in college football as the sport continues to lurch toward 105-man roster limits paired with the elimination of the 85-man scholarship maximum.

For Freeman and general manager Mike Martin, the roster revolution is an opportunity and a hurdle. Notre Dame can add scholarships to better suit the sport’s extended calendar, which can stretch a program to its limits. The Irish also have to rethink their walk-on program and the functions it serves day to day. And however the Irish play it, assuming the 105-man roster limits pass in the House v. NCAA settlement as expected, Notre Dame’s roster will look a little different.

Notre Dame exited spring practice with 118 players after adding summer transfers Malachi Fields and Ty Washington, plus 12 freshmen expected to arrive this summer, including kicker Erik Schmidt. That could create an unfortunate reality that 13 players have to go, either via the portal or being cut. Safety Kennedy Urlacher and long snapper Rino Monteforte both entered the portal Wednesday morning.

It’s all part of why Freeman doesn’t expect to add in the spring portal, barring an unexpected rash of departures that leave the Irish light at a particular position. Notre Dame doesn’t have the room.

“If a guy on our current roster is interested in getting into the portal, I’m sure we’ll have those conversations,” Freeman said. “At the end of the day, figure out what’s best for them, for us.

“We’re not actively seeking to add to our roster. We’re really happy with what we got. If something comes to our attention and we see adds value to our roster and our program, then we have to have a conversation about it.”

Here’s how Notre Dame’s roster adds up by position and how those numbers fit into the 105-man era. (Walk-ons denoted with an *)

Quarterback (5)

Steve Angeli
CJ Carr
Blake Hebert
Kenny Minchey
Anthony Rezac*

If Notre Dame could keep a five-man quarterback room, it would. That would leave two quarterbacks for the scout team (Hebert and Rezac) and three for the varsity. But that’s probably a luxury quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli won’t enjoy, considering Freeman said he’d like the quarterback competition to be down to two contenders entering summer.

Does the third option stick with Notre Dame or find a better path to playing time? Assuming the staff doesn’t need to see more from the quarterbacks to give a preliminary order, there’s a tough decision for Angeli or Minchey. The former has enough tape to be an attractive option for a program looking for a starter. The latter doesn’t, aside from the Blue-Gold Game, when Minchey flashed potential in short bursts. Carr will be part of whatever competition happens from here. If Angeli goes, he should do it with his head held high.

Running back (8)

Dylan Devezin*
Nolan James Jr.
Jeremiyah Love
Gi’Bran Payne
Jadarian Price
Jake Tafelski*
Aneyas Williams
Kedren Young

New running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider said it’s tough to involve more than three backs on game day. The Irish have six on scholarship, plus two walk-ons who play on special teams. The math doesn’t work for all eight, even if the depth chart is expected to turn over after next season when Love and Price depart. The question will be who’s left.

Williams is the clear No. 3, but Payne and Young may have decisions to make. Payne was a favorite of former running backs coach Deland McCullough; he committed to McCullough at Indiana before following him to Notre Dame. He’s also coming off a torn ACL.

Malachi Fields, who transferred to Notre Dame in December, caught 55 passes at Virginia last season. (Ryan M. Kelly / Getty Images)

Wide receiver (16)

Jerome Bettis Jr.
Tyler Buchner*
Elijah Burress
Jordan Faison
Malachi Fields
Micah Gilbert
Jaden Greathouse
Matt Jeffery*
Will Pauling
Scrap Richardson
Logan Saldate
Leo Scheidler*
KK Smith
Xavier Southall*
Alex Whitman*
Cam Williams

Sixteen is a big number, but does it get trimmed among scholarship talent or walk-ons? Every player listed either has potential or production. But math is math, so keeping the entire position intact will be almost impossible. The Irish have a strong top four in Fields, Pauling, Greathouse and Faison. After that, Burress distinguished himself during spring practice. But the other six scholarship recipients are developmental. Do they all want to stay for that process? And if they do, how does Notre Dame manage five walk-ons, including a former starting quarterback in Buchner?

Tight end (8)

Kevin Bauman
Justin Fisher*
Cooper Flanagan
James Flanigan
Henry Garrity*
Jack Larsen
Eli Raridon
Ty Washington

While Notre Dame might not have its traditional abundance of riches at tight end, Raridon’s spring move at least gives the Irish a true starter. Bauman and Larsen showed enough to want to see more in the fall. And Washington will arrive this summer from Arkansas, more of a blocking tight end who will give tight ends coach Mike Denbrock positional flexibility. This doesn’t leave more wiggle room before getting to the walk-ons, and Fisher may be a reliable special-teams contributor. It’s not clear how Notre Dame will handle the tight end spot when pushed against the overall roster limit.

Interior offensive line (10)

Sullivan Absher
Max Anderson*
Ashton Craig
Cam Herron
Devan Houstan
Charles Jagusah
Peter Jones
Joe Otting
Billy Schrauth
Chris Terek

It’s a top-heavy group with Craig, Jagusah and Schrauth, and each has at least two years of remaining eligibility. Keeping Absher with the program should be a major priority for offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, even if there’s not an immediate starting spot available. The sophomore could help at all five positions, but played guard and center during spring practice. He’d be similar to former linemen Sam Pendleton (transferred to Tennessee), Rocco Spindler (Nebraska) and Pat Coogan (Indiana) in the sense that there would be a strong market.

It’s not clear what Notre Dame has from the rest of this position group, which is part of why keeping Absher is so important. Aside from the midyear enrollee Herron, the rest of these interior linemen feel undistinguished from one another, which probably opens the door for at least one to depart.

Offensive tackle (8)

Matty Augustine
Will Black
Anthonie Knapp
Guerby Lambert
Styles Prescod
Owen Strebig
Aamil Wagner
Robbie Wollan*

It would be a shocker if Notre Dame lost one of its seven scholarship tackles, considering this is a mix of starters and freshmen, aside from Lambert recovering from shoulder surgery and Prescod coming off a strong spring after missing his freshman year due to injury. Would there be a marker for Prescod without actual tape? He was more of a developmental prospect when Notre Dame signed him out of Indianapolis, but there’s reason to believe that development is happening.

While other positions probably need to shed scholarship talent, offensive tackle isn’t one of them. This depth chart feels tidy with younger talent backing up older talent, meaning everybody’s got a path to playing time eventually.

Defensive end (9)

Jordan Botelho
Christopher Burgess
Josh Burnham
Dominik Hulak
Cole Mullins
Loghan Thomas
Boubacar Traore
Junior Tuihalamaka
Bryce Young

Like offensive tackle, Notre Dame would want to keep this band together if possible, especially with Traore and Botelho returning from ACL tears. If those two are fully healthy at the start of camp as expected, it may crowd the path to playing time for Tuihalamaka and Thomas.

Tuihalamaka is down to his final year. Could he be a four-game redshirt candidate to extend his career at Notre Dame or elsewhere? Thomas flashed as a freshman but has had a short history of nagging injuries, including a hamstring that kept him out of the spring game. The injury let Mullins run with the starting defense and he looked the part as the strong-side end. It’s impossible to have too much pass rush. Notre Dame would love these nine players to agree.

Elijah Hughes is one of two transfers who boosts Notre Dame’s talent at defensive tackle. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Defensive tackle (11)

Jared Dawson
Davion Dixon
Donovan Hinish
Elijah Hughes
Armel Mukam
Jason Onye
Joe Reiff
Gabriel Rubio
Sean Sevillano Jr.
Gordy Sulfsted
Brenan Vernon

There’s a reason Notre Dame took two defensive tackles in the portal in Dawson and Hughes, who have three years of eligibility remaining. The Irish felt the depth chart was short on talent, although Onye’s return to form after missing the second half of last season for personal reasons might have changed that opinion, with Rubio and Hinish already established commodities.

Keeping 11 defensive tackles on scholarship is probably impossible, which could lead to some movement among the reserves. Dawson and Hughes effectively stonewall the rest of the depth chart from moving into the rotation, which might be difficult for Vernon, Mukam and Sevillano. They combined for 107 snaps last season. Is there enough work to go around, even at a position where injuries always seem to hit? The three freshmen figure to be scout teamers.

Linebacker (12)

Jaiden Ausberry
Drayk Bowen
Madden Faraimo
Bodie Kahoun
Kahanu Kia
Ko’o Kia
Tommy Powlus*
Teddy Rezac
Anthony Sacca
Jaylen Sneed
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Preston Zinter

Considering Notre Dame typically plays two linebackers in its base defense (i.e. nickel), the linebacker math is the most brutal on the roster. The Irish can’t afford to carry a dozen linebackers, with all but one on scholarship. And Notre Dame has recruited this position so well that if there’s a departure, he’d likely end up on a Power 4 roster. If there’s an exit, it won’t be Bowen, Sneed, Viliamu-Asa or Faraimo. Ausberry and Zinter are valued by the staff. Kahoun was called out by linebackers coach Max Bullough for a standout offseason. But the math is unforgiving. It’s just not clear how this will work, even after Bullough nailed his rotations last season with five linebackers logging at least 340 snaps.

Cornerback (11)

Mickey Brown*
Charles Du*
Isaiah Dunn*
Dallas Golden
Christian Gray
Karson Hobbs
Leonard Moore
DeVonta Smith
Cree Thomas
Chance Tucker
Mark Zackery IV

Notre Dame has recruited this position as well as any on the roster, so well that it needs to prepare for three-and-outs like Benjamin Morrison, who is off to the NFL. Gray, Moore and Smith (nickel) compose an excellent group of starters. Holding Hobbs needs to be a priority, considering he could be a three-year starter after rotating at nickel this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if all three freshmen panned out, especially with Thomas already impressing during spring ball. There is some roster spot flexibility, if Notre Dame needs it, among the walk-ons or career reserve Tucker.

Overall, this position feels like offensive tackle, where younger talent will work behind older talent, likely waiting their turn. The work by defensive backs coach Mike Mickens to reshape this position has been exemplary.

Ben Minich impressed during spring practice, but where he fits into a crowded safety room is a question. (Michael Clubb / South Bend Tribune / USA Today Network)

Safety (9)

Taebron Bennie-Powell
JaDon Blair
Tae Johnson
Brandon Logan
Ethan Long
Ben Minich
Adon Shuler
Jalen Stroman
Luke Talich

One is already off the board with Urlacher entering the portal Wednesday morning. The Irish have a solid top of the depth chart in Shuler, Talich, Stroman and Johnson, who made a spring move into the two-deep that probably signaled to Urlacher that playing time would be limited. Minich might have a difficult decision pending after flashing during spring practice. Stay as a third-team nickel/safety or leave to become a starter elsewhere? With three freshman safeties incoming — Blair and Long joining for the spring semester — competition for reps will be intense. Safeties also make excellent special teams players, so there’s value beyond playing defensive back.

Specialists (9)

William Bartel*
Noah Burnette
Marcello Diomede*
Andrew Kros*
James Rendell
Jerry Rullo*
Erik Schmidt*
Joseph Vinci*
Zac Yoakam*

The second portal entry for Notre Dame on Wednesday was the walk-on long snapper Monteforte, which says plenty about the new reality of college football. Before, Notre Dame could load up on specialists and let them compete. Now there’s the 105-man limit to consider, although Monteforte seemed to have fallen down the pecking order at long snapper this spring. Still, the old rules allowed for a long snapper competition. The new ones might not. Special teams coordinator Marty Biagi said he didn’t expect the 105-man limit to drastically affect his roster, but there’s no doubt it will have at least some impact as the Irish carried multiple snappers, holders and kickers last season (and used them).

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

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