Notre Dame football received an early Christmas present from an SEC powerhouse at a major position of need
The original plan was for all the transfer portal buzz around Notre Dame football to begin getting out there after their playoff matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. Unfortunately but fortunately for some, that didn’t happen. It was announced on Monday that the Irish had landed a commitment from former Alabama defensive back DeVonta Smith. Not […]
The original plan was for all the transfer portal buzz around Notre Dame football to begin getting out there after their playoff matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. Unfortunately but fortunately for some, that didn’t happen. It was announced on Monday that the Irish had landed a commitment from former Alabama defensive back DeVonta Smith.
Not to be confused with former Crimson Tide great and Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver of the same name, Smith was a member of the 2021 recruiting class for Alabama. The Ohio native was pegged as a four-star recruit, and opted for Tuscaloosa over offers from Georgia, the Fighting Irish, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, and Nebraska among many others.
Having spent time at both cornerback and safety during his career, Smith took over as the starting nickel in 2024. In that lone season as a starter, Smith recorded 30 total tackles, one tackle for loss, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
The 6-0, 205-pound defender can potentially provide a ton of positional flexibility for Notre Dame, although it appears that nickel is the spot he will be occupying in 2025. That’s a position that has been good to the Irish in recent years, getting tremendous play from TaRiq Bracey, Thomas Harper, and Jordan Clark over the years,
Although the Notre Dame staff probably didn’t want this news to get out quite yet, it’s a really nice early pickup for the Irish. With both Christian Gray and Leonard Moore returning, you have your two starting cornerbacks ready to go. You also have Adon Shuler returning at safety, and a litter of talented young defensive backs to fill in the other safety spot and depth.
The lone missing piece was a veteran nickel. Notre Dame found that in Smith, pulling a talented player from one of the premier programs in all of college football.
