Notre Dame is starting to make waves in the transfer portal, but the biggest roster question remains
The original plan for Notre Dame football was to concentrate on the Indiana Hoosiers, come out with a big victory, and then let the NCAA Transfer Portal acquisitions begin to go public. We have seen that come to fruition this week, with wide receivers Malachi Fields (Virginia) and Will Pauling (Wisconsin), defensive back DeVonta Smith […]
The original plan for Notre Dame football was to concentrate on the Indiana Hoosiers, come out with a big victory, and then let the NCAA Transfer Portal acquisitions begin to go public. We have seen that come to fruition this week, with wide receivers Malachi Fields (Virginia) and Will Pauling (Wisconsin), defensive back DeVonta Smith (Alabama), and tight end Ty Washington (Arkansas) all announcing their transfers. The Smith commitment became public last week, but he officially announced it a couple of days ago.
With the wide receiver position now settled, and your potential starting nickel in the fold, there is no questioning what the biggest position group to focus on is, strengthening the defensive tackle position. The Fighting Irish should also be in the market for a transfer kicker and possibly an EDGE depending on how the market moves, but the interior defensive line remains the most important.
Heading into the portal cycle, sources had confirmed the importance of grabbing not one, but potentially two defensive tackles from the portal. It was also understood that money would be no object for Notre Dame, and they would be totally fine with throwing their weight around to make those acquisitions happen. That was the priority for the Irish.
Through a couple of weeks of the portal being open, there has been very little chatter around the defensive tackle position. We have seen a lot of talented interior defensive linemen already have entered, and found new homes. None of them have come to Notre Dame obviously.
Here’s what is certain, the Irish staff has been in contact with several defensive tackles. They have, however, kept the names of those players very close to the vest. There is a lot of optimism on their side with the staff’s ability to lock a couple of talented players down. For the public, it’s hard to put faith in it until there are some rumors of positive vibes out there, or at least a couple of targets who seem to make a lot of sense.
In the end, this portal class is going to be defined by Notre Dame’s ability to strengthen that interior defensive line. The team is set to lose both Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills this offseason, and will most likely be without Jason Onye as well. You not only have to replace two outstanding starters, but the depth is a major question as well.
That is the priority for the staff, and there is no hiding from it. There appears to be some news on the horizon, but Notre Dame will keep it under wraps for now. Let’s see what this staff has cooking.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish will have one huge advantage over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl that could be the difference in the game
Notre Dame has one major advantage over Georgia.
