Notre Dame could have an interesting Transfer Portal decision to make with a player that the Fighting Irish are very familiar with
An interesting potential Transfer Portal for Notre Dame just entered, which will create an interesting conversation.
If anyone thinks back to the 2023 Notre Dame recruiting class, obviously, it ended up being a critical group for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. That class provided Notre Dame with current starters, including running back Jeremiyah Love, EDGE Boubacar Traore, cornerback Christian Gray, safety Adon Shuler, linebackers Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry, wide receivers Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse, and offensive linemen Charles Jagusah, Sullivan Absher, and Joe Otting. That was an exciting class at the time, and it has proven to live up to the hype.
While it was a great group, there were a few players that the Irish narrowly missed on in the class as well. That includes Clemson star defensive back Khalil Barnes, who has been outstanding for the Tigers when healthy over the last three seasons. During that stretch, that 6-0, 200-pound athlete has managed to collect 139 total tackles, seven interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 6.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. There were some who thought that Barnes could be a candidate to enter the 2026 NFL Draft after this season, but unfortunately, an injury-riddled season is going to bring him back in 2026.
We found out this week that while Barnes is heading back to college, it won’t be with Clemson. The rising junior announced that he would be entering the Transfer Portal with one season of eligibility remaining. In a move that is reminiscent of when Andrew Mukuba bolted for Texas prior to the 2024 college football season, some lucky program is going to get a very experienced and versatile defender this cycle in Barnes.
Khalil Barnes’ background
Considered a three-star by the majority of the major recruiting platforms coming out of Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee, Barnes had some outstanding options on the next level. It came down to Clemson and Notre Dame in that class, but the position he would play ultimately moved the needle. The Tigers originally were pushing for Barnes at wide receiver, the position that he wanted to play. Notre Dame also wanted him to play defensive back, which made it funny when Clemson moved him there quickly after he got on campus.
Barnes was very high on Notre Dame coming out, finishing second for his services. It will be very interesting to see if the Irish once again have interest in the talented defender. He has spent the majority of his time at nickel, which is a spot that the Irish have been replenishing through the portal in recent years. DVonta Smith is now off to the NFL, meaning that the spot is open, for now anyway.
Some Notre Dame fans would like to see Dallas Golden get the starting nod in the slot, but that will be pretty dependent on whether they need him at outside cornerback or not. Will Christian Gray return for another season? Is Golden good enough to beat him out even if he does? There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered to determine whether the Fighting Irish want to go the transfer route at nickel for the fourth year in a row.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
There’s an early potential Notre Dame Transfer Portal target who would fill the biggest need for the Fighting Irish defense
Notre Dame has a massive need on defense, and there is a Transfer Portal entrant who could fill it in a big way.
