Notre Dame football has had some mixed Transfer Portal results over the years – studs, duds, and biggest surprises 

Looking back at the Notre Dame success stories from the transfer portal, as well as the misses and biggest surprises.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Oct 29, 2022; Syracuse, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Brandon Joseph (16) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Syracuse Orange in the first quarter at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Over the years, Notre Dame football has had quite a few transfer portal success stories. Like every program, however, there are also going to be some misses along the way, and head coach Marcus Freeman’s squad has also had their fair share. We also must appreciate the surprises, players who far outplayed their initial expectations. 

When going back and looking at some past transfer hauls for Notre Dame, I evaluated some of the studs, duds, and biggest surprises. That’s an important thing to note when the portal opens on January 2, not every addition is going to hit. You just have to hope that the Irish staff has a good evaluation period. 

Transfer studs 

QB Riley Leonard (2024)

While Leonard wasn’t quite the passer that some had hoped for coming from Duke, he still ended up being a tremendous leader for Notre Dame. He ended his lone season with the Irish with 3,767 total yards and 38 touchdowns. Leonard helped lead Notre Dame to 14 wins, three straight top-10 playoff victories, and a National Championship appearance. 

WR Malachi Fields (2025)

Fields was exactly what Notre Dame fans expected when he came over from Virginia before this past season. When he was targeted, Fields was a tremendous boundary presence. He ended his lone season in South Bend with 36 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns, an average of 17.5 yards per reception. The 6-4, 222-pound pass catcher was the playmaking size that the offense needed. 

Transfer duds 

S Brandon Joseph (2022) 

Joseph came to Notre Dame as an All-American safety while at Northwestern. Aside from his pick six against Syracuse, it was a season to forget for Joseph. Run game woes and durability completely derailed his final year in college. 

EDGE RJ Oben (2024)

Many expected Oben to up the pass rush game for Notre Dame back in 2024. The former Duke standout proceeded to record just one sack for the team. Although that sack came at a huge moment against Georgia in the playoffs, his season was a big disappointment. 

WR Kris Mitchell (2024) 

After being a 1,000-yard receiver with FIU, Notre Dame fans were hoping that Mitchell could add big play upside to the Irish offense. His skill set just didn’t translate, hauling in just 22 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. Mitchell ended up being just the sixth leading receiver on that team. 

Biggest surprises 

EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (2023) 

Jean-Baptiste was thought to have been a good pickup back in the 2023 class from Ohio State, but he ended up being a tremendous player. He led that team in sacks while also being a very good run defender. That was arguably the team’s biggest steal of the portal era. 

DT Elijah Hughes (2025) 

Who thought that Hughes was going to become an important member on the interior for Notre Dame when he came over from USC? Heading into 2026, he is now the only defensive tackle with substantial game action. I’m not sure if that was on anyone’s bingo card.

CB Jordan Clark (2024) 

I think most expected Clark to be a solid player coming over from Arizona State in 2024, but he ended up being a very good player for the Irish. While nickel was his main position, he even was able to contribute at outside corner when injury forced him there. There’s an argument that Clark has been the team’s best slot cornerback under Mike Mickens. 

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