We are quickly coming to the end of the transfer portal window for college football, and despite an insanely odd start for Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish — I think they just won.

The Irish still have at least one public target on the board in Oregon DT Tionne Gray, but after what just transpired on Monday and Tuesday, I think it’s safe to say Notre Dame is setting itself up for a big run in 2026 and beyond.

One of the key points about the transfer portal that is often overlooked by fans who treat it like college football’s version of the NFL Draft is that this generally means a lot of talent goes out of the door during this period. While Notre Dame certainly had its fair share of players leave via the portal, none of them were true starters (although a few were what we typically call “key depth).

The portal also isn’t something that works in a “this for that” kind of a way. You can have 18 players leave and be in great shape with signing just 5 guys and vice versa. There are 105 roster spots, and they need filled with returning players, portal pickups, walk-ons, and the new recruiting class.

Oh yeah… Notre Dame signed 29 players in their 2026 recruiting class which was ranked #2 in the country by the 247 Team Composite Rankings.

So here’s a quick look at how all of that looks.

SIGNED	POSITION	PLAYER	STATE	HT	WT	RIVALS	RIVALS INDUSTRY	247 SPORTS	247 COMPOSITE	ESPN	COMMIT DATE
☘️	WR	Dylan Faison	FL	5’11”	170	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	3/18/2024
☘️	QB	Noah Grubbs	FL	6’4″	190	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/1/2024
☘️	LB	Thomas Davis Jr.	NC	6’2″	205	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	11/12/2024
☘️	CB	Chaston Smith	TN	6’1″	175	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	12/1/2024
☘️	OL	Sullivan Garvin	MI	6’5″	300	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	12/5/2024
☘️	OL	Ben Nichols	MI	6’5″	315	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	12/24/2024
☘️	OL	Tyler Merrill	PA	6’5″	338	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	1/30/2025
☘️	EDGE	Ebenezer Ewetade	NC	6’4″	220	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	4/5/2025
☘️	EDGE	Rodney Dunham	NC	6’4″	227	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	4/10/2025
☘️	OL	Gregory Patrick	MI	6’5″	285	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	4/13/2025
☘️	WR	Bubba Frazier	GA	5’10”	165	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	4/14/2025
☘️	S	Ayden Pouncey	FL	6’3″	180	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	4/26/2025
☘️	LB	Kobe Clapper	OH	6’2″	215	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	5/2/2025
☘️	RB	Javian Osborne	TX	5’9″	195	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	5/3/2025
☘️	DT	Tiki Hola	TX	6’3″	285	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	5/10/2025
☘️	RB	Jonaz Walton	GA	5’9″	205	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	5/14/2025
☘️	OL	Grayson McKeogh	PA	6’7″	280	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/18/2025
☘️	CB	Khary Adams	MD	6’1″	180	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/20/2025
☘️	S	Joey O’Brien	PA	6’4″	180	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/20/2025
☘️	TE	Preston Fryzel	OH	6’4″	220	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/23/2025
☘️	OL	Charlie Thom	CT	6’6″	275	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/24/2025
☘️	TE	Ian Premer	KS	6’5″	225	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	6/26/2025
☘️	WR	Kaydon Finley	TX	6’1″	200	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	7/4/2025
☘️	WR	Devin Fitzgerald	AZ	6’2″	205	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	7/5/2025
☘️	WR	Brayden Robinson	TX	5’8″	160	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	7/6/2025
☘️	S	Nick Reddish	NC	5’11”	185	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	7/11/2025
☘️	DT	Elijah Golden	FL	6’4″	278	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	8/9/2025
☘️	QB	Teddy Jarrard	GA	6’3″	196	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	7/24/2025
☘️	P	Jasper Scaife	AUST	6’5″	200	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	12/25/2025

IN	OUT
DB – DJ McKinney – Colorado	QB – Kenny Minchey – Kentucky
WR – Quincy Porter – Ohio State	S – Taebron Bennie-Powell – Boise State
DE – Keon Keeley – Alabama	RB – Gi’Bran Payne – Cincinnati
DB – Jayden Sanders – Michigan	S – JaDon Blair – Missouri
DT – Francis Brewu – Pitt	CB – Chance Tucker
WR – Mylan Graham – Ohio State	S – Ben Minich – Miami Ohio
K – Spencer Porath – Purdue	K – Marcello Diomede
–	DB – Karson Hobbs – Florida State
–	DE – Joshua Burnham – Indiana
–	CB – Cree Thomas – Colorado
–	QB – Anthony Rezac – South Dakota St.
–	WR – KK Smith – Michigan State
–	LB – Preston Zinter – Rice
–	LB – Bodie Kahoun – Boston College
–	LB – Anthony Sacca – UCLA
–	WR – Scrap Richardson

One third of Notre Dame’s roster in 2026 will come from the recruiting class and the new portal additions. That’s a hefty chunk, so it’s a good thing the talent level is high. According to 247, the combined talent from the recruiting class and the portal has the Irish currently ranked #2 in the nation.

But… I’m getting away fro...

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