Irish's Non-QB Transfer Portal Wishlist

Written By: Liam Farrell

Via University of Notre Dame

With much of Notre Dame's offseason hype surrounding the transfer portal coming at the heels of finding a quarterback, there are other facets where the Irish might look to upgrade. The transfer portal is also much more challenging to navigate due to the rigorous academics that the University upholds. In years past, most transfers have been from other highly academic schools such as Northwestern, Brandon Joseph and Ben Skowronek, and Harvard, Chris Smith, and Jon Sot. Nevertheless, the Irish have adapted to the times as, Notre Dame added former USF kicker Spencer Shrader in the portal earlier this week. This may have been a small splash; however, expect the Irish to take a chance on one of these wide receivers or Edge rushers in the coming months.

Wide Receiver

The first option is Kaleb Smith. The 6'2", 222 lb wide receiver from Virginia Tech would bring experience to a raw, athletic group that the Irish currently possess. This past season, Smith led the Hokie offense with 37 catches, 674 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The Irish will be battling the likes of UCLA and Georgia Tech for the 50-50 jump ball wide receiver out of Bumpass, Virginia. Smith is also scheduled to visit South Bend the weekend of December 17th, which could be a deciding factor in landing this touted veteran.

Via Virginia Tech Athletics

The second direction that the Irish might go at receiver is Genson Hooper-Price. Hooper-Price is a 6'5", 206 lb wide receiver who is leaving Northwestern's football program. This is the second Northwestern wideout who has entered the portal, the other being speedster Malik Washington, who recently committed to the University of Virginia. Hooper-Price is a player who interests me because of his projectability. The big-bodied wide receiver had minimal play at Northwestern and would provide experience to Chansi Stuckey's young wide receiver room. Still, everything surrounding this prospect fits the mold that Notre Dame targets at wide receiver. The Irish even offered the Houston, Texas native coming out of high school in the 2019 class.

Via Nam Y. Huh, AP Staff

There was a lot of buzz surrounding the Irish targeting Kent State standout Dante Cephas at the beginning of the off-season. These talks have now diminished as it appears the competition to get Cephas will be highly demanding. Most recently, there have been Crytal Balls to Penn State for the 6'1" ballhawk. This is ultimately a target that Notre Dame will check in on, but it is hard for me to see the Irish land him.

Via USA Today

Edge Rushers

The first fit that jumps off the screen with Notre Dame looking to fill the void of Isaiah Foskey is the edge rusher from Harvard, Truman Jones. Jones had 6 sacks this past season, along with 13 tackles for loss. While looking at it from Notre Dame's perspective, Jones checks all the boxes for who they look for in the portal. Jones wouldn't be the first prospect the Irish snag from the Crimson as well, joining the previously mentioned Jon Sot and Chris Smith. This pipeline from Harvard to Notre Dame may continue to be a staple this off-season.

Via Harvard University

The second guy I would expect Notre Dame to go after strong is Stephen Herron Jr. Herron, a former 5 star recruit, is a name that may sound familiar in South Bend because of his tremendous play for the Stanford Cardinal. With head coach David Shaw stepping away from the program, many Cardinal players took to the portal to find where to play their final year of eligibility. Herron tallied 5.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss this past year and would immediately impact whichever program he attends. The competition to land Herron will be the likes of Ohio State and Michigan, both schools that recruited him out of high school.

Via Stanford University

Final Thoughts

It should be intriguing to find out how active Marcus Freeman and his staff are in the recruiting portal this year. Freeman has shown to be an absolute force in the high school recruiting trail, but will the University's strict limits on transfers hamper his ability to bring in proven players at the college level? This is something to certainly keep your eye on as the calendar flips to spring ball.