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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has stated on multiple occasions that they intend on building through high school recruiting and supplementing their roster through the transfer portal. The 2026 season is not an exception. The Irish brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the '26 cycle but still looked to the portal to look to fill immediate needs on their roster. ESPN ranked the Top 100 portal players heading into the fall and four Notre Dame players found themselves listed and they're all expected to make an immediate impact in South Bend. 

No. 38 – Tionne Gray, DT

"The Irish are bringing in two of the top defensive tackles in the portal in Gray and Pitt's Francis Brewu to bolster their defensive front," Olson stated. "Gray is a great late get in this portal cycle who certainly has the upside to develop into an early-round draft pick."

Gray changes the game for the Notre Dame defensive tackle room. He was the biggest defensive tackle on the roster the moment he stepped foot on campus at 6-5, 330-pounds but he won't just be utilized as a space eater or a plugger. Gray's skillset will play a big role in the Irish picking up where they left off as a run defense. But his strong hands and foot quickness gives him the potential to be disruptive as a pass rusher as well. 

No. 61 – Quincy Porter, WR

"Porter and fellow Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham, a top-50 recruit in the 2024 class, join a Fighting Irish receiving corps that returns top receiver Jordan Faison plus Jaden Greathouse, who missed most of the 2025 season due to injury," Olson explained. "If Porter can recover from his injury and stay healthy, he should make an immediate impact this fall."

With the departure of Malachi Fields, Notre Dame needed to look to the portal to backfill the 6-4, 220-pound boundary receiver. They found that in Porter who, similar to Gray on the defensive line, comes in as the biggest receiver on the roster at 6-4, 207-pounds. The former five-star recruit has multiple years of eligibility remaining, so his top-level breakout might not come for a season or two, but he adds immediate depth and a big bodied presence to the Fighting Irish receiving corps. 

No. 67 – Francis Brewu, DT

"The Irish had a clear need at defensive tackle and landed a player who has a 685-pound squat max, a 475-pound bench press and a 33-inch vertical jump, according to The Athletic," Olson shared. "He's reuniting with new Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who recruited Brewu to Pitt out of high school."

Brewu is the only portal player the Irish faced last fall when they played Pitt in November. The 6-1, 285-pound defensive tackle looks to fill the Jared Dawson or Howard Cross type of role for the Notre Dame defensive interior, but he's significantly stronger than both of those former standouts. Brewu comes to South Bend as one of the strongest players on the roster and will look to have an All-ACC type of season for the Notre Dame defense this fall. 

No. 78 – Keon Keeley, DE

"Here's a familiar name for Fighting Irish fans," Olson said of the former Fighting Irish commit. "Keeley is finally making the move to South Bend after previously decommitting from the Notre Dame in August 2022. Marcus Freeman and his staff must be pleased this worked out and they're getting two good years with a former five-star who's determined to fight for a major role in their defense."

The storyline of Keeley coming back to South Bend is heart-warming and a great step for the young man. But it also filled a need on Notre Dame's defensive end depth chart. Behind Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young, the depth was a question mark, but Keeley's presences gives Notre Dame the potential to have a lethal three-man rotation on the edge. He was a work in progress when he came to South Bend in the spring, but with a strong finish to the offseason, Keeley will become a major player on the Notre Dame defensive line. 

Notre Dame Opponents

Miami

No. 4 – Darian Mensah, QB
No. 8 – Damon Wilson II, DE
No. 46 – Cooper Barkate, WR
No. 95 – Vandrevius Jacobs, WR

BYU

No. 71 – Cade Uluave, LB

Wisconsin

No. 99 – Colton Joseph, QB

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