Notre Dame Transfer Portal Intel: Areas of need coming into focus, positive retention news, and latest for the Fighting Irish
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The Transfer Portal officially opens on January 2nd and will stay open until the 16th for a two-week window for players to enter. While the real craziness is still on the horizon, programs across college football are already getting themselves prepared to capitalize on the ability to bring in new talent. Players have started announcing their intentions of entering, teams are creating boards, and also back-channeling for potential interest with their agents.
When it comes to Notre Dame football, I expect the Fighting Irish to be aggressive during this portal period, perhaps the most we have seen in the Transfer Portal era. Head coach Marcus Freeman understands the key holes to fill on this roster, and there are going to be talented players out there to fill them. There is a lot of value to be had.
Since the Notre Dame season ended, I have been doing my due diligence to get insight into the team’s potential portal plans. That includes talking to folks close to the program, as well as some on the agent side of the industry. I didn’t cover every piece of positional need (sorry to all the kicker and backup quarterback enthusiasts), but here is an updated look at where I believe the Irish staff will prioritize via the portal.
Notre Dame players returning
Running back Aneyas Williams has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks. It’s no secret that there was some frustration about Williams’ role in the offense this season, and it was going to take a solid pitch to get the talented runner to buy into the vision for him in 2026. Well, things have been smoothed over, and the rising junior has resigned (never thought I would write that) to return next season. With other talented running backs like Nolan James Jr., Kedren Young, Javian Osborne, and Jonaz Walton also in that room, I expect Williams to be the lead back to start the season, with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price off to the NFL.
The other big news of the day is that wide receiver Jaden Greathouse will also be back in 2026 for the Irish. Going into the 2025 season, many expected Greathouse to be the top pass catcher on the team, but things did not go his way due to injury and lack of targets. The 6-2, 210-pound pass catcher now gets a second chance to have a massive season with quarterback CJ Carr. You should expect Greathouse and Jordan Faison to be two of the wide receiver starters heading into next season.
Defensive tackle aggressiveness
There is no bigger need on the Notre Dame roster than at defensive tackle. With Gabriel Rubio, Jared Dawson, and Jason Onye (pending his application for another year) all out of eligibility, that leaves a big void in the rotation inside. The Irish need to get at least one legitimate option at defensive tackle in the portal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they push for two.
The biggest early name to watch right now is Mateen Ibirogba (Wake Forest). The 6-4, 296-pound defensive tackle has had a very unique path to this point after beginning his career as a Georgetown defensive end. I expect Notre Dame to give Ibirogba a deep look, and based on a conversation I had with someone close to the former Demon Deacon, I do think that the Irish would have a very strong chance.
If Notre Dame were able to land Ibirogba, I still believe that they should explore one more defensive tackle. While he is a talented interior penetrator, Ibirogba is not the best player at the point of attack. Considering that Donovan Hinish is similar in that regard, that room would lack some diversity. The team would be best served to push for a bigger run stopper as well, which I think there will be options that make sense out there.
Boundary wide receiver, a major priority
Based on everything I gather, I anticipate Notre Dame making a very strong push for at least one wide receiver in the portal, and finding impact size will be the priority. Former Michigan State standout Nick Marsh is possibly the biggest name on the market, and yes, I also anticipate the Irish staff making a hard charge at him when the time comes. The 6-3, 215-pound pass catcher is exactly the missing element in the offense that Malachi Fields is leaving empty.
Marsh isn’t the only wide receiver that I expect the Irish to keep their eyes on, and potentially make a push for. That includes a talented Big Ten wideout who has not yet entered the portal officially, but has every intention of doing so. That particular player will be discussed in depth when his announcement is made. Regardless, I like Notre Dame’s chances early of landing a potential difference maker based on the group that will be on the market.
The market is going to be massive for Marsh, and it won’t be easy to get it done. That isn’t going to deter Notre Dame, however.
Outside of adding that big boundary wide receiver, I’m not sure that Notre Dame needs to go for volume this time around. With the Greathouse news, I expect the staff to push for one wide receiver for sure. While anything is possible, I’d actually be somewhat surprised if they pushed for a second right now, but that’ll depend on who ends up leaving from the current roster.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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