Notre Dame football transfer portal tracker, latest updates
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The college football transfer portal is now open, and Notre Dame is expected to be active.
The new 15-day winter transfer portal window opened Friday, Jan. 2 and runs through Friday, Jan. 16. The spring window for transfers has been eliminated.
Teams that reach the College Football Playoff semifinal have an additional period to enter the portal once their seasons conclude.
Check back regularly for updates to this live transfer portal tracker for Notre Dame football.
Portal Additions
This section will be updated when new players officially announce their transfer to Notre Dame.
Portal Departures (8)
Notre Dame football loses defensive end Josh Burnham
A 6-foot-4, 260-pound product of Traverse City, Mich., Burnham announced via social media on Tuesday Dec. 30 he would enter the transfer portal with one remaining season of eligibility.
Having transitioned from linebacker to a valuable defensive end during his four years at Notre Dame, Burnham played through injuries to make 14 combined starts over the past two seasons. He made six tackles for loss, including three sacks, in 2025 while dealing with a strained adductor muscle for much of the year.
Burnham averaged nearly 300 defensive snaps over the past three seasons and was credited with 39 total pressures. He also contributed on special teams as a shield blocker for punts and a wing protector on place kicks.
#NotreDame DE Josh Burnham, who played through injuries the past two seasons and was a potential captain in 2026, announces via IG he’s entering the transfer portal. #NDFootballpic.twitter.com/A115KMMuiN
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) December 30, 2025
Marcello Diomede, kicker
On Friday Dec, 26, junior backup kicker Marcello Diomede announced on social media he intends to enter the transfer portal with two remaining seasons of eligibility. Diomede appeared in half of Notre Dame’s 12 games this season, making two of his three extra-point attempts and kicking off a total of 17 times.
The Glen Ellyn, Ill,, native appeared in three games in 2024 and one as a freshman in 2023. He made his lone extra-point attempt in each season and kicked off one time each year.
Ben Minich, safety
A second safety entered the portal in as many days as Ben Minich posted Dec. 23 on social media his intent to transfer. Minich appeared in three games in 2023 while retaining his redshirt. He was mostly a special teams player the last two seasons, appearing in 14 games in 2024 and all 12 in 2025.
Minich was in for 162 plays this fall, all but 14 of those on special teams. A Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) product like fellow transfer safety Taebron Bennie-Powell, Minich registered 10 career tackles.
JaDon Blair, safety
A four-star recruit from Winston-Salem, N.C., the 6-foot-5, 205-pound freshman played just 19 defensive snaps in 2025. All of those came in the Senior Day blowout of Syracuse.
Blair was a top 55 recruit in the On3 rankings while the other leading services placed him no higher than No. 154 nationally. His father Ja’Warren is a former East Carolina defensive lineman who played professionally in NFL Europe.
Gi’Bran Payne, running back
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Cincinnati product announced his transfer portal intentions on the night of Friday Dec. 19.
After missing all of 2024 with a torn right ACL suffered in the spring game, Payne appeared in all 12 games this season, mainly on the kick return unit. He played just 16 snaps on offense but averaged 5.9 yards on his nine carries.
Payne, who originally signed with Indiana before transferring to Notre Dame in the 2022 signing class, was the primary short-yardage back in 2023. He rushed for 168 yards and two scores that year, adding nine catches for 58 yards and two more scores.
Taebron Bennie-Powell, safety
A three-star signee in the 2024 recruiting class, Bennie-Powell was unable to carve out a role in two seasons with the Irish. He missed the 2024 season following August surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
In 2025, the former Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) teammate of Notre Dame defensive back Ben Minich played just 14 snaps, all against Syracuse in the 70-7 Senior Day blowout. Bennie-Powell announced his intention to enter the portal on Dec. 19 with three seasons of remaining eligibility.
Kenny Minchey, quarterback
Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame football’s backup quarterback, plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2, according to multiple national reports on Dec. 8.
A redshirt sophomore, Minchey will have two remaining seasons of eligibility after backing up first-year starter CJ Carr this fall.
A native of Hendersonville, Tenn., a Nashville suburb, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Minchey appeared in six games for the Irish this season. He went 20-of-26 passing (76.9%) for 196 yards and ran seven times for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Minchey closed out the 49-20 road win over Stanford on Nov. 29. He absorbed a helmet-to-helmet hit on the final drive but stayed in the game for the final three snaps.
After battling Minchey for the starting job in fall camp, Carr led the Irish to a 10-2 record and the No. 11 CFP national ranking. Minchey originally committed to play for Pittsburgh before flipping to Notre Dame and then-offensive coordinator Tommy Rees late in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Chance Tucker, cornerback
Slowed by injury during his five seasons with the Irish, Tucker announced via his agents on Wednesday Dec. 18 that he would enter the transfer portal.
The Encino, Calif., product suffered a broken left tibia in the Senior Day romp over Syracuse. He also missed the 2024 season with a torn Achilles.
The 6-foot, 183-pound Tucker played 36 defensive snaps over four games in 2025, plus another two plays on kickoff coverage. He saw action in 14 total games during his Notre Dame career, including nine games in 2023.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football college transfer portal tracker 2026 season
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