Pittsburgh transfer DL Francis Brewu commits to Notre Dame
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Former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Francis Brewu has committed to Notre Dame, via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Brewu spent two seasons with the Panthers.
Brewu had a breakout sophomore season in 2025, starting in all 13 of Pittsburgh’s games. He tallied 36 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He led all Pitt interior defensive linemen in tackles.
For his efforts, Brewu was named an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection. As a true freshman in the 2024 campaign, Brewu made 12 appearances and one start. He finished the season with 15 tackles, three TFLs and 1.5 sacks.
Francis Brewu played high school football at Thomas Worthington (OH), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 470 overall player and No. 40 defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
At the time of his commitment to the Fighting Irish, Brewu was the No. 5 defensive lineman in On3’s 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings. He is expected to make an immediate impact on Notre Dame’s defensive front.
Notre Dame will have a chip on its shoulder next season after being excluded from the College Football Playoff this past season. Many fans believed the Fighting Irish deserved to be in over Miami, but the CFP selection committee ultimately honored the Hurricanes’ season-opening win over Notre Dame.
“Marcus said it perfectly: Usually there are reasons and answers and explanations, but we don’t have one for you with this,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said at the time. “This is shocking and upsetting. An utter disbelief and sadness from our student-athletes, who were led to believe since the CFP rankings started of what they needed to do and did everything they were asked to do.”
In turn, Notre Dame opted to not participate in a bowl game. The Fighting Irish finished the season with a 10-2 record.
After the regular season’s conclusion, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman received interest from multiple NFL teams. Alas, Freeman announced he will be returning to coach the Fighting Irish next season.
Next season will be Freeman’s fifth at the helm of the Fighting Irish. He boasts a 42-12 record during his tenure as head coach.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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