Nickel Corner U? Notre Dame Continues Impressive Trend With DeVonta Smith

Notre Dame Continues Impressive Nickel Corner Stretch From Portal

The nickel position in the Al Golden defense is one of the most important on the field. When Golden took over as defensive coordinator in 2022, he inherited a built-in star in Tariq Bracy. Since Bracy's departure, Notre Dame has made the nickel position a priority in the transfer portal, and DeVonta Smith is simply the next player in line.

In 2023, the Irish added Thomas Harper Jr. from Oklahoma State. He went on to have his most productive collegiate season at Notre Dame, finishing with 39 total tackles, six for loss, two sacks, three passes defended, and one forced fumble. Although Harper went undrafted, he's played in 12 games as a rookie for the Las Vegas Raiders.

This past offseason, Notre Dame brought in Jordan Clark from Arizona State. While his statistical output may not be his best college season, he has certainly garnered the most national recognition in 2024. With potentially four more games to play, Clark has totaled 25 tackles, one for loss, one interception, and three passes defended. No one should be surprised if he also makes an NFL roster next year.

Before anyone critiques the numbers, it's important to note that nickel corners rarely put up monster stats—it's simply the nature of the position. They're tasked with covering tight ends, running backs out of the backfield, and shifty slot receivers—responsibilities that only certain players can handle.

The Notre Dame coaching staff and off-field scouting personnel have done an outstanding and meticulous job finding elite college starters for this key position over the last several seasons.

The Irish are Big Game Hunting

We were told that, unlike past offseasons, Notre Dame would be adding more nationally recognized names in the transfer portal this time around. DeVonta Smith certainly fits that bill, as a former four-star defensive back from the Cincinnati area.

The Irish were high on Smith coming out of high school, but he ultimately chose the Crimson Tide over Notre Dame and other programs.

Now, a few years later, Smith will finish his college career in South Bend, rather than with the SEC powerhouse that, according to all reports, wanted him back badly.

Notre Dame is keeping their portal targets under wraps for now, largely due to their ongoing pursuit of a National Championship. Smith is the first domino to fall, but we can expect more high-profile names to emerge in the coming weeks.