Notre Dame football moves one step closer toward landing high upside defensive tackle in make or break transfer portal period

If Notre Dame were able to close on Gilliam, it would be a great start to overhauling the defensive line. With so much turnover, the staff will need to get at least one more defensive tackle, but ideally two. Getting new defensive line coach Charlie Patridge as much talent to work with as possible would be ideal.

Xavier Gilliam’s career background

After redshirting as a freshman in 2024, Gilliam earned a spot in the rotation this past season. Despite being a part of a deep rotation, the Maryland native was very productive on a snap-to-snap basis. In 13 games, Gilliam managed to collect 15 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and half a sack. With three years of eligibility remaining, there is a ton of upside to continue to tap into.

When Gilliam came out of Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard in the 2024 recruiting class, he was billed as a bit of a raw football player. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Gilliam finished as a three-star player, which included being rated as the No. 750 overall player, the No. 82 defensive lineman, and the No. 26 player from the state of Maryland in the 2024 class. Only listed at 265 pounds at the time, Gilliam has now ballooned to a 6-2, 300-pound bowling ball on the interior.

Despite the lower rankings, the talented defender still had a long list of impressive options. Some of his top offers included the Nittany Lions, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Indiana, NC State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Maryland, West Virginia, Boston College, Duke, and Wake Forest, among others.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.