Notre Dame football sees 3 players enter transfer portal after CFP loss

The Notre Dame football program came up just short on Monday night in the College Football Playoff national title game against Ohio State. Still, it was a fantastic season, especially after an early upset loss to Northern Illinois in South Bend.

Unfortunately, the transfer portal departures are coming quickly for Notre Dame after the loss. On Wednesday, the Irish lost three more players to the portal, per Pete Nakos of On3. All three players were part of the offense and earned playing time during this season, so they are notable departures.

The Irish saw wide receiver Deion Colzie, wide receiver Jayden Thomas, and offensive lineman Sam Pendleton enter the portal on Wednesday. Pendleton, as Nakos reports, has a Do Not Contact tag, which insists that his mind is already made up.

Colzie just finished his fourth year in South Bend, although he had just 21 total catches during that span. In 2024, he played in just five games and caught five passes for 41 yards and a score.

Thomas is a bigger loss from a statistics standpoint. In 2024, Thomas had 16 catches for 154 yards and a score and he played in all four College Football Playoff games for Notre Dame.

Pendleton is also a tough loss as he started seven games in 2024 and was a former four-star recruit. However, Notre Dame has a logjam in the offensive line room, so Pendleton’s departure isn’t all that surprising.

Ohio State also saw a few players enter the portal just after winning the title, so it is a common sight given the wildness of the sport now and the uptick of players in the portal.

For the Notre Dame football program, they will work in the transfer portal and try to make another run in 2025, although it might be difficult without quarterback Riley Leonard and some other big pieces.