Notre Dame's Portal Focus Is On Quality Over Quantity

in many ways Notre Dame will have a very different looking football team in 2024. The Fighting Irish are going to lose over 30 players from its current roster for exhausting their eligibility, to the NFL or to the transfer portal.

Notre Dame has a 23-man class signed in the 2024 class, and the Irish have a lot of talented younger players emerging as well. Notre Dame is clearly going to once again attack the portal, but like last season, Notre Dame's focus will be on quality over quantity. Notre Dame will be selective with the positions, and players, it seeks in the portal.

In some cases the Irish will look to add an impact starter, in other instances a quality veteran is needed, and in some places it's a depth need. Let's take a look at some positions the Irish could - or should - target in the portal.

Let's begin with the offense and then move to defense and special teams.

QUARTERBACK

Projected 2024 Numbers: 3

It's no secret that Notre Dame is going to target a quarterback in portal, as head coach Marcus Freeman made that clear before the regular season ended. What remained to be seen is if the Irish will land a depth player or an impact player.

The moment Duke quarterback Riley Leonard entered the portal he was linked to Notre Dame. Leonard passed for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022, and he added 699 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. He got off to a strong start in 2023 before going down with an injury against Notre Dame, and he was never the same.

Injury concerns aside, Leonard fits the mold of what offensive coordinator Gerad Parker seems to prefer thanks to his ability to make plays with his arm and legs, so it makes sense he would be the top target.

Analysis: I've said for some time my preference is that Notre Dame focus on developing its own players, unless they could find a "dude" at the position. Leonard will have to show he's recovered from the injuries that ended his 2023 campaign prematurely, but if he does he fits the bill of an impact player.

WIDE RECEIVER

Projected 2024 Numbers: 8

After losing four (and potentially five) receivers from the 2023 depth chart the Irish once again head into the offseason with some numbers issues at wide receiver. That problem is even worse this offseason, as the five-man receiver class of 2023 (which included Jordan Faison), is now down to three, and the Irish have no wideouts on the roster from the 2020 or 2022 classes at wideout.

Eight receivers is actually good from a rotation standpoint, and with a talented walk ons like Leo Scheidler, the Irish have nine players that can help. The issue, however, is the current roster has too many players with injury histories. Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas and KK Smith are all talented players, but Colzie and Smith have already had season-ending injuries and Thomas has been banged up for large chunks of two seasons.

Notre Dame needs one wide receiver to give it the comfort needed to get through the season capable of handling an injury or two. Landing two receivers would solidify the roster from a numbers standpoint.

Analysis: Notre Dame has plenty of talented slot options on the roster. Some are more pure slots, while others are versatile enough to play all over, but slot is their best position. That means Notre Dame's focus needs to be on receivers that can play outside. Landing a player that can provide size and depth into the boundary would be good, but Notre Dame could also use a playmaker that can stretch the field and/or do damage after the catch.

Notre Dame hosted Florida International wideout Kris Mitchell this weekend.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

Projected 2024 Numbers: 4-5

Notre Dame is likely going to lose star left tackle Joe Alt to the NFL Draft, and where he'll be a first round draft pick. Right tackle Blake Fisher is also expected to join Alt in the draft, although his prognosis is much, much murkier. We'll have time to debate the merits of Fisher's decision when he makes his decision, should he choose to go that route. 

Analysis: Notre Dame has to go into portal season at least willing to consider a veteran tackle. This is a position where Notre Dame should be very, very choosy, and only look for a player with experience and the talent to thrive on the edge. That type of player is rare in the portal, but they should at least keep their options open should Fisher leave.

That's not to say that Tosh Baker, Aamil Wagner, Charles Jagusah, Sullivan Absher or talented freshman Guerby Lambert couldn't form a quality edge group, but there's almost no experience there. But there's a lot of risk going into the season with that little experience on the outside.

SAFETY

Projected 2024 Numbers: 6

The issue with Notre Dame's six projected safeties in 2024 is that half of them will be true freshmen, and we don't yet know if Xavier Watts will return for a fifth season. Notre Dame will need to completely remake this position over the next two seasons, and the Irish will need the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes to be a hit if that's going to happen quickly.

Should Watts return the Irish will have a potential star returning at one safety spot, but the man next to him will be a question after DJ Brown used all his eligibility, and Ramon Henderson entered the transfer portal. Sources have told Irish Breakdown there is a lot of optimism with the current freshmen (Adon Shuler, Ben Minich), but the numbers are shaky.

Analysis: There is no position that is more important to address in the portal than safety. Perhaps Notre Dame could move a current cornerback to safety (please, move Clarence Lewis), but even if that happens there's need for a veteran starting caliber safety in the portal. 

Notre Dame hosted Arizona State safety visited this weekend. He'll be a sixth year player next season and he has 139 career tackles, 17 passes defensed and three interceptions. He spent most of the last two seasons playing in the slot, so it would appear he's more of a potential replacement for nickel Thomas Harper, although Clark's pass coverage numbers at ASU aren't nearly as good as Harper's at Oklahoma State. He has been durable and productive, however.

Notre Dame would still likely need a safety that can play on the back end, unless the staff plans to transition Clark into more of a deep safety role despite his lack of height land length.

DEFENSIVE END

Projected 2024 Numbers: 8-10

Barring more than 1-2 defections, Notre Dame is in very good shape from a numbers and talent standpoint. All but one returner (Jordan Botelho) would have multiple seasons of eligibility. The issue, however, is that much of the returning depth would be quite inexperienced behind Botelho, Josh Burnham and Junior Tuihalamaka.

Notre Dame has to make a decision, really coach up the young players and build the edge depth around the potential, in hopes of turning it into production, or add a veteran to provide some insurance. 

Analysis: Notre Dame has a decision to make along the defensive line, a few in fact. If Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III return, and there are no transfers, the interior should be loaded, and experienced. On the edge, however, there's merit to adding a veteran, even with all the young talent. A veteran with legit experience and a proven track record can either ensure Notre Dame has quality play on the edge, or he gets beat out by a younger player and the Irish have an impact player on the edge.

The other decision on the edge is what kind of end they look for. Botelho, Burnham and Tuihalamaka could all move to big end, especially the two younger players, if not both. That would mean the Vyper needs to be addressed in the portal. If only one of them moves, or none of them moves, Notre Dame could look to add a veteran big end.

KICKER

Projected 2024 Numbers: 0 on scholarship

Notre Dame has gone to the portal for a place kicker in each of the last two seasons, landing Blake Grupe in 2022 and Spencer Shrader this season. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Notre Dame do that again.

Analysis: Freshman Marcello Diomede has some potential, but I don't know if the staff things he's ready to take over the full-time placekicking duties. Same for the 2022 kick off specialist Zac Yoakam. How the staff views these two players will go a very long way towards determine if they once again go to the portal for a place kicker.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

*** Notre Dame could consider a veteran tight end due to Mitchell Evans' injury and Holden Staes' departure combined with Eli Raridon's injury history. I would also completely understand them rolling the dice with their very talented tight end room, which has Davis Sherwood and a couple of walk ons that could provide quality depth until Evans returns.

*** Notre Dame could look for a veteran linebacker in the portal, but if that were the case they should try and bring back Jack Kiser. Personally, barring injury, I would focus on coaching up the younger players. Notre Dame has loads of young talent at linebacker, and with Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa set to arrive, this is absolutely a position Notre Dame should bet on the talent. I mean, with Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed, Preston Zinter, Nolan Ziegler and the incoming freshmen - led by Viliamu-Asa, you have to think a good position coach can get that group ready to make a lot of plays if they are able to get the necessary reps this offseason. That is harder the more bodies you add via the portal.