With the transfer portal opening tomorrow, January 2, Notre Dame enters a familiar but increasingly consequential stretch of the offseason. While the Irish have never treated the portal like an annual free agency spree, recent seasons have shown that selective, well-timed additions can be the difference between a good roster on paper and a team ready to compete from Week 1.
This cycle feels different in one key way: the needs are clearer, the margin for error is smaller, and the urgency is real because a title run is an actual possibility for what will be a veteran-laden Irish squad. Notre Dame does not need volume like some contenders. It needs quality – and in a few cases, it needs them immediately.
This is not about completely retooling a roster that it bought a year ago, it’s about supplementing a roster that Marcus Freeman’s staff has built through recruiting the last several years. It’s about identifying the spots where development alone may not be enough and using the portal to stabilize the roster before spring practice ever begins.
Defensive Tackle: The Clear No. 1 Priority
There is no ambiguity at the top of Notre Dame’s portal wish list. Defensive tackle stands alone.
The retirement of Donovan Hinish left a massive void in the middle of the defense — not just in terms of snaps, but in reliability, toughness, and week-to-week consistency. Hinish was the kind of interior presence who allowed everything else around him to function properly, and replacing that is not a one-for-one proposition.
Complicating matters further is the uncertain future of Jason Onye, who has applied for a sixth year of eligibility. Even if that waiver is granted, it would be difficult to build a defensive plan around assumptions. Onye’s availability remains a huge question and Notre Dame cannot afford to enter the season hoping everything breaks right because when is the last time any decision the NCAA has made made any sense?
On top of the loss of Hinish, Notre Dame also lost rising junior Armel Mukam to the portal on Thursday night. Mukam was a developmental player who had flashed at times and still has a high ceiling, but his role in 2026 was unsettled.
The reality is simple: the Irish need at least two defensive tackles who can play right away. Not developmental projects. Not long-term upside bets. Players who have taken real snaps, held up against Power Five competition, and can be trusted early in the season. With Mukam entering the portal, adding two veteran linemen who are plug-and-play additions, along with a developmental addition ala Elijah Hughes last year, wouldn’t be surprising.
Defensive tackle is not a position where patience is rewarded in September. If Notre Dame gets this wrong – or waits too long – it risks signifcantly reducing their best chance at a championship in years.
Wide Receiver: Replacing the Malachai Fields Role
The departure of Malachai Fields leaves Notre Dame with a very specific problem to solve. This is not simply about replacing targets or receptions. It’s about replacing a role. Jordan Faison led the Irish in receptions and returns along with Jaden Greathouse.
Fields, however, brought size, physicality, and contested-catch ability that doesn’t currently exist elsewhere on the roster. There is no obvious like-for-like option heading into 2026, particularly when it comes to red-zone situations and third-down throws where size matters. Maybe Elijah Burress could fill that role, but he is likely a year away from being ready for a prominent role.
There is optimism internally about Cam Williams, who reportedly came on strong in practice late in the year. But production matters, and Williams remains largely unproven in game action. Jaden Greathouse has flashed talent, but injuries have prevented him from stringing together the kind of consistent season that builds confidence in a full-time role.
At minimum, Notre Dame needs one portal receiver who can step in and immediately occupy the “Fields role.” If the staff can land two legitimate top-line options, it should seriously consider it. This is not about depth for the sake of depth — it’s about adding a receiver who changes how defenses have to play Notre Dame on the outside.
Kicker: Fixing What Broke in 2025
It’s impossible to sugarcoat this one. Last season’s kicking situation was a fiasco.
Missed opportunities, altered play-calling, and constant uncertainty turned what should be a stabilizing position into a weekly storyline. Points were left on the field, and confidence – both on the sideline and in the stands – eroded as the season went on.
If Notre Dame can land a proven, impact kicker through the portal, it should be treated as a high priority. This is not a luxury add. It is a win-margin position. In close games, reliable kicking changes how aggressively a staff can coach and how confidently an offense can operate.
This is a fixable problem. The portal provides that opportunity. Notre Dame should take it seriously.
EDGE: Dependent on Bryce Young’s Role
EDGE isn’t an emergency need, but it is one worth monitoring closely.
The loss of Josh Burnham to the portal matters more than it might appear at first glance, particularly when paired with the potential long-term plan for Bryce Young. If Young is moved inside full time in 2026, Notre Dame could find itself thinner on the edge than originally anticipated.
In that scenario, a portal EDGE addition becomes less about replacing Burnham directly and more about preserving flexibility in pass-rush packages. This is a position where Notre Dame can afford to be selective, but it should not ignore the possibility entirely.
Notre Dame added its highest-rated edge rushers in years this cycle in Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade, but how much the staff is ready to rely on a pair of true freshmen EDGE rushers is unknown.
Running Back: Only for a True Difference-Maker
There is little urgency at running back — and that’s a good thing. Notre Dame loses the best running back tandem in at least a quarter century with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price headed to the NFL.
Still, Notre Dame is well-positioned in the backfield, with confidence in Aneyas Williams and appreciation for the depth the staff has built alongside a strong offensive line foundation. This is not a room that needs help for the sake of numbers. Nolan James and Kreden Young (who missed all of 2025) have flashed at times and the Irish added perhaps their next dynamic duo in Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne this recruiting cycle.
That said, if a true top-line starter unexpectedly becomes available, it would be worth exploring. The bar should be extremely high. Otherwise, this is a position best left to development and continuity.
Backup Quarterback: Insurance With Constraints
The quarterback room presents a unique challenge. Entering 2026, Notre Dame is likely looking at a depth chart that includes two true freshmen – assuming Teddy Jarrard signs with Notre Dame as Indiana and Georgia push to flip him – along with Noah Grubbs and sophomore to be Blake Hebert.
A portal quarterback could make sense, but only under very specific conditions. Any transfer would need to embrace being the clear No. 2, value stability, and understand that the path to playing time is narrow. That profile exists — but it’s not easy to find.
This is a position to monitor rather than force.
Precision Over Panic
Notre Dame does not need to “win” the transfer portal. It needs to execute it well.
Defensive tackle and wide receiver will ultimately define whether this cycle is a success. Those are the positions where the risk of standing pat is simply too high. Everything else – kicker included – is about raising the floor and eliminating avoidable weaknesses.
With the portal opening tomorrow morning, the Irish have an opportunity to address their most pressing needs early and enter spring practice with clarity rather than questions. This cycle isn’t about volume. It’s about filling the few gaps that exist in the roster for next season and gearing up for a playoff run so that the Irish aren’t sitting at home this time next year.
