Now that thecollege footballschedule has officially reached the offseason, the focus for teams has shifted fully toward their rosters for next season and how they filled holes on their depth charts throughthe transfer portalor through the high school ranks.
One team that has been in "offseason" mode for some time now has beenNotre Dame football,which controversiallymissed out on the College Football Playoffdespite finishing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and being included in five previous CFP rankings before Selection Sunday — and then decided to sit out the postseason.
Marcus Freeman and Co. were able to add some receivers for quarterback CJ Carr and bolster their defensive front with Oregon defensive tackle Tionee Gray and Alabama edge rusher Keon Keeley, who was once a member of Freeman's first full recruiting class.
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Unlike past years, January served as the only open window for players to enter the transfer portal this offseason, as the spring portal window in April is no longer part of the college football schedule. That said, players who entered before the Friday, Jan. 16 deadline — or by Saturday, Jan. 24 for those on Indiana and Miami's rosters— can commit at anytime.
Here's a running list of player movement for theFighting Irishthis offseason (players have either announced their intention to transfer decision or it's been reported that they will enter the portal):
Notre Dame football transfer portal news
As of 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 22, the Fighting Irish have eight players in their transfer portal class. The top offense player in Notre Dame's transfer portal class is former Ohio State wide receiver Quincy Porter, who was a four-star recruit and the No. 11 wide receiver in the portal. The top defensive player is former Oregon defensive lineman Tionee Gray, who was a four-star recruit and the No. 17 overall player in the portal.
Here's a breakdown of who has departed and who has joined the Fighting Irish program,according to 247Sportsandthe South Bend Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network:
WR Quincy Porter (Ohio State)
WR Mylan Graham (Ohio State)
DL Tionne Gray (Oregon)
DL Francis Brewu (Pitt)
EDGE Keon Keeley (Alabama)
CB Jayden Sanders (Michigan)
CB DJ McKinney (Colorado)
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QB Kenny Minchey (Kentucky)
RB Gi'Bran Payne (Cincinnati)
WR Scrap Richardson (Auburn)
WR KK Smith (Michigan State)
EDGE Joshua Burnham (Indiana)
EDGE Preston Zinter (Rice)
LB Anthony Sacca (UCLA)
LB Bodie Kahoun (Boston College)
CB Karson Hobbs (Florida State)
CB Cree Thomas (Colorado)
S JaDon Blair (Missouri)
S Taebron Bennie-Powell (Boise State)
S Ben Minich (Maryland)
CB Chance Tucker
2026 Notre Dame roster: Transfer additions
Here's a breakdown of Notre Dame's transfer additions (as of 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 22) along with their 247Sports' rankings:
WR Quincy Porter
Former School: Ohio State
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 45 overall ranked player | No. 11 ranked wide receiver
WR Mylan Graham
Former School: Ohio State
247Sports Ranking: Three-star recruit | No. 163 overall ranked player | No. 41 ranked wide receiver
DL Tionne Gray
Former School: (Oregon)
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 17 overall ranked player | No. 3 ranked defensive lineman
DL Francis Brewu
Former School: Pitt
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 53 overall ranked player | No. 8 ranked defensive lineman
EDGE Keon Keeley (Alabama)
Former School: Alabama
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 60 overall ranked player | No. 7 ranked edge rusher
CB Jayden Sanders
Former School: Michigan
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 108 overall ranked player | No. 5 ranked cornerback
DJ McKinney
Former School: Colorado
247Sports Ranking: 4-star recruit | No. 109 overall ranked player | No. 6 ranked cornerback
Note: 247Sports does not include Spencer Porath in Notre Dame's 2026 transfer class. Heannounced his transfer from Purdue to Notre Dameon Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Where does Notre Dame football's transfer class rank?
Notre Dame holds the 10th-best transfer portal class this cycle,according to 247Sports.It is the first time that the Fighting Irish have built a top-10 transfer class since 2021, which happened to be Freeman's first season at the helm of the program.
Here's a breakdown of where Notre Dame ranks among the top 2026 transfer classes in the country per 247Sports' rankings:
Note: Number of commits in parentheses as listed by 247Sports
LSU (39)
Ole Miss (27)
Texas (17)
Ohio State (16)
Penn State (36)
Oklahoma State (54)
Indiana (17)
Texas tech (21)
Kentucky (29)
Notre Dame (7)
Note: 247Sports does not include Spencer Porath in Notre Dame's 2026 transfer class.
Notre Dame football schedule 2026
Here's a look at Notre Dame's schedule in 2026, including available dates:
Sunday, Sept. 6: vs. Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field)
Saturday, Sept. 12: vs. Rice
Saturday, Sept. 16: vs. Michigan State
Saturday, Sept. 26: at Purdue
Saturday, Oct. 3: at North Carolina
Saturday, Oct. 17: at BYU
Saturday, Oct. 31: vs. Navy (at Gillette Stadium)
Saturday, Nov. 7: vs. Miami
Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Boston College
vs. SMU *
at Syracuse *
vs. Stanford *
* Denotes games with an unannounced date
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Notre Dame football recruiting news, transfer portal: 2026 roster moves