Notre Dame Sees Significant Transfer Portal Departures

Where all of Notre Dame's transfer portal departures ended up for the 2026 college football season

Feb. 3, 2026 at 8:15pm

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As Notre Dame turns the page to the 2026 season, it'll do so with a new collection of faces that came in via the 2026 high school recruiting class or from the transfer portal. To make room for those new players, though, some had to leave from the portal. Notre Dame wound up adding significant pieces that should play big parts as the Irish look at 2026 as being College Football Playoff or complete bust.

Why it matters

The transfer portal has become an increasingly important part of college football roster management, allowing players to find new opportunities when they don't fit in at their original school. Notre Dame's departures highlight how the portal can impact even a traditional powerhouse program as they look to rebuild and reload for the upcoming season.

The details

Notre Dame saw a number of players enter the transfer portal, including wide receiver Scrap Richardson, linebackers Anthony Sacca and Bodie Kahoun, edge rusher Preston Zinter, wide receiver KK Smith, cornerback Cree Thomas, safety Ben Minich, edge rusher Joshua Burnham, cornerback Karson Hobbs, safety JaDon Blair, running back Gi'Bran Payne, safety Taebron Bennie-Powell, and quarterback Kenny Minchey. These players have found new homes at schools across the country, including Auburn, UCLA, Boston College, Rice, Michigan State, Colorado, Miami, Indiana, Florida State, Missouri, Cincinnati, Boise State, and Kentucky.

  • On November 15, 2025, Notre Dame played against Pittsburgh.
  • On November 8, 2025, Notre Dame played against Navy.

The players

Scrap Richardson

A wide receiver who did not record any stats during his time at Notre Dame.

Anthony Sacca

A linebacker who did not record any stats during his time at Notre Dame.

Bodie Kahoun

A linebacker who recorded two tackles between the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Notre Dame.

Preston Zinter

An edge rusher who recorded nine tackles over the last three seasons at Notre Dame.

KK Smith

A wide receiver who hauled in 11 receptions over the last two seasons at Notre Dame, scoring two touchdowns.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The Notre Dame football team will look to reload with new talent from the transfer portal and 2026 recruiting class as they aim to make a run at the College Football Playoff in the upcoming season.

The takeaway

Notre Dame's significant transfer portal departures highlight the increasing importance of the portal in college football roster management, as even traditional powerhouse programs must adapt to the new realities of the transfer landscape in order to remain competitive.