2026 ND Portal Targets

[RipWheeler]

Be sure to rehydrate today men.

 

[arrowryan]

Someone start up a “GM Search” thread

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Not Keeley, probably a friend/family member/rep.

it's his uncle, they haven't seen each other in years, wanted to be back in his life. SO HAPPY for them!

 

[FU BK]

Be sure to rehydrate today men.

I switched from pop to water....frequent urination is easy now

 

[ndfanatic78]

Portal season huh, boys!! 90 pages of useless drivel. I learned we haven’t signed anyone and everyone else is better than ND at this. Oh and some of you need to wear diapers in bed. Now I’ve added to the useless drivel. 🤣

 

[IrishInOntario]

I think the staff is just going to have to resort to some serious behind the scenes tampering and directly buy a couple DTs off rosters. Guys that haven't even jumped in the portal yet. Have them visit quietly over the weekend and be ready to pony up $2+ million for each of them. Have them enter the portal on Monday with a no contact tag, already signed, sealed and delivered... Lick your wounds and be better prepared for next year.

If all you get is 1 quality DE, 2 quality DTs, 1 quality WR, 1 quality NB, 1 quality kicker and 1 serviceable backup QB... That's 7 players total. If you can't up what you're willing to pay into $10 million range to secure those needs, you've got major funding concerns, which is a bigger problem. After re-assessing the market...

DT #1: $2 million
DT #2: $2 million
WR: $2 million
DE: $1.5 million
NB: $1 million
QB: $1 million
K: $500k

Move the numbers around a little bit as required, but get serious over the weekend and augment your roster properly. If you really have a $60 million NIL budget, use 1/6th of it and take the next 11+ months to refill it... Or I don't know, make another deep playoff run and get paid $20+ million and it will have paid for itself.

 

[SoIll]

I don’t think it would have been any different if Freeman wrote it. None of them know anything.

They know what’s going on, they just aren’t saying it..

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Kind of sounds like some ambiguity with the NCAA contact periods lead to the issue of not having targets on campus this past weekend. Discussed on Locked On Irish podcast. I read over the regs, the dead period extends to 1/4 but there is an exception for transfers if they intend to be mid year enrollees. Certainly seems like it should have been pretty easy to square that away if your compliance department is doing its job....

 

[BrooklynDomer]

They know what’s going on, they just aren’t saying it..

I tend to believe this, too. But it begs to question, why not??? I am one of the biggest optimists around when it comes to ND football. And I still feel great about 2026. The thing I cannot seem to fathom is why ND isn’t trying to combat the negative press bombarding the program right now. I fail to believe we haven’t signed anyone yet, and that we have absolutely no plan. You seem to concur, and you have insider connections, so you saying it makes it even more likely. If you look back to last year, over a much longer portal cycle, ND never announced any of their signings until the very end. A handful came out on X (Smith, Washington). A couple updated their Instagram with ☘️. But if you remember, fans were literally checking the student directory and found guys like Jalen Strohman, Elijah Hughes, etc, only because school was starting, not because ND made any statements or leaked it. No one had any clue we had signed more than 1/2 our eventual portal class. Now, a year later, when ND is getting absolutely hammered for not publicly signing anyone…we’re doing the same thing? Even Keeley, we got a couple crystal balls, but absolute silence still.

It’s so weird. Make a splash. Make a big deal about Keeley, put it all out there. Do something. I know it’s not the ND way, and we like to be deliberate and everything, but it’s like we’re too stubborn to just break the cycle and embrace that you need momentum and need to pump it all out on social media realtime. I get that a lot of the sites covering ND haven’t exactly been supportive, but pick one or two that have and leak a name or 2 and get the fans pumped again. Literally the only peep out of ND since the portal opened is the hiring of Partridge and the 2 Penn State staffers. Are we really going to have to wait until Monday to start checking the Spring directory again?!?

 

[PolishDomer]

Be sure to rehydrate today men.

 

[PolishDomer]

Portal season huh, boys!! 90 pages of useless drivel. I learned we haven’t signed anyone and everyone else is better than ND at this. Oh and some of you need to wear diapers in bed. Now I’ve added to the useless drivel. 🤣

Curious if this has surpassed the Dante Moore Food thread page count yet...

 

[irishjim]

Honestly if I were a billionaire, I would just put out there that I'm willing to work out a top NIL deal for a top DT to transfer to Notre Dame. I'm sure it is pretty well know by everybody you will get paid if you go to Indiana, TT, or Oregon. What's wrong with a rich guy just putting the bounty out there?

 

[irishff1014]

ISD intel from Christian was pretty weak this morning. Just talked about the players and their backgrounds and fit on the field, not where they're leaning.

He did say OSU may be surging for Brewu and that's with the OSU visit yet to come (lol). He did also said the relationship to Partridge may be a big deal. He reiterated that 2 DTs are necessary.

Was hoping Matt Freeman would have written it to be honest.

I really like ISD and this seemed like an article they “had” to get out.

Weak was a good definition.

 

[OhioIrish]

I tend to believe this, too. But it begs to question, why not??? I am one of the biggest optimists around when it comes to ND football. And I still feel great about 2026. The thing I cannot seem to fathom is why ND isn’t trying to combat the negative press bombarding the program right now. I fail to believe we haven’t signed anyone yet, and that we have absolutely no plan. You seem to concur, and you have insider connections, so you saying it makes it even more likely. If you look back to last year, over a much longer portal cycle, ND never announced any of their signings until the very end. A handful came out on X (Smith, Washington). A couple updated their Instagram with ☘️. But if you remember, fans were literally checking the student directory and found guys like Jalen Strohman, Elijah Hughes, etc, only because school was starting, not because ND made any statements or leaked it. No one had any clue we had signed more than 1/2 our eventual portal class. Now, a year later, when ND is getting absolutely hammered for not publicly signing anyone…we’re doing the same thing? Even Keeley, we got a couple crystal balls, but absolute silence still.

It’s so weird. Make a splash. Make a big deal about Keeley, put it all out there. Do something. I know it’s not the ND way, and we like to be deliberate and everything, but it’s like we’re too stubborn to just break the cycle and embrace that you need momentum and need to pump it all out on social media realtime. I get that a lot of the sites covering ND haven’t exactly been supportive, but pick one or two that have and leak a name or 2 and get the fans pumped again. Literally the only peep out of ND since the portal opened is the hiring of Partridge and the 2 Penn State staffers. Are we really going to have to wait until Monday to start checking the Spring directory again?!?

I’ve thought about this too and I suspect part of the explanation is that they likely had some tough negotiations to retain 15/16 starters, none of whom received any fanfare for “re-signing”. Perhaps the staff has decided not to rock the boat by celebrating guys who have not yet made a contribution on the field.

 

[irishff1014]

The fact that our Kicker spot is a desperate need and nothing is bad.

 

[Irish Man3]

I love ISD and I’ve been a member there for 15 years. They put out intel every Friday regarding recruiting and behind the scenes stories they can share. This morning felt like they had to push an article because that’s what they do on Friday. Literally nothing of substance in that article. I think Christian and Matt do a great job of covering recruiting specifically and Jamie does great as an X’s and O’s film guy. I wish the three of them were more involved than the current set up with Greg.

I just think there is not much to report on right now. No real idea why it’s as hush hush as it is. I understand not blasting who you’re tampering with or visits you’re trying to get set up, but once there on campus….. why not push discussion? This whole portal cycle has been off, but here’s to hoping it ends well

 

[loweND]

Maybe optimistic: but one reason for hush-hush is if they're involved with players that haven't formally announced their entry into the portal and ND is hoping to not attract other teams / bidding competition. I know this was their strategy in prior years.

I'm not sure the agents would be as willing to go along with that this year with the way things have changed.

 

[calvegas04]

Honestly if I were a billionaire, I would just put out there that I'm willing to work out a top NIL deal for a top DT to transfer to Notre Dame. I'm sure it is pretty well know by everybody you will get paid if you go to Indiana, TT, or Oregon. What's wrong with a rich guy just putting the bounty out there?

We need some billionaires to step up first, Shane Gillis networth is 8 million according to Google, that just won't do it.

 

[BoredIrish]

I tend to believe this, too. But it begs to question, why not??? I am one of the biggest optimists around when it comes to ND football. And I still feel great about 2026. The thing I cannot seem to fathom is why ND isn’t trying to combat the negative press bombarding the program right now. I fail to believe we haven’t signed anyone yet, and that we have absolutely no plan. You seem to concur, and you have insider connections, so you saying it makes it even more likely. If you look back to last year, over a much longer portal cycle, ND never announced any of their signings until the very end. A handful came out on X (Smith, Washington). A couple updated their Instagram with ☘️. But if you remember, fans were literally checking the student directory and found guys like Jalen Strohman, Elijah Hughes, etc, only because school was starting, not because ND made any statements or leaked it. No one had any clue we had signed more than 1/2 our eventual portal class. Now, a year later, when ND is getting absolutely hammered for not publicly signing anyone…we’re doing the same thing? Even Keeley, we got a couple crystal balls, but absolute silence still.

It’s so weird. Make a splash. Make a big deal about Keeley, put it all out there. Do something. I know it’s not the ND way, and we like to be deliberate and everything, but it’s like we’re too stubborn to just break the cycle and embrace that you need momentum and need to pump it all out on social media realtime. I get that a lot of the sites covering ND haven’t exactly been supportive, but pick one or two that have and leak a name or 2 and get the fans pumped again. Literally the only peep out of ND since the portal opened is the hiring of Partridge and the 2 Penn State staffers. Are we really going to have to wait until Monday to start checking the Spring directory again?!?

While I agree with you, playing devils advocate... why would Freeman care?

Whatever positivity the signings would generate will come eventually anyways. If the stories about Foley and Marsh are true, what is there to gain by putting your stuff out? Clearly there is a whole whack of tampering going on behind the scenes so why risk having other teams come after your players when you can just sit tight and wait for the portal to close before you start making announcements.

 

[BoredIrish]

The fact that our Kicker spot is a desperate need and nothing is bad.

Kicker is the one spot where I think something is definitely locked up behind the scenes. The only kicker we heard visit was the Defreitas kid who was local and ended up signing with a small time school... which means that if he had the chance, he definitely would have signed at Notre Dame, but clearly they passed.

 

[PolishDomer]

We need some billionaires to step up first, Shane Gillis networth is 8 million according to Google, that just won't do it.

 

[Huntr]

I think the staff is just going to have to resort to some serious behind the scenes tampering and directly buy a couple DTs off rosters

What do you mean, "resort to?"

That's what they should have been doing the whole time.

 

[IrishInOntario]

What do you mean, "resort to?"

That's what they should have been doing the whole time.

Of course it is, but clearly they failed. That said, there are 136 FBS teams and the prices have become highly inflated. Inevitably there are going to be a handful of guys that are genuinely happy with their current situation and weren't anticipating jumping in the Portal... But could get a raise of more than $1 million to leave their current team, that doesn't have a genuine chance to compete for a Championship.

You'd be crazy to think there aren't a ton of agents back channeling still, especially with high profile schools that still have a lot of dry powder and are getting desperate to fill positions that their client(s) can start at.

Somebody is going to get paid A LOT of money to be lured to leave their current situation, strictly because it makes more sense for their exposure, their competition situation and their financial situation.

 

[calvegas04]

View attachment 3062177

If we could get at least 5 of them to sign up on IE so they can see how urgent this situation is

 

[PolishDomer]

If we could get at least 5 of them to sign up on IE so they can see how urgent this situation is

Looking for handles like IrishDaddyWarbucks, RichieRichDomer, IrishMarkCuban, IrishMcDuck, HowardHughesIV, etc

 

[IrishFanForever23]

Silver lining to the portal according to ISD that they're even looking at kids that aren't graduate transfers. It was mentioned yesterday online classes was a huge thing for these players and seems like it still is having an impact. Mentioned ND has a great shot to land someone, but they're taking online courses so switching to in person courses is a huge change.

Looking at Miami and Notre Dame, 2026 Portal Recruiting

A few thoughts on where Notre Dame stacks up against College Football's semifinalists and a thought on portal recruiting.

irishsportsdaily.com

 

[arrowryan]

Notre Dame has more money than they know what to do with. Sitting here and acting like a DT is too expensive is silly. They have that money in the couch cushions.

 

[arrowryan]

Silver lining to the portal according to ISD that they're even looking at kids that aren't graduate transfers. It was mentioned yesterday online classes was a huge thing for these players and seems like it still is having an impact. Mentioned ND has a great shot to land someone, but they're taking online courses so switching to in person courses is a huge change.

Looking at Miami and Notre Dame, 2026 Portal Recruiting

A few thoughts on where Notre Dame stacks up against College Football's semifinalists and a thought on portal recruiting.

irishsportsdaily.com

That player has been taking in person classes literally their entire life, up until maybe a year or two ago. It can’t be that big of a change.

 

[RipWheeler]

Looking for handles like IrishDaddyWarbucks, RichieRichDomer, IrishMarkCuban, IrishMcDuck, HowardHughesIV, etc

Looking for rich donors? Sorry…

 

[IrishInOntario]

That player has been taking in person classes literally their entire life, up until maybe a year or two ago. It can’t be that big of a change.

It's not about then having the money, or not. It's about their willingness to pay insane sums of money to a transfer and how they feel that will impact the dynamic of the lockeroom and the stability of the program when they've sold their compensation system to their roster as merit based... If suddenly you go pay a guy $3 million to transfer to ND, and his statistical merit is thay of someone that Notre Dame is paying $700k internally, you're going to get a lot of pissed off people on the roster, wondering why someone is making 4x more money than they are, for the same / similar returning production.

You can probably justify (to your roster) a reasonable "free agent" premium for incoming transfers, but if it gets out of control that's when you start losing a losing a lot of key players to transfer, not just depth players.