Where Notre Dame will need to spend on defense, it shouldn’t be expensive. So they should be able to do both.
2027 ND Transfer Portal
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Where Notre Dame will need to spend on defense, it shouldn’t be expensive. So they should be able to do both.
NewEnglandGuy
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While interesting with 5 for 5…if Jagusah ever wants to play football again he can elect to use the “old system of eligibility” to his benefit as he is a clear eligible for a 6th year player with all the time missed.
I say all that to use Craig as a little talked about fact he has a 6th year if wanted:
2022 - redshirt
2023 - 8 games (3 starts) - 1
2024 - 3 games (medical)
2025 - 6 games - 2
2026 - hopefully 15? - 3
2027 - 6th year for 4 seasons…like Jagusah who the beat guys have used as THE example for where a player can pick if they want 5 for 5 or grandfathered in prior rules.
Jagusah:
2023 - reg season final and bowl - redshirt
2024 - only playoffs (medical)
2025 - 0 games (medical)
2026 - looking like another medical
2027 - ??
2028 - ??
He may even qualify for 2029, and be the last 7th year guy at a big time program. If this happened it may not be at ND…
NotKoon
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My idea is contingent on one of the young guys making the staff think they have their next star, but I think it actually gives them the best chance to be in win now mode for both 27 and 28. 27s schedule gives a bigger window for the offense to optimize with a first time starter and still have playoff and championship goals in front of them. 28 is a particularly brutal schedule to roll into with a guy making his first career starts and allows much less room for growth
Irish Cedar
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I didn't know players would still have the option to choose which system they could leverage. That's incredible. So that means there are in fact FEWER than 5 players on this roster out of eligibility. WOW
Right now, the 2026 roster breaks down this way:
- 100 scholarship athletes
- + 4 (new in 2026) walk-ons = 104 of 105 eligible spots
- + 7 Designated Student Athletes. DSAs are the grandfathered-in walk-ons/PWOs that are exempt from the 105 limit. Most of these DSAs like Long Snapper Joseph Vinci still have 2 more years of eligibility.
So you can see the logjam unfolding; assuming no room for any non-DSA walk-ons you have fewer than 10 roster spots available -- and yet, there are 23 2027 recruits coming in - and likely a couple more to be added.
Since the inception of the Portal, ND has averaged ~14 outgoing transfers a year.
Long story short...expect a very, very small incoming Portal transfer class. A few DBs, maybe a QB, that's about it. A far wiser strategy will be the attempt to keep this roster as intact as humanly possible.
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Yeah I think you gotta go get a QB this offseason and a top level WR. KJ Duff and someone like Braden Atkinson make sense unless Kenny wants to come back. Besides that I think only other area of need will bee LB and maybe a corner.
PutuporShutup
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I think you need 1 corner at minimum, maybe 2 depending on how confident the staff is in pouncey and adams year 2. Zackery has no business getting any PT moving forward, and i'm not sold on Sanders. He's played solid at times and bad other times. If Moore is out this will be a big game to see what Sanders can do starting. Then you have golden in the slot.
Dale
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If they are gonna portal a QB, it has to be someone you can win a national championship with, you’re not winning a national championship with Braden Atkinson. Someone almost no one was enthused at even being the backup 10 months ago lol.
allenm5333
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I have watched zero Oregon State film. Just pointing out there is a previous relationship there
Katzenboyer
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Then rip through the soft schedule with a transfer QB and go into the playoffs humming.
The "easy schedule" shouldn't be any part of the decision making process. The last two national champions have had transfers at QB, and there's a reason for that. You take the best guy, not the guy you hope can be good who's already on your roster.
ndinoxford
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Didn’t we do this with CJ last year?
RudyVerse
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Braden Atkinson is good.
Hasn't thrown for under 300 yards once (CJ hasn't thrown for 300 once). And this is against 2 ranked teams (ND obviously zero). Has 16 TDs, 2 INTs (CJ 13:1). Has 70% completion to CJ's 71%.
He's done it against good competition related to the talent on his team.
Hasn't thrown for under 300 yards once (CJ hasn't thrown for 300 once). And this is against 2 ranked teams (ND obviously zero). Has 16 TDs, 2 INTs (CJ 13:1). Has 70% completion to CJ's 71%.
He's done it against good competition related to the talent on his team.
jerseyborn1971
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We won't get a QB in the portal. Miami, Indiana and Texas Tech have forced themselves into situations they have to pay anything they have to to get a QB. I don't know that there will be 3 QB's available worth the money those schools will have to pay. I think the kid from Wake and the kid from MSU will get way more money than they are worth.
Katzenboyer
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We missed the playoffs last year.
Also, I really like Gerard and Grubbs, but neither of them are CJ Carr.
jerseyborn1971
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There won't be a CJ Carr in the portal.
RudyVerse
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Miami's done it 3 years in a row. It's possible.
Katzenboyer
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Mendoza didn't get a top of the line deal with IU, nor did Hoover. Nor did Howard (if I remember correctly) with OSU.
Would ND just throw money at kids just to get a transfer? No. But if there's someone in the Portal they like, and there's interest, they're absolutely taking a guy at that position this offseason.
ndinoxford
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But we didn’t miss the playoffs because of CJ. If Grubbs or jarrad are competent enough, spend the money for defense and grow a young qb throughout the season. We don’t start the season with two playoff teams. JMO
NDMatt91
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Miami did that this year. They could've been content to just roll with an average QB on their roster, go 11-1 in the regular season, win the ACC, and make the CFP. Instead they aimed higher and went after every quality QB in the portal and after the whiffed, tampered with Mensah with just hours left before the portal closed.
That's the right mindset.
jerseyborn1971
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Hoover got $2.3 million. Howard made over a million. That was 2 years ago before the portal QB arms race has taken off. Look at last year. The mad scramble for Mensah, Leavitt, Hoover and Chambliss.
Katzenboyer
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I think scheduling is certainly to blame. But Carr was 19/30 for 220 yards in Miami last year, and our first four drives of that game went punt, fumble, punt (3 and out), punt (3 and out).
Did we lose because of him? No. Do we win with better QB play? Probably.
Irish du Nord
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Ban worthy
jerseyborn1971
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Why are we all just assuming there is a big pool of underpaid high level experience QB's out there just ripe for the picking?
Dale
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This is what I said on his HS film and I somewhat stand by it still on Atkinson. I’ve watched probably 12 quarters of Oregon St this year betting them since Week 2:
“He throws a pretty catchable ball but seems a tad late on a lot of them. Seeing guys open not anticipating. Also not big time arm talent, sufficient distance but more question the velocity. 6’1 height probably in question. Besides Twitter clips would want to see more Mercer film for any strides. Don’t think he would beat out Grubbs/Jarrard based off HS film but fine swapping with Hebert for someone with some sort of snaps under their belt.”
He seems to have a really good feel for the game, confidence in his decisions and don’t disagree he will likely get the call up to P4, but the arm, size is not one you trot out their to win a CFP game.
His OL and obviously Legree have been very good as well.
“He throws a pretty catchable ball but seems a tad late on a lot of them. Seeing guys open not anticipating. Also not big time arm talent, sufficient distance but more question the velocity. 6’1 height probably in question. Besides Twitter clips would want to see more Mercer film for any strides. Don’t think he would beat out Grubbs/Jarrard based off HS film but fine swapping with Hebert for someone with some sort of snaps under their belt.”
He seems to have a really good feel for the game, confidence in his decisions and don’t disagree he will likely get the call up to P4, but the arm, size is not one you trot out their to win a CFP game.
His OL and obviously Legree have been very good as well.
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NDMatt91
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I'm not sure what each QB made but a lot of people believe that Mensah got paid the most. His number was inflated because the other QB's on Miami's roster aren't anything special and they were desperate. Plus, they were up against the clock. They convinced him to hit the portal with 10 hours or so before the portal window closed. I remember reading Miami message boards and their fans were borderline suicidal thinking they'd have to start one of the backups, as apparently they're not that great.
ndinoxford
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If teddy or Grubbs are ready I’d rather roll with them than any of these dudes tbh.
Except Kamario but there’s no way we would get him
Dale
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Interesting. Rather confident most of that list gets drafted. Some even this upcoming year.
stlnd01
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This is what I'm thinking too.
I'm a big fan of multi-year starters, and buying a top-end QB every season will get very expensive. So, all things being equal, I'd rather grow our own. Especially knowing that the regular season schedule in 2027 is light enough that we should win just about every game.
At that point you're in the playoffs with a QB who has a full season under his belt, who's coming back for 2028. And if this means that, instead of spending big on a QB, we can plow money into retaining the defense and OL and maybe acquiring an elite WR, even better
This is all contingent on two things, of course:
A: That the staff things either Grubb or Jarrard will become good enough to win a championship in 27 or 28.
B: That there is some limit to the money. If there's no limit, then sure just buy all the players. But if you have to prioritize, and you think Grubbs/Jarrard is good enough, I might go big on other positions.