Notre Dame Football: Grading the Class of 2022 after NSD

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EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 07: Brandon Joseph #16 of the Northwestern Wildcats incepts a pass in the end zone intended for Austin Allen #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ryan Field on November 07, 2020, in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Nebraska 21-13. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Football: Grading the Class of 2022 after NSD

Transfer Portal

To this point, the Irish have not dipped too deep into the transfer portal, only taking two players out of it. The first was Blake Grupe, a kicker from Arkansas State. Last season, Grupe hit eighty percent of his field goals and all but one extra point. For his career, he has 354 points. Grupe comes to Notre Dame with one more year of eligibility.

The presumption is that he was promised the job kicking if he is putting his last season into the Irish.

Kickers are fine and necessary, but they don’t normally make headlines. All-American safeties, on the other hand, do make headlines. Notre Dame landed perhaps the top transfer who doesn’t play quarterback, in Brandon Joseph from Northwestern.

Joseph technically has three years of eligibility left, but he’s already been in college for three years. So, it is doubtful he uses them all. In 22 career games, Joseph has 9 interceptions and 129 tackles.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepares for the Play Station Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State University Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Notre Dame Football: Program-changing offensive recruits to target in 2023

Notre Dame football has a 2023 recruiting class that is loaded on defense, here are four big-time commitments they’re in pursuit of on offense.

Now, there is still time to add players via the transfer portal. Expect to see players enter after Spring practice and move before Summer and Fall practice, based on playing time. So, Notre Dame could add more transfers. For now, though, the moves are good, just minimal.

Grade= B

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