Nothing has come easy for Notre Dame and the transfer portal this winter. Things went from bad to weird on Thursday when the Fighting Irish thought they had their first win of the portal season in the form of defensive back DJ McKinney.
McKinney, a talented corner who spent last season with Colorado, visited South Bend on Thursday. That's when the confusion kicked up. Reports surfaced that McKinney had signed with ND and was their first official portal signing. However, 45 minutes later, reports came back that he hadn't signed.
McKinney was an ideal pairing to Travis Hunter during his Heisman Trophy campaign in 2024, recording 61 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble, and eight pass deflections. This season was different as his production was cut in half. Despite that drop, Notre Dame clearly wants him on the roster.
Notre Dame believed it landed Colorado corner DJ McKinney
The Irish are still trying to get McKinney to join the team, and his visit has gone well. The question now is whether they can finish the job and really get it done.
Even with the less productive 2025 season, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is among those who think the defensive back is an exceptional talent.
"You guys don’t mention him, but we mention him every moment we can. I mention him every day to the scouts that are asking me about him every single day we practice. DJ is long, he can run, he competes. … The kid can flat out play the game," Sanders told the media earlier.
Notre Dame isn't out of the DJ McKinney race, and they might close the deal at some point. Still, their transfer portal struggles are very real and getting weirder by the day.