Marcus Freeman's transfer portal hot streak could address Notre Dame's biggest need next

Marcus Freeman is collecting blue-chip transfer portal prospects like Thanos collected the Infinity Stones. Notre Dame's late success in the portal is likewise inevitable.

Now, after landing elite athletes like four-star cornerback Jayden Sanders, four-star wide receiver Quincy Porter, and more, Freeman can turn his attention toward one of Notre Dame's most glaring needs: defensive linemen.

Luckily for (or thanks to) Freeman and the Fighting Irish, recruiting experts are leaning toward former Pitt defensive lineman Francis Brewu heading to South Bend.

Notre Dame inches from landing Francis Brewu

During his sophomore season for the Pitt Panthers, Brewu recorded an impressive 36 total tackles (18 solo), one forced fumble, and one sack, while appearing in just 11 games.

As Freeman hunts for more depth on his D-line, Brewu could perfectly fill the gap as an elite pass rusher who is currently rated as a four-star defensive lineman, according to Rivals and On3.

When the portal opened at the beginning of January, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost two defensive linemen, alongside two linebackers, including three-star DLs Armel Mukam and Joshua Burnham, as well as three-star LBs Anthony Sacca and Bodie Kahoun.

In total, 15 Notre Dame players have entered the portal. So far, Freeman has landed four players out of the transfer portal: Sanders, Porter, three-star edge rusher Keon Keeley, and three-star cornerback D.J. McKinney.

Currently, the Fighting Irish rank 21st in the national transfer portal standings, just one place behind the Big Ten's Penn State Nittany Lions and one spot ahead of the SEC's Texas Longhorns.

Landing Brewu could perfectly fill the gaps left behind by portal departures and recent stars declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Freeman needs to just keep doing what he has been doing, and the "Brewu Infinity Stone" will be his.