Notre Dame's Nick Marsh backup plan is someone Irish fans shouldn't overlook

Notre Dame took a heavy hit on Sunday, losing out on elite transfer portal wide receiver Nick Marsh to the Indiana Hoosiers. Who would have thought the Irish would be losing out on top talent to their fellow Indiana school?

The Irish need to get some wide receiver help on the offense with the departure of Malachi Fields to the NFL. Top receiver Jordan Faison is still in the building, but CJ Carr needs some elite talent to throw to next season, especially with the run game also taking a hit for Notre Dame.

While Marsh was an elite talent who could have seriously helped the Irish, he isn't the only talented receiver in the portal. Notre Dame could turn all of its attention to former Rutgers wide receiver Ia Strong, who is set to make a visit to South Bend this week.

Notre Dame should set all its sights on Rutgers WR Ian Strong

It makes sense that Notre Dame is not the only program pushing for Strong, as he also has a visit set up with Cal in the near future. However, Marcus Freeman is a master recruiter for a reason, and he could have Strong committed ot the Irish before leaving South Bend.

Strong had three strong years with Rutgers, his best coming in 2025. With 52 receptions, Strong totaled 762 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per reception. In three seasons, Strong had 1,688 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, and with 15.0 yards per reception for his career, he is a solid deep threat that the Irish certainly can use.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr had an amazing season in 2025, and with more work under his belt heading into the 2026 season, he could use a serious threat. Strong would bring a different look to the offense for the Irish, and Freeman can't let him leave without a commitment this week.