Regardless of how much credence you gave the Marcus Freeman to the NFL rumors, Notre Dame’s first priority this week was making sure its head coach stayed put in South Bend. Now, with that out of the way and Freeman back for 2026, and almost certainly beyond next season, he and the rest of his staff must construct next season’s roster.
While Freeman and the Fighting Irish rely primarily on high school recruiting and development, they’re not shy about diving into the transfer portal to solve problems. Now, coming off a painful College Football Playoff snub and with just one transfer portal window, starting on January 2 and running until the 16, you can expect Notre Dame to be as aggressive as ever.
It’s a near certainty that the Irish will be active. Who they will be targeting when the portal opens is a whole other story. Those rumors have been few and far between. Still, we can connect a few dots here and there to predict three transfers that could end up wearing gold domes next season.
3. Wayne Knight - James Madison
Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are both heading to the NFL. That means it’s finally Aneyas Williams’ time to shine in South Bend. However, at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Williams has displayed more of a third-down back skill set, thriving as a pass catcher in limited work. Williams is unlikely to become a true bellcow, and even with Love, Notre Dame split the workload.
So, the Irish are likely to be in the market for another running back. Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider did an excellent job on the high school recruiting trail, landing Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne in the 2026 class, but a veteran like Knight, who ran for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns for James Madison this season, would be perfect to bide time until that duo is ready to contribute.
2026 Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Rankings: RB
2. Jamarrion Harkless - Purdue
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound sophomore didn’t put up big numbers for the Boilermakers, but he’s a big-bodied nose tackle who can eat up blockers on the interior of the defensive line. Notre Dame needs more depth inside, especially after Donovan Hinish was forced to medically retire with a shoulder injury.
Harkless is not the top defensive tackle on the board, but with his proximity, he is a sensible target for Freeman and his staff. Otherwise, the Irish could and should be interested in Mateen Ibirogba, who ranks No. 2 in Saturday Blitz’s DL transfer portal rankings.
1. Nick March - Michigan State
Until Cam Coleman announced that he was leaving Auburn and entering the transfer portal, Nick Marsh was the clear No. 1 wide receiver hitting the transfer portal market this offseason. Now, he’s a clear No. 2. The 6-foot-3 rising junior from Detroit is the true outside WR1 that Notre Dame should desperately want to pair with CJ Carr for what could be his final season in South Bend before becoming an early NFL Draft pick.
Despite an unsteady quarterback situation, Marsh caught 100 passes across the last two seasons for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns. With Carr, that’s likely to be one season of production. Notre Dame should be all in on Marsh when the portal finally opens.
