The Irish Illustrated team has its finger on the pulse of Notre Dame transfer portal news, recruiting, coaching staff moves and more after the Irish lost to Ohio State in the CFP National Championship game on Monday
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are coming off the most successful season of the Marcus Freeman era, coming within one win of capturing the program’s first national title since 1988. The Irish finished the season with a 14-2 overall record, and the team is positioned to enter the 2025 season as one of the preseason top college football national title-contenders. Finding a replacement for quarterback Riley Leonard will be the top priority for Freeman and his staff, but the program is set to receive another influx of talent this offseason via Notre Dame football recruiting and the college football transfer portal.
The Irish will also have to find replacements for safety Xavier Watts and tackle Howard Cross III, who spearheaded the team’s dominance on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. Will Freeman and his staff turn to the Transfer Portal or the high school ranks to fill the holes in the Notre Dame football roster? If you want the latest Notre Dame football news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Irish Illustrated, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Notre Dame.
The Irish Illustrated insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the Notre Dame football program, including insights from Tim Prister, Drew Mentock and Tom Zwiller, who have deep-rooted ties inside the Notre Dame community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on Notre Dame football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Irish Illustrated message boards where you can connect with other Notre Dame fans and insiders. Get it all right here.
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Notre Dame football roster news
The Irish are set to return a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Jeremiyah Love. The junior-to-be rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns on 163 carries. He also caught 28 passes for 237 yards and two scores. Love will be joined in the Notre Dame backfield by fellow running back Jadarian Price, who rushed for 746 yards and seven touchdowns on 120 carries.
At the quarterback position, the Irish will enter Spring practice with CJ Carr, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, and 2024 backup Steve Angeli as the top contenders to replace Leonard. The team also signed three-star high school recruit Blake Hebert. The Irish could also look at adding another veteran in the Transfer Portal.
The Irish haven’t been overly active in the Portal thus far, but they have added six players who the coaching staff expects to come in and compete right away. The top rated transfer in Notre Dame’s class is four-star wide receiver Malachi Fields. The former Virginia standout caught 129 passes for 1,849 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Cavaliers. Get more Notre Dame football roster updates at Irish Illustrated.
How to get insider Notre Dame football updates
The Irish Illustrated team is bringing up-to-the minute updates on the latest transfer portal targets, staff news and 2026 football recruiting. You can only get it all at Irish Illustrated.
What will the 2025 Notre Dame football roster look like, and what shocking offseason moves are in store for the Irish? Go to Irish Illustrated to get all the latest Notre Dame football news, all from a team of dialed-in insiders, and find out.
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