Notre Dame and Ohio State will play for the second consecutive season, this time in South Bend. How did the Fighting Irish and Buckeyes each do in terms of navigating arrivals and departures via the transfer portal this offseason? Tim O’Malley from Irish Illustrated and Dave Biddle from Bucknuts gave their assessments on the teams they cover, answering a total of six questions.
NOTRE DAME
Answers by Tim O’Malley
What were Notre Dame’s overall portal numbers (lost and gained) since the regular season ended and the Portal opened in early December?
If you include graduate transfers, there were 14 players lost to the Portal since the 2022 season began (ND had a pair of in-season defections), plus 4-5 medical disqualifications/retirements as well.
The Irish gained eight players since, but have lost one to retirement.
At what positions did the Irish improve most?
Notre Dame’s 2023 season rides on its best-ever transfer into the program, Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. His presence caused (indirectly and then directly) the transfer of Notre Dame’s two starters from ’22.
Thereafter, Notre Dame probably found its starting Nickel (Oklahoma State’s Thomas Harris) and if not starting safety, starting safety 1C in Rhode Island’s Antonio Carter, II.
The Irish also landed a 1B or 1A strong side end in Ohio State’s Javonte Jean-Baptiste and a backup running back necessity in Penn State’s Devyn Harper. Notre Dame picked up Virginia Tech wide receiver Kaleb Smith in January but he retired in the spring for personal reasons.
The team’s likely new starting place-kicker, Spencer Shrader, and maybe new starting punter, Ben Krimm, came from South Florida and Penn, respectively.
Where was the team impacted negatively by transfers?
The big names were both starting QBs from last season (Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne), plus wide receivers Lorenzo Styles, Logan Diggs, and Prince Kollie.
Styles was going to be a backup, but a rotational receiver—he briefly moved to cornerback before transferring to Ohio State—and Kollie was a clear No. 2 at LB, but the team’s best returning special teamer. Diggs was one of the 10 best players on the roster entering 2023 in my estimation. He returned home to play at LSU for Brian Kelly.
The QB defections are wholly irrelevant to ’23 unless Sam Hartman gets hurt. But if he does, then, well—it’s likely a problem. I felt like Buchner could get the Irish through any singular game on the schedule as Hartman’s backup. Obviously he had bigger aspirations with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Is the staff active in pursuit of necessary talent this summer? Or any depth pieces they feel they need?
They just added a running back (Ford) last month and Carter was also a May addition. There’s two roster spots available and I would not be shocked if one more depth piece joins the fray. Irish Illustrated has considered a veteran guard, a veteran backup interior defensive lineman, a veteran backup QB with two seasons of eligibility remaining, and a wide receiver to replace the retirement of Smith and defection of Styles.
Notre Dame is blessed with great talent at tight end but two are coming off Autumn ACL tears and one is a true freshman. I doubt it, but I could see it from a graduate transfer aspect.
Again: they are two scholarships below the limit. In the modern portal era…why not?
Those all make some sense, but none are pressing needs.
Where do you believe the Irish could or should still help itself in the Portal before training camp?
1.) A graduate transfer QB with starting experience in case Hartman goes down. This unicorn remaining in the portal could be offered a chance to ‘start’ next season.
2.) Interior defensive line depth, because you can never have enough.
I’d actually prefer to roll with the youth-filled receivers rather than bring in a random player at this point. Notre Dame has a nice mix in its receivers room.
Did Notre Dame meet its off-season needs in the transfer portal?
Yes. Other than two open roster spots, there’s not much more realistic aid available. Losing Diggs was a blow, but it was also a long-time coming and nearly impossible for the program to avoid. It’s not as if they could’ve replace his talent in the portal anyway.
I suppose a wide receiver that didn’t retire would’ve been ideal in the wake of Styles’ transfer to OSU.
OHIO STATE
Answers by Dave Biddle
What were Ohio State’s overall portal numbers (lost and gained) since the regular season ended and the Portal opened in early December?
They added eight scholarship players via the portal since then, and lost seven. Most of the players they lost to the portal were not going to have a role on this year's team, with a few exceptions. However, they added three possible starters and some good depth pieces. The portal was certainly a net positive for the Buckeyes this offseason in terms of talent added vs. talent departed.
At what positions did the Buckeyes improve most?
Defensive back. Of the eight scholarship players they landed from the portal, I think the best was cornerback Davison Igbinosun. He was a freshman All-American at Ole Miss last year and could step right in and start. They also landed safety Ja'Had Carter who was a standout at Syracuse. They of course got Lorenzo Styles Jr., but he will be more of a depth piece at corner.
Where was the team impacted negatively by transfers?
They did not lose anyone that was going to have a big role this season, but I would say wide receiver just because they lost two second-year wideouts who were former 4-star recruits (Kaleb Brown/Iowa and Caleb Burton/Auburn). Those guys were buried on the depth chart, but you never know when a rash of injuries might impact a particular position.
Is the staff active in pursuit of necessary talent this summer? Or any depth pieces they feel they need?
I am fairly certain they are done adding via the portal, but they will keep their eyes and ears open for sure just in case. In a perfect world, they would land one more offensive tackle or perhaps even another center, but I strongly doubt that will happen.
Where do you believe the Buckeyes could or should still help itself in the Portal before training camp?
If I had to pick one area, it would be the offensive line, although they did a good job adding two O-linemen via the portal. Josh Simmons (from San Diego State) might very well be their starting right tackle. And Vic Cutler (ULM) is in the running to be the starting center, but will likely be the backup.
Did Ohio State meet its off-season needs in the transfer portal?
Yes, and this was certainly a change in philosophy for Ryan Day. He usually doesn't like to add nearly this many players, but the Buckeyes did a fine job of adding talent that can help immediately at corner, safety and on the offensive line.
