If you haven’t noticed, Notre Dame football has not yet secured a commitment on the transfer portalbecause he only saw several of his players choose to leave the program.
That will change eventually, and I have a few theories as to why the Irish haven’t been able to get a verbal agreement yet. There are several factors when it comes to any type of recruitment, and name, image and likeness can also play a role here. It’s not like Notre Dame doesn’t pay its players well, it’s that some of them think they’re worth more than they actually are. I won’t go into this topic, because we don’t really know what each player wants.
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Below are three reasons why I think Notre Dame struggled early in the transfer window.
Calendar of visits to Notre-Dame
This one is pretty obvious, several transfer prospects had scheduled visits to South Bend solely to first see another school and then commit to it. Not having any visitors expected for the first weekend after the gate opened on Friday was a big loss for the staff. You would have expected them to be ready since there was no bowl preparation, but there must have been behind-the-scenes discussions about when would be the right time to welcome the players back. There is also plenty of time left in the cycle, so many more visits will take place soon and the ship should right itself despite a slow start.
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Some players don’t fit Notre Dame culture
That’s the case for most teams, but the Irish are looking for a certain type of player and won’t settle for those who are considered highly ranked. There aren’t many players who fit the Notre Dame archetype, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The academic standards are extremely high and taking a player who might struggle in that area just doesn’t make sense. The fit has to be there, and for some it isn’t, which could prevent some from joining the program.
Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class and program depth
Talk about elite, the 2026 recruiting class was one of the best in the country. Many of them will arrive shortly, and the influx of talent will surely energize the team. Sure, they don’t have experience at this level, but head coach Marcus Freeman isn’t afraid to play young players if they’re ready. It looks like several people will contribute from day one.
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Additionally, Notre Dame recruited very well during Freeman’s tenure, and some of those players will get their first opportunities to break through this fall. The Irish still have one of the best teams in the sport and are just looking to add some finishing touches to what they already have.
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This article was originally published on Fighting Irish Wire: Three reasons why Notre Dame struggled early with transfer prospects
