Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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72 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY PATRICK ENGEL N otre Dame's winter roster shuffle was quiet, relatively speaking. The list of Irish players to enter the transfer portal during the 45-day window in De- cember and January was as long as the number of those who hopped out of it in South Bend. The program saw five play- ers look for new destinations between the end of the season and the start of the spring semester. It also added five transfers. That 1:1 ratio did not, though, amount to much progress toward the 85-man scholarship limit. The NFL Draft departures, transfers and additions leave Notre Dame at 94 scholarships as of Feb. 1 — publicly, at least. The Irish have until the first day of fall classes to reach 85. The trimming down will apparently be saved for the spring. The other transfer portal window for undergrads is May 1-15. Look for most exits to take place during that time frame. If there are medical retirements or a player hanging up the cleats on his own volition, though, those moves could be announced by the first day of spring practice. As it stands, Notre Dame needs to shave nine scholarships off the roster. The Irish did most of their transfer re- cruiting work in the winter, but a spring addition shouldn't be ruled out. They made one last year — Harvard graduate transfer defensive tackle Chris Smith — as a response to nose tackle Aidan Keanaaina's March ACL tear. Defensive tackle felt like the biggest portal need that went unaddressed this winter. A lack of progress in building interior line depth in spring practice might further fuel it. A long-term injury to a likely contributor at any position might also create a need. That's all for later. In the meantime, here's a look at all 94 scholarship play- ers heading into spring practice. Any- one who has not announced plans for 2023 is included, even if it's someone who feels like a candidate to depart in some manner. (An asterisk [*] indicates a freshman who has enrolled early.) QUARTERBACK (5) Fifth/Sixth-Year Players — Sam Hartman Seniors — None Juniors — Tyler Buchner, Ron Powlus III Sophomores — Steve Angeli Freshmen — Kenny Minchey* Note: Notre Dame sought a transfer because Buchner's shoulder sprain that limited him to three games in 2022 cast too much uncertainty over a position where the Irish can't afford it. Hartman isn't just a random QB transfer. He might be the best player to enter the portal in the winter win- dow. Notre Dame added a 45-game starter who will have to earn the job, but he became the heavy favorite the moment he stepped on campus. RUNNING BACK (6) Fifth/Sixth-Year Players — None Seniors — Chris Tyree Juniors — Logan Diggs, Audric Estime Sophomores — Gi'Bran Payne, Jadarian Price Freshmen — Jeremiyah Love Note: Notre Dame gave Tyree, Diggs and Estime 100-plus carries apiece in 2022. They might have to juggle playing time even more if Price recaptures his pre-Achilles tear form. Price's 2022 spring prac- tice performance might have forced Notre Dame to include him in the mix had he not been injured. Love, a former top-100 recruit, will try and nudge his way in upon his June enrollment. WIDE RECEIVER (10) Fifth/Sixth-Year Players — Kaleb Smith, Matt Salerno Seniors — None Juniors — Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas, Lorenzo Styles Sophomores — Tobias Merriweather Freshmen — Kaleb Smith, Braylon James*, Rico Flores Jr.*, Jaden Greathouse* Note: The elder Smith transferred from Virginia Tech in December and added some experience into a room light on older players. Two-year starter Braden Lenzy had a sixth year available, but he declined it and retired from football. Three of the four freshmen will make a case for Year 1 roles in spring practice. TIGHT END (6) Fifth/Sixth-Year Players — None Seniors — Kevin Bauman Juniors — Mitchell Evans, Davis Sherwood Sophomores — Eli Raridon, Holden Staes Freshmen — Cooper Flanagan Note: Evans was the clear No. 1 tight end in the Gator Bowl, which Michael Mayer skipped after declaring for the NFL Draft. This will be a thin posi- tion in the spring, with Raridon and Bauman on the Junior Logan Diggs was part of the Irish's three-man running back rotation in 2022. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER 2023 Scholarship Breakdown By Position And Class Year