Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4 SUMMER 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED I n this incessant era of NIL dollars and player relocation, it's easy for schools to get lost while chasing transfers in the same way it's easy for transfers to get lost while chasing schools. Shady dealings, unkept prom- ises, hidden agendas — many coaches and programs will use any and all methods to entice top transfers to their school. Morality, honesty and trans- parency be damned. And that's what makes Notre Dame's roster management ap- proach so refreshing, all led by Marcus Freeman, a head coach who's proving that you can stay above board and still win. It's no secret that strict aca- demic requirements and enroll- ment rules will keep Notre Dame from ever opening the transfer portal floodgates each offseason in the way other schools do, with no concern for graduation rates or their players' best interests. But, instead of worrying about the transfers it can't get, the Irish staff does a masterful job of fortifying its position needs with the transfers it can get, while at the same time not compromising the university mission, or its preferred method for roster construction. "We want to continue to build the foundation of this program off of high school recruiting, and to develop those young people and get them into our program," Freeman explained. "But we know we can use the transfer portal to truly enhance specific needs we have." Meanwhile, coaches such as Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Deion Sanders at Colorado, and many others don't pri- oritize graduation rates, and bypass the legwork to find and develop quality high school recruits. They, instead, choose to fill their rosters almost exclusively with transfer portal mercenaries, if you will. At press time, Kiffin had signed 29 players out of the portal to fill his roster, and Sanders had inked 21, with no end in sight. Freeman, on the other hand, had deliberately settled on eight transfers to fill roster needs, and more importantly, fit his culture. "There could be talent that you can add to your program," Freeman said, "but if it's not right for the room, [then] it's not worth it if it's not right for the big picture of your football program." Since 2020 — when the portal ex- ploded in popularity for players — Notre Dame has brought in 34 total transfers, and a high percentage immediately started and excelled with the Irish. In fact, many eventually landed on an NFL roster. For comparison, Colorado has brought in 65 transfers in just the last two portal cycles. As is to be expected, Notre Dame has also lost its share of players to the transfer portal. Fourteen Irish players have left the team since the end of last season. That number may seem high, but it's actually the second-fewest departing transfers among the 12 College Football Playoff teams from last season (Clem- son with seven had the fewest). Also notable is the fact that not one of the departing Irish players held a grudge or knocked the university or the coaching staff on their way out the door. Instead, with transparency and honesty from the Irish coaches, the departing players realized — and presumably were openly told — that a chance to start and/or play at Notre Dame wasn't in the cards. And so a re- location/business decision was made, with almost all holding a Notre Dame degree. Quarterback Steve Angeli be- came the highest-profile offsea- son departure for Notre Dame April 17, after he was presumably told by his coaches during spring ball — instead of being strung along — that he would not be in the mix to start this fall. In a heartfelt social media post upon his departure, Angeli wrote in part: "Thank you for an amazing 3 years in South Bend wearing the blue and gold. It has been an incredible journey as a student- athlete at Notre Dame, and I am eter- nally grateful for the memories made along the way. … Love Thee Forever, Steve Angeli." Notre Dame deserves much credit for treating its departing players such as Angeli with a respect and honesty that's hard to find at many programs around the country. The university should also be cele- brated for vetting and handling its in- coming transfers with a diligence that puts program over player. During a recent interview on Siri- usXM Radio, Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock summed up his expe- riences after spending 11 years across three separate stints coaching here. "I've been a part of Notre Dame, and I've seen what it does for people in their lives," Denbrock said. "In my opinion, it's still the purest form of what campus life is supposed to look like that you can find anywhere." ✦ Freeman has prioritized finding players who will be the right fit at Notre Dame, rather than bringing in players in sheer numbers like many other programs. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com. UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Marcus Freeman Handles Roster Business With Class