Northwestern transfer DB Rod Heard II commits to Notre Dame

Former Northwestern defensive back Rod Heard II has committed to Notre Dame, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, he announced on Wednesday.

Heard spent five seasons with the Wildcats, making 46 appearances. In the 2023 campaign, Heard tallied a career-high 73 total tackles, four tackles for loss, five passes defended a sack and an interception.

In his five years at Northwestern, Heard amassed 182 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended, two sacks and two interceptions. Heard made 12 tackles and recovered a fumble in Northwestern’s win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

He only allowed 1 catch on 1 target for 8 yards, and on the season, he allowed 44 receptions on 59 targets for 390 yards (6.6 yards per attempt). At Northwestern this season as a redshirt senior, Heard was primarily a slot cornerback. However, according to Blue & Gold’s Mike Singer, he will likely play safety at Notre Dame.

Rod Heard played high school football at Harrison (MI), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 792 overall recruit in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

Track transfer portal activity

As of January 7th, 2,223 FBS players have entered the Transfer Portal.

While the NCAA Transfer Portal database is private, the On3 Network has streamlined the reporting process tracking player movement. If you find yourself asking, ‘How can I track transfer portal activity?’ our well-established network of reporters and contacts across college athletics keeps you up to speed in several ways, from articles written about players as they enter and exit the transfer portal or find their new destination, to our social media channels, to the On3 Transfer Portal.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

The On3 Transfer Portal Rankings allow for you to filter the On3 Industry Rankings to find the best of the best in the portal, starting with Overall Top Players. 

You can dive deeper into the rankings and filter by position whether it is Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Tackle, Interior Offensive Line, Edge, Defensive Line, Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety, Athlete, Kicker, Punter, or Long Snapper you’re looking for. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.