Notre Dame P Bryce McFerson enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

Notre Dame punter Bryce McFerson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. He spent two seasons with the Fighting Irish.

In his debut campaign at Notre Dame, McFerson did not see any action. However, this past season, McFerson was Notre Dame’s primary punter and record 38 punts, averaging 45.1 yards per kick. He recorded 13 punts 50-plus yards.

“I would like to thank (head) Coach (Marcus) Freeman, (special teams coordinator) Coach (Marty) Biagi and (special teams analyst) Coach (Jesse) Schmitt for the opportunity to play on the biggest stage in college football at an amazing institution like Notre Dame,” McFerson said in a statement on social media. “I’ve grown so much in my two years here, and I am very grateful for the relationships I’ve made along the way.”

Bryce McFerson played high school football at Metrolina Christian Academy (NC), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 2,016 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

McFerson is the 17th Notre Dame player to enter the transfer portal during or since the 2023 campaign. The Fighting Irish have added nine players via the portal to soften the blow of their losses. The team currently sits at No. 15 in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Marcus Freeman reveals transfer portal perspective

On Saturday, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman addressed the importance of being proactive in the portal.

“It’s called having honest conversations with your players,” Freeman said. “That’s what we got to do. And that’s what our job is as coaches — to have honest conversations and have relationships with our players so there are no surprises. So that’s what we do. 

“This isn’t just a transfer portal discussion — this is a year-round, ‘If you love your players and you want to see them reach their full potential, you’re going to have honest conversations with them.’ I don’t want it to change because there’s a transfer portal window coming up. That’s just what we should do if we’re mentors and leaders to young people. 

“We should have a relationship with them. We should be honest with them. And they should be honest with us so that when they make a decision, ‘Hey, I want to stay, I want to transfer,’ it’s not a surprise. That comes from having a relationship with them, which takes time and investment.”