Notre Dame adds Alabama transfer nickel back DeVonta Smith
Notre Dame has its first transfer addition of the 2025 cycle, according to multiple reports including On3’s Pete Nakos: Former Alabama defensive back DeVonta Smith, who has one year of eligibility remaining.
Smith played the “Husky” position with the Crimson Tide, which translates to the nickel back position with the Irish. He has reportedly signed his letter of intent, locking him in with Notre Dame.
Smith started all 12 games for Alabama in 2024, his first year as a full-time defensive contributor. He played 323 of his 421 snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Smith finished the season with 30 tackles, a forced fumble and 5 passes defended before entering the transfer portal on Saturday.
He excels in coverage, allowed 19 receptions on 29 targets this past season for 123 yards (4.2 yards per attempt) and zero touchdowns. Quarterbacks targeting Smith produced a passer rating of 74.4.
“He’s been great here especially this fall where he’s been healthy,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said during fall camp. “This spring, he was kind of coming back and in the summer as well. He brings great speed. And he’s got a high motor. Got a lot of want to, we call it. High desire to be great.”
Smith was a heavy contributor on special teams as a freshman in 2021 and a sophomore in 2022 at Alabama before missing most of his junior season in 2023 due to injury.
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“His story, I think, is very well known around the team,” DeBoer said. “With some of those injuries that he’s had. And it’s just fun being around guys who have continued to stay the course like he has. But you know, he’s really in that safety room, in that Husky position, which is our Nickel kind of, position. He’s done a great job there. He can line up and play man-to-man and also come up off the edge and stop the run. So, really important position in our defense.”
The Cincinnati native and high school teammate of Notre Dame junior running back Gi’Bran Payne is the No. 89 transfer and No. 14 portal cornerback, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Out of high school, Smith was a four-star prospect, as well as On3’s No. 133 player in the country.
Smith will be Notre Dame’s third graduate transfer nickel back in as many years, following Thomas Harper in 2023 and Jordan Clark in 2024. Harper went undrafted this past April but found a home on the Las Vegas Raiders’ active roster. Clark has been one of the best Irish defenders this year and should get his shot in the NFL, too.
Notre Dame takes on Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday in South Bend.
