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Newsstand: ESPN ranks two new Notre Dame players among top 75 transfer portal players

Kyle Kellyby:Kyle Kelly•01/08/24•

ByKyleKelly

leonard
Notre Dame landed one of the biggest fish in the transfer portal, beating out Auburn for Duke quarterback Riley Leonard. (Photo by Jim Dedmon/USA Today)

After a concerning start to the offseason, the NCAA Transfer Portal carousel craziness finally calmed down for the Notre Dame football program. Coach Marcus Freeman and his staff weathered the storm by adding six players from the portal. 

ESPN recognized two of those additions among the top 75 players in the portal. According to ESPN staff writer Tom VanHaarn, quarterback Riley Leonard and wide receiver Kris Mitchell rank No. 6 and 54, respectively.

VanHaarn considers Leonard, the former Duke passer the No. 3 passer in the portal. He is only behind Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Bosie State’s Malachi Nelson, who ESPN ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 cycle.

Leonard arrives in South Bend after three seasons with the Blue Devils. During his time in Durham, N.C., he completed 382-618 (61.8%) passes for 4,450 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Leonard is also an exceptional runner, racking up 1,224 yards and 19 scores on 229 carries.

“The Irish are looking to replace Sam Hartman, and Leonard will be able to step in right away to lead the team,” VanHaarn said. “Leonard is a junior, so it won’t be a long term solution for Notre Dame, but the staff has some younger quarterbacks on the roster and coming in through recruiting that Leonard can help develop and mentor. 

“C.J. Carr is one of the top quarterbacks in the incoming 2024 recruiting class and could benefit from sitting behind Leonard for a season before trying to take the starting job.”

VanHaarn has Mitchell, a Florida International product, as the No. 12 wide receiver in the portal. In his college career with the Panthers, he appeared in 38 games and hauled in 100 passes for 1,663 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

“The Irish needed to bring in some help on the outside at receiver after losing Tobias Merriweather, Rico Flores Jr. and Chris Tyree to the transfer portal,” VanHaarn said. “The coaches are also replacing quarterback Sam Hartman with Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, so Mitchell is an important addition.”

VanHaarn also ranked three former Irish players on the list: Offensive lineman Zeke Correll (42), receiver Tobias Merriweather (47) and receiver Rico Flores Jr. (74). Correll committed to NC State and Merriweather and Flores will play their college football out West at California and UCLA, respectively. 

Notre Dame Posts of the Weekend

Former Irish defensive back Alohi Gilman had an interception against the Chiefs on Sunday.

Irish women’s basketball standout Sonia Citron suited up Sunday for the first time since sustaining a knee injury on Nov. 15. 

Former Irish linebacker Drue Tranquill refused to pick a national champion between Michigan and Washington. Instead, he offered a message related to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Quote of the Weekend

“What it really came down to was life after football. That Notre Dame degree carries a lot of weight. It sets you up for life. You can get any job, you can work anywhere in the world and the alumni is always going to be there. The degree is what set Notre Dame apart at the end for me. What Notre Dame offers is different.”

— 2025 four-star EDGE Christopher Burgess to On3’s Chad Simmons on his decision to commit to Notre Dame football on Saturday.

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