Notre Dame sophomore TE Holden Staes to enter the transfer portal
The Notre Dame football program lost another player to the portal on Friday. Sophomore tight end Holden Staes announced his intention to transfer from the Fighting Irish. He is expected to officially enter his name into the portal when it opens on Monday with two more years of eligibility.
The 6-foot-4 1/4, 242-pounder from The Westminster School in Atlanta appeared in 22 games during his Notre Dame football career. As a sophomore, he played in 11 outings, caught 15 passes for 176 yards (11.7 yards per catch) and had 4 touchdowns.
Staes accompanies eight other Notre Dame players who intend to transfer. The following players have either announced they are entering the transfer portal or plan to when it opens Monday.
- Defensive lineman Nana Osafo-Mensah (Graduate transfer)
- Wide receiver Chris Tyree (Graduate transfer)
- Defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina (Graduate transfer)
- Offensive lineman Zeke Correll (Graduate transfer)
- Wide receiver Tobias Merriweather
- Wide receiver Braylon James
- Safety Ramon Henderson (Graduate transfer)
- Wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.
Graduate students can enter now, while undergrads have to wait three more days to plunge into the portal officially.
Staes made his collegiate debut as a freshman against Marshall on Sept. 10, 2022. He caught an 11-yard pass against BYU during the annual Shamrock Series game on Oct. 8, 2022.
As a recruit, Staes, a four-star, reported about 25 Power Five offers. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services, Staes was the No. 234 overall player, No. 9 tight end nationally and No. 26 prospect in Georgia. He signed with the Irish over Georgia, LSU and Texas.
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Notre Dame thin at tight end with Holden Staes’ transfer portal entry
Staes’ departure leaves the Irish with five scholarship tight ends for the 2024 season. Two of them — Mitchell Evans and Kevin Bauman — will be coming off ACL injuries. Notre Dame also plans to sign 2024 three-star recruit Jack Larsen from Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic in December.
Larsen is the No. 490 overall player, No. 31 tight end and No. 15 prospect in North Carolina in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Fellow tight ends Davis Sherwood, Eli Raridon and Cooper Flanagan are seemingly the only available scholarship players at their position for the bowl game. The Irish expect to learn their bowl destination Sunday.
Sherwood, Raridon and Flanagan have a combined 6 catches for 76 yards and 3 touchdowns in their Notre Dame careers.
