Notre Dame football 2024 spring transfer portal tracker

Here’s a running tracker of every Notre Dame roster move this spring, which will be updated as necessary.

As a reminder, undergraduate players must enter the portal during the 15-day window from April 15-April 30, but they are free to choose a new school at any time once they’re in. Additionally, a judge in West Virginia ruled in December that undergraduates can transfer as many times as they would like without penalty. That ruling is unlikely to affect Notre Dame, who only has one undergraduate transfer on its roster (senior quarterback Riley Leonard).

Notre Dame football roster movement

In the transfer portal

• Sophomore cornerback Micah Bell

Subtractions

• Graduate cornerback Clarence Lewis (Syracuse)
• Junior punter Bryce McFerson (Maryland)

Additions

• Graduate punter James Rendell (Prokick Australia)

Scholarship count

• Notre Dame is at 88 scholarships. The limit is 85.

May 2: Graduate punter James Rendell commits to Notre Dame

While not technically through the transfer portal — Rendell is a former semi-pro Australian rules football player who spent the past year training at renowned training ground Prokick Australia — Notre Dame has filled its need at punter. Special teams coordinator Marty Biagi traveled to Australia to secure Rendell’s commitment.

Nicknamed “Thor,” the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Rendell is a graduate student with up to three years of eligibility remaining. He told Blue & Gold that he’ll move to South Bend in May, when he’ll start gearing up to be Notre Dame’s starting punter.

May 2: Junior punter Bryce McFerson commits to Maryland

With three years of eligibility remaining, McFerson joins a Maryland team that has been competitive in the Big Ten under head coach Mike Locksley. The Terrapins have won 7-8 games in each of the past three seasons and won three-straight bowl games, most recently the Music City Bowl over Auburn.

April 23: Sophomore cornerback Micah Bell enters the transfer portal

Despite entering Notre Dame as a four-star prospect and top-300 player in the class of 2023, Bell was not going to play significant snaps in his second season. He struggled during spring practice at cornerback, even playing behind senior walk-on corner Marty Auer in the Blue-Gold Game.

The Irish hosted Rice transfer cornerback Tre’Shon Devones for a visit this past Thursday. Bell’s decision underscores the need for depth at the position in the transfer portal.

April 16: McFerson enters the transfer portal

McFerson was Notre Dame’s starting punter in 2023, averaging 45.1 yards per punt with a long of 49 and 5 boots placed inside the 20-yard line. He seemed to be in line to retain his job for the 2024 season before entering the portal.

Only one other Notre Dame player is listed as a punter on the roster: Senior Chris Salerno, who has not played in college yet. Thirty-year-old Army veteran Eric Goins was the punter at The Citadel in 2013 and punted sparingly in 2014, averaging 40.3 yards per boot in his only full season handling punts.

April 16: Graduate cornerback Clarence Lewis commits to Syracuse

The Edison, N.J., native is moving back to the Northeast, where he’ll join an Orange team led by first-year head coach Fran Brown. He’ll compete with fellow ex-Irish defensive back Jayden Bellamy and Buffalo transfer Devin Grant, a first-team All-Mid-American Conference player this past season after leading the MAC in interceptions with 5, for reps at cornerback.

March 29: Lewis enters the transfer portal

Lewis was one of two players — along with long snapper Michael Vinson — who played in every game for the Irish over the past four seasons. He earned the nickname “The Robot” for his ability to stay healthy, but the veteran cornerback was not going to star at Notre Dame in his final season of eligibility.

The Irish brought in Arizona State graduate transfer Jordan Clark to start at nickel back, while juniors Benjamin Morrison and Jaden Mickey and sophomore Christian Gray had passed him at cornerback. Notre Dame valued Lewis as a capable, experienced backup who can play multiple positions, but he’ll look for a better opportunity elsewhere.