Notre Dame punter Jay Bramblett, linebacker Paul Moala enter transfer portal
The first hint of Jay Bramblett’s likely departure came when he trotted out of the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel on Senior Day Nov. 20. Another followed one day later when the Irish took a late commitment from punter Bryce McFerson. Former head coach Brian Kelly saying Bramblett had made a decision on his future but not disclosing it was a third indicator.
It’s now official.
Bramblett, a junior and Notre Dame’s three-year punter, entered the transfer portal shorty after Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State. Senior linebacker Paul Moala joined him in exiting Saturday afternoon. Bramblett has two seasons of eligibility left at his next destination and is on track to graduate from Notre Dame in May. Moala is also a grad transfer and will have three seasons left to play.
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Bramblett ranked 31st nationally in punting average this year heading into the bowl game. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt this year and 41.9 for his career. His average improved in each of his three years at Notre Dame, and he kicked a career-long 72-yarder this year.
This season, Bramblett placed 21 of his 58 punts inside the 20-yard line. Just 14 of them were returned, and for an average of 5.86 yards. In 2020, returners averaged just 3.67 yards when running back Bramblett’s punts. In 2019, that figure was 3.89. In three years, only one return of a Bramblett punt went for longer than 20 yards.
In his final game, Bramblett punted seven times for 291 yards (41.6 average). Oklahoma State did not return any of them.
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Bramblett came to Notre Dame as a three-star recruit in the 2019 class. He was a punter and quarterback at Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Hillcrest High School.
With Bramblett’s exit, Notre Dame will be breaking in a new kicker and punter next year. McFerson becomes the favorite for Notre Dame’s 2022 punter job and would be just the fourth player to hold that role since 2013. Three-year kicker Jonathan Doerer is out of eligibility after returning for an extra season using the COVID-19 waiver. Rising sophomore Josh Bryan is his likely replacement.
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Moala suffered Achilles tears in each of the last two seasons, which limited him to four games and just 31 defensive snaps since 2020. Both injuries came in contests against Florida State, with this year’s in the season opener. They shipwrecked a promising first two years as a core special-teams player and No. 2 rover.
Moala played seven games as a freshman in 2018 and was rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s backup in 2019. In the latter season, he made 14 tackles, a tackle for loss and returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown. He was a three-star recruit in the 2018 class from Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn High School.
