Notre Dame LB Nolan Ziegler enters transfer portal
Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Nolan Ziegler has entered the transfer portal. Blue & Gold confirmed multiple reports, which first came out Saturday night. Ziegler has three years of eligibility remaining.
The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central graduate missed much of the 2023 season with a personal issue, which Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said relates to mental health. He appeared in three games, mostly on special teams, in October and early November.
Ziegler also played in one game as a freshmen, going in during a 44-0 win over Boston College on Nov. 19, 2022.
Ziegler stopped practicing shortly after fall camp began, stepping away from the team. He slowly worked his way back into the mix as he recovered off the field. The sophomore began practicing on Notre Dame’s scout team and in individual drills, the week of the Ohio State game, Freeman announced Sept. 28.
Irish special teams coordinator Marty Biagi said Tuesday that the 6-foot-3, 234-pound Ziegler factored into the special teams mix as well.
“I think he can bring a physicality in a big-sized body where — especially late when you get into the season, the aches and the pains start to add up on people, there’s almost a freshness where it’s like ‘Hey, this guy can cover a kick. He can get in and go rush a punt,’ and have a bigger-bodied presence that you’re looking for,” Biagi said.
He first suited up for Notre Dame on Oct. 5 against Louisville, although he did not play. He made his first appearance Oct. 14 against USC, making a block on sophomore running back Jadarian Price‘s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
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“It’s great,” graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau said at the time. “It’s great to have him back. Obviously I’m happy that he’s back with us, back around us and in practice. I think it’s great for him. It allows him to get better. He just brings a positive attitude every day. He’s just another guy out there working with us and pushing us and learning all together. He just brings up the room.”
Toward the end of the season, though, Ziegler stepped away from the team again. He did not travel with the Irish for the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, or for their Week 13 matchup at Stanford.
Ziegler was a four-star recruit in the recruiting class of 2022. He was the No. 276 player and No. 29 linebacker in the On3 Industry Ranking, committing to Notre Dame on Aug. 8, 2020, around the start of his junior season at Catholic Central.
Notre Dame fans should continue to respect Ziegler and his family’s privacy as he looks for a new home, with his mental health being the No. 1 priority.
