SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – If you’re a Notre Dame football fan, you’ve likely noticed that the Fighting Irish have added several new players via the transfer portal, especially in recent days.
You’ve also likely noticed that the team hasn’t lost any of its current players to the transfer portal since the end of the regular season. However, a few players did announce their intentions to enter the portal during the season.
According to our reporting partners at the South Bend Tribune, college football’s winter transfer portal window officially opened Dec. 9 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 28. But there will be an additional five-day window players to enter the transfer portal after competing in College Football Playoff games or postseason bowl games that are played after that (which is the case for Notre Dame).
There will be another 10-day transfer portal window that opens in the spring from April 16-25.
Here’s a brief look at who’s coming to South Bend and who’s on their way out.
Ty Washington – Tight End, Arkansas
Washington, a 6-foot-4, 249-pound tight end from Leesburg, Ga., announced his commitment to the Irish on the Christmas Day.
According to The Tribune, he has 14 career receptions for 212 yards and four touchdowns. But only two of those receptions and one of those touchdowns came in the 2024 season.
He appeared in seven games this year but was dismissed from the program after declining to re-enter a game on Oct. 26 at Mississippi State. He said on a podcast he was dealing with his grandmother’s terminal illness and wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
The redshirt sophomore has two years of remaining eligibility.
Will Pauling – Wide Receiver, Wisconsin
Pauling, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver from Chicago, committed to Notre Dame on Christmas Eve.
The Tribune says his 2024 season was marred by injuries, but he did catch 74 passes for 837 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 under wide receivers coach Mike Brown, who he will be reunited with in South Bend.
Pauling finished the 2024 season with nine dropped passes. He also dropped seven passes in 2023.
The redshirt junior has one more year of eligibility.
Malachi Fields – Wide Receiver, Virginia
Fields, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound wide receiver from Charlottesville, Va., announced his commitment to the Irish on Dec. 23.
He was a very productive receiver for the Cavaliers, and he is considered a freak athlete. He caught 55 passes for 808 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 and put up similar numbers in 2023 (58 catches for 811 yards and five scores).
Notre Dame kept Fields out of the end zone during the Nov. 16 Senior Day matchup against the Cavaliers, but he still had four catches for 81 yards, according to The Tribune.
The graduate transfer has one more year of eligibility.
DeVonta Smith – Defensive Back, Alabama
Smith, a 6-foot, 194-pound defensive back from Cincinnati, committed to Notre Dame on Dec. 16.
After three seasons as a reserve in Tuscaloosa, he made 11 starts and played 421 defensive snaps for the Crimson Tide this season, according to The Tribune. He made 30 tackles and was third on the Crimson Tide with five pass breakups.
Smith was limited at times this season with a hamstring injury.
The graduate transfer has one more year of eligibility.
Aiden Gobaira – Defensive End
The 6-foot-5, 249-pound defensive end from Chantilly, Va., announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Oct. 22.
According to The Tribune, Gobaira dealt with lingering knee issues and was reclassified as a medical non-counter in June.
His only appearance for Notre Dame came on one defensive snap against Boston College on Senior Day in 2022.
It’s unclear at this time where his next landing spot is.
Tyson Ford – Defensive Lineman
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman from St. Louis announced his decision to transfer back on Oct. 1 after being reclassified as a medical non-counter and removed form the roster in late June, according to The Tribune.
He played in just three games and played a total of 13 defensive snaps in 2023 for the Irish.
He announced his commitment to California on Dec. 13.
He has three years of remaining eligibility.
Jaden Mickey – Cornerback
The 6-foot, 178-pound cornerback from Eastvale, Calif., announced back on Sept. 23 that he would redshirt and enter the transfer portal after playing in Notre Dame’s first four games this season.
The move came after Mickey lost a training camp battle with sophomore Christian Gray for the starting job at field corner, according to The Tribune. Prior to redshirting, Mickey played 82 defensive snaps and was a key contributor on special teams.
In 2023, he made 11 tackles and had a 43-yard pick six against Pittsburgh.
The grad transfer, who has picked Cal as his next destination according to multiple reports, has two years of remaining eligibility.
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