After a run to this season's CFP National Championship game, which ultimately ended with a hard-fought loss to Ohio State, Notre Dame has subtly added some key pieces in the portal, ones they hope will help the sustain the program's success heading into next season and beyond.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Devonta Smith: Defensive Back
Previous School: University of Alabama
Smith was the first player to announce his commitment to Notre Dame this portal cycle, and he comes to Notre Dame after four years at Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, Smith played a role on special teams his first two seasons on the team before earning playing time at cornerback during his junior year. That season, however, was shortened early on due to an injury that kept him on the bench. The 2024 campaign is where Smith saw his biggest jump, as he started every game for the Crimson Tide. Although Alabama's defense was suspect for most of the season, Smith performed well, recording 30 total tackles and five pass deflections. And, with the departure of Benjamin Morrison to the NFL next season, Smith will likely serve an important role for the Irish. Together with Christian Gray and Leonard Moore, the former Crimson Tide standout will help form a talented cornerback group.
Malachi Fields: Wide Receiver
Previous School: University of Virginia
Notre Dame has also addressed their need for more talented wide receivers with the signing of Malachi Fields. Fields is a long, athletic, and physical wide receiver who offers a big target on the outside -- something Notre Dame desperately needs next season. The former UVA target stands an imposing 6'4 and weighs 220 lbs. With that size, he also contains impressive speed, making him a nightmare to guard on the outside. Fields is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign, one that practically mirrored his output from the 2023 season. In 2023, Fields caught 58 passes for 811 yards and found the end zone five times. He followed that up in 2024 with 55 receptions, 808 yards, and five touchdowns. On subpar teams, those are impressive stats. With senior wide receiver Beaux Collins graduating, Fields will be an excellent replacement for the 2025 season.
Will Pauling: Wide Receiver
Previous School: University of Wisconsin
Pauling joins the Irish wide receiver room after stints at both Cincinnati and Wisconsin. While at Cincinnati, Pauling played under current Notre Dame wide receiver coach, Mike Brown. At 5'10, Pauling is a quick and shifty player in the open field. He's also an efficient route runner with the ability to catch in traffic and make defenders miss. All of this makes him a great target in the middle of the field for whoever is under center for Notre Dame next season. His most productive season came in 2023, his first year with the Wisconsin Badgers. That year, Pauling recorded 74 receptions for 837 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers would almost double the yards of any player on Notre Dame's current roster. This past season, Pauling saw a fairly large drop in production, but that "decline" can be attributed to Wisconsin's mundane offense and injury problems at the quarterback position. Still, Pauling did reel in 42 passes for just over 400 yards to go along with three touchdowns.
Ty Washington: Tight End
Previous School: University of Arkansas
Washington, a Chicago native, came out of high school as a three-star recruit and found his way to Arkansas before recently transferring to Notre Dame. Washington just concluded his redshirt sophomore year at Arkansas, where his season was cut short due to a violation of team rules. Throughout his three years at Arkansas, Washington did not seen the field on a consistent basis. During his freshman year, he caught just one pass, but that was for a touchdown. The next year, Washington saw an uptick in playing time, but that ended when he suffered a season-ending shoulder ending. This season, Washington saw the field sparingly, once again, recording just two receptions, one going for a touchdown. Despite his minimal playing time, he holds all the tools to make an impact on the field. His 6'4 247-lb. frame might be looked at as a limitation for his position, but those physical attributes don't stop him from flashing undeniable athleticism. His size and speed make him an ideal target in the receiving game, and an effective blocker in the run game. While he still has a lot to prove on the field, there is no denying Washington possesses all the right tools to make an impact for the Irish next season.
Jared Dawson: Defensive Tackle
Previous School: University of Louisville
Notre Dame's defense landed another transfer piece with the commitment of senior defensive tackle Jared Dawson. Dawson joins the team after previously playing at Louisville, a program that has become a bit of a rival in recent years. After playing a total of six games in his first two seasons, Dawson made a huge jump, appearing in every game in 2022. In 2024, Dawson had his most productive year for the Cardinals in just 10 games. In those contests, he recorded 19 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble. Dawson is a powerful athlete, the type that Notre Dame -- regardless of who its next defensive coordinator will be next season -- desperately needs. The Irish are losing incredible production with the departures of Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills. Those two have been a staple of Notre Dame's defense, so Dawson will be a huge piece in building the defensive line back to where the program expects it to be.
Noah Burnette: Place Kicker
Previous School: University of North Carolina
Burnette will be the next transfer kicker in line at Notre Dame after four years at North Carolina. Marcus Freeman has started to make transfer kickers the norm around the program in recent time, and this year is no different. Burnette arrives in South Bend with three years of experience kicking for the Tar Heels, though his accuracy has inconsistent throughout his career. In 2022, Burnette went 15-21 on his field goal attempts, good for a 71% average on the year. The bulk of his misses came between 30-39 yards, where he was five-for-nine. The best year for Burnette came in 2023 when his average spiked to a 95% field goal percentage. He was perfect between 20-29 and 40-49 yards, and only missed once between 30-39 yards. In 2024, his average fell back down to 71%, as he missed six of 21 attempts. Notre Dame will look to recreate the magic that Burnette had in 2023, which would be a huge bonus for a special teams unit that did deal with its fair share of issues this season.
Elijah Hughes: Defensive Tackle
Previous School: University of Southern California
Hughes comes to Notre Dame after spending two years with the school's biggest rival, the USC Trojans. In those two years, Hughes played a total of 14 games (seven each season). Though he's had limited playing time as a Trojan, Hughes was able to record a total of 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Now, he'll look to be a part of rebuilding the interior of Notre Dame's defensive line with the aforementioned Cross III and Mills graduating.
Jalen Stroman: Safety
Previous School: University of Virginia
Stroman will join an already talented Notre Dame secondary as a graduate senior after four years at UVA. Hard to miss on the football field, Stroman is an athletic and physical safety who isn't afraid to deliver the big hit. His hard-hitting nature will bring a new level of physicality to a Notre Dame defense that loses some physicality entering the offseason. During his freshman year at Virginia, Stroman played in every game of the season. He would play in 11 games the following two seasons but would only see the field once in 2024 due to an injury suffered during the first game of the season. While at UVA, Stroman put up some impressive stats, recording 111 tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and four pass deflections. Stroman will surely become a favorite to many Notre Dame fans due to his prowess as a physical force, but he will also fill a critical hole in the Irish secondary with the departure of Xavier Watts.
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