Longtime Notre Dame Starter Transferring After National Title Loss
01/23/2025 12:44 PM
It was bound to happen, but the mini-exodus of players from Notre Dame beyond just the graduations and draft declarations has begun.
Following Notre Dame's national title loss to Ohio State, the team was forced to wave goodbye to defensive coordinator Al Golden. The veteran defensive coach decided to return to the NFL and become the new defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals.
But some important players are also set to leave Marcus Freeman's program in spite of the success they enjoyed this year.
According to ESPN's Max Olson, Notre Dame starting right guard Rocco Spindler is entering the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer. Spindler has started 23 games at guard for the team, making him one of the foundational pieces of their offense.
"Notre Dame OL Rocco Spindler has entered the portal as a grad transfer, ESPN has learned. Spindler has been a 23-game starter at right guard for the Fighting Irish," Olson wrote.
Notre Dame OL Rocco Spindler has entered the portal as a grad transfer, ESPN has learned.
— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 23, 2025
Spindler has been a 23-game starter at right guard for the Fighting Irish. pic.twitter.com/BpDSJSQQDi
That's a pretty big blow to the Fighting Irish, especially with star quarterback Riley Leonard set to leave as well.
Barring a transfer to Notre Dame, Freeman will be heading into the 2024 season with either Steve Angeli or Kenny Minchey as his starting quarterback, with less than 100 career passes between them.
The good news is that Notre Dame will still have the services of star running back Jeremiyah Love, who had over 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns for the Fighting Irish as they won a school record 14 games including their first College Football Playoff games.
But repeating as a champion in college football is an extremely tall ask and exceptionally rare when there's a quarterback change. The last two teams to win back-to-back national titles were Georgia in 2021 and 2022, and Alabama in 2011 and 2012. The common denominator? Stability at quarterback.
So if Notre Dame have any plans on getting back to the national title game in the near future, they may need to stabilize the position for the long-term and fast.
Related: Notre Dame Loses DC Al Golden After National Championship Game
