FOOTBALL: Notre Dame, Georgia lose additional players

Notre Dame and Georgia face more roster shakeups as multiple players enter the NCAA transfer portal, though most recent departures have limited game experience. Meanwhile, top recruits like Reed Harris and Devan Thompkins have already committed to new programs, shaking up the 2026 college football landscape.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA/Reuters

January 8, 2026

NCAA Transfer Portal Shakes Up Top Programs: Notre Dame, Georgia See Multiple Departures as Rising Stars Find New Homes

Amber Searls/ Reuters

It’s not always good news in the NCAA transfer portal, as Top-15 programs Notre Dame and Georgia showed on Wednesday.

Two Bulldogs, cornerback Ondre Evans and safety Joenel Aguero, announced they would be entering the portal, while Notre Dame saw four players follow suit. Defensive back Cree Thomas, who previously entered the portal, has already landed at Colorado.

Wide receiver Antavious “Scrap” Richardson, linebackers Anthony Sacca and Bodie Kahoun, and special teams ace Preston Zinter made their intentions to leave the No. 11 Fighting Irish public on Tuesday, bringing Notre Dame’s total departures to at least 14 so far, with no new additions, according to 247Sports’ transfer portal tracker.

Five of those players — quarterback Kenny Minchey (Kentucky), pass rusher Joshua Burnham (Indiana), Thomas, safety JaDon Blair (Missouri), and running back Gi’Bran Payne (Cincinnati) — have already found new programs.

The No. 3 Bulldogs are in a similar position, having lost 10 players to the portal alongside several recent NFL Draft departures. Georgia has, however, added Clemson safety Khalil Barnes in return.

For fans of both programs, there is a silver lining: most of the recent departures are light on experience and playing time.

Aguero, a rising senior, appeared in 36 games over three seasons in Athens, Georgia, recording 72 tackles with an interception and three passes defensed. Evans, a redshirt sophomore, has yet to record any statistics.

Thomas was a freshman for the Irish in 2025, appearing in three games and recording one tackle and a pass defensed. Sacca and Richardson were also freshmen and did not see game action last season. Zinter, primarily a special teams player, recorded two solo tackles in 2025 after registering four tackles and a blocked punt in 2024.

In other transfer portal news, former Boston College wide receiver Reed Harris, ranked No. 17 overall by 247Sports, committed to Arizona State. He will join recent pledge Omarion Miller, forming a promising duo on the outside for the Sun Devils.

No. 14 prospect DJ Lagway, the former Florida quarterback, made headlines by attending a Baylor basketball game with head coach Dave Aranda. Former USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins, ranked No. 23 by 247Sports, announced he will join Alabama in 2026. Wide receiver Eugene Wilson III, formerly of Florida and ranked 46th, has committed to LSU under Lane Kiffin.

—Field Level Media/Reuters