Former Notre Dame Transfer Players Performance Tracked Across Programs
Tracking the performance of former Notre Dame players who entered the NCAA transfer portal reveals outcomes across multiple programs, with reporting on the varied playing time and physical hurdles experienced by these athletes.
Defensive and Offensive Snap Counts Across Programs
Taebron Bennie-Powell transferred to Boise State in January following a sophomore season where he appeared in a single game for Notre Dame during a 70-7 victory over Syracuse. He has yet to play a snap for the Broncos. Linebacker Bodie Kahoun started the first two games of the season at Boston College and recorded nine tackles before a neck injury sidelined him for several weeks. Kahoun returned against Pitt and Georgia Tech to pick up seven more tackles in a reserve role. At UCF, defensive back Jayden Bellamy has started 18 games over the last two seasons following his departure from Syracuse, compiling 44 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, 10 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Purdue offensive tackle Joey Tanona medically retired from Notre Dame without playing a down due to a high school car accident injury. After playing sparingly in 2024 and starting 12 games last fall, Tanona has missed action this season while recovering from an ankle injury sustained during fall camp, keeping him sidelined for Purdue’s 49-10 defeat to Notre Dame in Week 4. At Rice, former Fighting Irish linebacker and defensive end Preston Zinter moved to tight end in the offseason and has started and played 139 snaps over the last four weeks in the Owls’ triple-option offense without a recorded offensive touch.
In his first practice back with the Boston College football team during the bye week following a scary neck injury, linebacker Bodie Kahoun requested a blitz on his opening play. “I ran up the A-gap, closed my eyes, and just kind of went for it,” Kahoun said. “I got it out of the…”
Transfer Players Contribute to New Rosters
Cree Thomas transferred to Colorado, where he has started seven games at safety, registering 20 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pass deflections.
Bowling Green cornerback JoJo Johnson missed his 2021 freshman campaign at Notre Dame due to a lower extremity injury, subsequently spending a year at Iowa Western Community College and two seasons at Indiana before arriving at Bowling Green. Johnson has appeared in 13 games over the past two seasons, recording 31 tackles, two interceptions, two recovered fumbles, and 13 pass deflections. Michigan State wide receiver KK Smith has played 50 snaps across five games, catching two passes for 21 yards, though he did not play in a Week 3 loss to Notre Dame. Rino Monteforte spent last season as the Golden Bears’ long snapper before transferring to Kansas, where he has logged 53 special teams snaps.
Tonight I asked Kenny Minchey about how this feels after waiting for his moment for so long. He gives a really great and emotional answer 😼 pic.twitter.com/umKvlyaQDh
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