Notre Dame DT Aidan Keanaaina to enter transfer portal
Notre Dame senior defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina will enter the transfer portal, he announced Tuesday on the website formerly known as Twitter. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Keanaaina played sparingly in six games for the Irish this season, maxing out at 11 snaps in a game (Week 1 vs. Tennessee State). He played 40 snaps this season, primarily against the run, and finished with 7 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
“After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with my two years of eligibility remaining,” Keanaaina said in a social media graphic. “I love Notre Dame and I love this team. But I also have to do what is best for me and my future. Even as I enter the portal, I will always have a place in my heart for Notre Dame, and I will always be a part of the Fighting Irish family.”
He did not mention it in the graphic, but Keanaaina will be a graduate transfer.
Keanaaina was a three-star prospect in the class of 2020 out of Denver J.K. Mullen. He ranked 419th in the On3 Industry Ranking, and he was the No. 50 defensive lineman. He redshirted in 2020 and played a combined four games in 2021 and 2022, making 3 tackles against Boston College in his lone appearance last season.
In 2023, Keanaaina struggled to find playing time behind starters Howard Cross III (Gr.) and Rylie Mills (Sr.). He was only listed on the official depth chart during the period of time when junior DT Gabriel Rubio was out with a knee injury, and he played short-yardage snaps in Week 6 against Louisville when Rubio couldn’t play with a concussion.
Keanaaina was also behind junior Jason Onye and sophomore Donovan Hinish in the defensive tackle pecking order throughout the season.
That’s not to say Keanaaina doesn’t have fans in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex. Cross was asked Oct. 25 which of his backups he believes are ready to start next season, and he mentioned Keanaaina.
“Aidan just can’t be moved,” Cross said. “I’d probably say he’s like another version of [former Notre Dame and current Houston Texans defensive tackle] Kurt [Hinish], but probably better because Kurt doesn’t move at all. Even in the league now, he doesn’t move. And Aidan doesn’t move either. He’s actually pretty good on pass rush too.”
Run-stuffing defensive tackles are useful players, and even though Keanaaina was unlikely to find playing time at Notre Dame, he’ll have teams who’d like to acquire his services in the transfer portal.
