Notre Dame football scholarship chart
Notre Dame has seen its first in-season departure from the roster. Senior defensive tackle Jacob Lacey announced Thursday he is leaving the team and will enter the transfer portal as a graduate when the window to do so opens one day after the College Football Playoff field is selected. This year, that’s Dec. 5.
Lacey played in four games in 2022, making 5 tackles with 2 sacks. Departing before Notre Dame’s fifth contest of the season allows him to preserve a redshirt. He had not used his redshirt season previously and will have two years of eligibility at his next destination.
Lacey’s departure leaves Notre Dame with 84 scholarship players, one below the limit. Notre Dame got down to the 85-scholarship cap on the first day of preseason camp. Freshman offensive lineman Joey Tanona’s medical retirement that head coach Marcus Freeman made public Aug. 5 brought the Irish from 86 — where they had sat since the spring — down to the maximum.
Notre Dame made one more roster move in late August, putting sophomore tight end Davis Sherwood on scholarship. The spot came open when grad student wide receiver Avery Davis tore his right ACL Aug. 12. The injury not only ended his season, but his career. Davis was in his sixth and final year of eligibility. Notre Dame placed him on medical scholarship, which formally concluded his Irish career and took him off the scholarship roster.
Lacey is the first Notre Dame scholarship player to seek a transfer since graduate student running back C’Bo Flemister in late April.
The 2022 season brings a return to the hard scholarship cap of 85. Last year, seniors who used the COVID-19 exemption to return for an additional year of eligibility did not count toward the 85. Notre Dame had two of them, kicker Jonathan Doerer and defensive tackle Kurt Hinish.
From 2022 on, though, anyone who returns for one more season is included in the limit of 85. Notre Dame has six such “super seniors” this year after Davis’ retirement: offensive lineman Josh Lugg, defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola, linebacker Bo Bauer, safety Houston Griffith, cornerback TaRiq Bracy and Arkansas State grad transfer kicker Blake Grupe. Three other players who had the COVID-19 year available and could have returned for a sixth season chose not to: defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, linebacker Drew White and linebacker Isaiah Pryor.
Here’s a look at the Notre Dame scholarship distribution in 2022, including the Irish’s 2022 signing class. This list will be updated throughout the year as players come and go.
Notre Dame scholarship chart key:
(*) – player who has redshirted.
(^) – player who is using the COVID-19 waiver to play a “super senior” season.
Anyone whose name is in italics has the COVID-19 option available in 2023 or later.
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