Virginia Tech grad transfer Kaleb Smith will play final season at Notre Dame
Notre Dame already has one wide receiver named Kaleb Smith in the fold for next year. The Irish added another Wednesday.
Virginia Tech grad transfer Kaleb Smith will play for the Irish in 2023, he announced. His decision comes shortly after an official visit to Notre Dame Friday through Sunday. He will be a sixth-year senior in 2023 and has one season of eligibility left.
Smith was the Hokies’ leading receiver in 2022, with 674 yards and 3 touchdowns on 37 receptions. He earned All-ACC honorable mention recognition. His 18.2 yards per catch ranks 22nd in the FBS. No other Virginia Tech player had more than 256 receiving yards.
PROMOTION: Join for only $10 to unlock premium access until the start of the 2023 football season
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Smith had two 100-yard games this year. He put 152 yards on 9 catches on Pittsburgh’s defense Oct. 8, which earned him ACC receiver of the week honors. He had 3 catches for 141 yards against North Carolina State Oct. 27, which included an 85-yard touchdown.
Smith’s college football career began as a walk-on. He arrived at Virginia Tech in 2018 out of Louisa County (Va.) High School and took a redshirt his first year. He surged into the rotation in 2019, though, making five starts. He caught 9 passes for 121 yards that year and earned a scholarship after it. He had 8 catches for 88 yards in 2020. He started 11 of 13 games in 2021, totaling 20 receptions for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 2 catches for 19 yards in Virginia Tech’s 32-29 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 9, 2021.
Notre Dame intensified its pursuit of Smith in mid-December. Wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey visited him Dec. 12, a meetup that appeared to occur in Pittsburgh. Four days later, Smith was on campus. He was the first grad transfer wide receiver to visit Notre Dame this year.
The Irish had offered two other portal receivers before hosting Smith: Keagan Johnson (Iowa) and Dante Cephas (Kent State). The former planned to visit Notre Dame Dec. 9-11, but did not make the trip and chose Kansas State. Cephas is uncommitted but has not visited Notre Dame.
With Smith on board, Notre Dame could have as many as 11 scholarship receivers in 2023. That would happen only if Braden Lenzy joins Matt Salerno in returning for a sixth year. The latter announced Friday he is coming back. If Lenzy departs, Notre Dame will have five holdover receivers from 2022: Salerno, freshman Tobias Merriweather and sophomores Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas and Lorenzo Styles.
The Irish have four 2023 receiver signees: Braylon James, Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores Jr. and another Kaleb Smith. All but Smith are four-star prospects ranked in the top 230 of the On3 Consensus.
