Notre Dame football is reaping the benefits already of making a College Football Playoff championship. The Fighting Irish are adding several transfer portal targets after defeating Penn State, per On3. Notre Dame is adding four total transfers at a variety of positions, but mostly on defense.

The Fighting Irish got commitments from: Jalen Stroman, Elijah Hughes, Noah Burnette and Jared Dawson. All four players are highly regarded transfers from power 4 programs.

Stroman is a defensive back that comes in from Virginia Tech. Hughes is a defensive lineman from USC. Burnette is a kicker that transfers in from North Carolina, and Dawson is a defensive lineman from Louisville.

The Fighting Irish have unfinished business in the 2024 season, as the team is in the CFP final against Ohio State. Notre Dame hasn't won a national championship since 1988, when Lou Holtz coached at the school.

Notre Dame football is building a nucleus of talent for the future

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (R) reacts on the sidelines in the final minute against the Georgia Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Fighting Irish's latest transfer additions are mostly on defense, which will continue to help on that side of the ball. Notre Dame is expected to be losing a lot of talent this offseason, after the CFP final.

The defensive line is one area where Notre Dame football isn't expected to be returning a lot of experience. That unit is going to be strengthened with the addition of Hughes and Dawson. Hughes collected a total of seven total tackles at USC, while appearing in 15 games. Dawson posted 19 tackles in 2024, while starting two games for Louisville.

In a game against Notre Dame, Dawson was impressive. He posted four tackles for Louisville in that game, even though the Cardinals lost to Notre Dame.

Burnette is an experienced kicker, who successfully connected on more than 71 percent of his field goal attempts in 2024. The kicker made seven field goal attempts of at least 40 yards this season for the Tar Heels. In 2023, he went 19-for-20 on field goals.

Stroman is an experienced safety with one year of eligibility left in college football. The safety posted just five tackles in the 2024 season. Before that, he had two excellent years capped off by a 2023 campaign that saw him collect 55 total tackles. He will certainly bring a lot of leadership and experience to the Notre Dame secondary.

Notre Dame football plays Ohio State for the national championship on January 20. The Fighting Irish defeated Indiana, Georgia and Penn State to reach the title game.