This DeVonta Smith doesn't have the decorated resumé of the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama with the same name. But former Alabama defensive back DeVonta Smith was coveted by Notre Dame football in the transfer portal this month.
That's why Smith is expected to transfer to Notre Dame just two days after news broke that Smith was entering the transfer portal. Multiple reports Monday cited Smith signing with the Irish, who he can join ahead of the 2025 season. On3 first reported the news.
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Smith spent the past four seasons at Alabama. He became a starter in his senior season in 2024 at the husky position, which is similar to a nickelback. That's the role he's expected to to compete at for Notre Dame. The Irish have added graduate transfers at the nickelback position in each of the previous two offseasons: Thomas Harper in 2023 and Jordan Clark in 2024.
The 6-foot, 194-pound Smith played in all 12 regular season games for Alabama this season and started 11 of them. He totaled 30 tackles, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry and shared a tackle for loss.
Prior to 2024, Smith played in 20 combined games across three seasons and recorded six total tackles. Most of his experience in those first three seasons came on special teams with work on the coverage and return units for both punts and kickoffs.
Because Smith only played in four games in 2023, he has one season of NCAA eligibility remaining. Smith missed most of the 2023 season recovering from an injury.
Smith was one class ahead of Notre Dame running back Gi'Bran Payne at Cincinnati's La Salle High. Rivals ranked Smith, who verbally committed to Ohio State prior to flipping to Alabama, as the No. 22 cornerback and No. 229 overall in the 2021 class as a four-star recruit.
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Notre Dame offered Smith as a high school recruit, and Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens recruited him both at his previous stop at Cincinnati and at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame's depth chart at nickelback should be wide open going into the 2025 season. Clark, who has played the position in all 12 games and started seven of them, will be gone with expired eligibility. So will safety/nickelback Rod Heard II, a grad transfer from Northwestern.
The Irish currently listed freshman Karson Hobbs as its No. 2 nickelback on the official depth chart, but Heard typically takes reps at the position when Clark isn't manning it. The Irish should be set with starting cornerbacks on the outside with freshman Leonard Moore and sophomore Christian Gray, ND's current starters, expected back.
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