After logging a few thousand air miles two weeks ago pondering where home should be, Braden Fiske ultimately decided that the best fit wasn't in his own backyard.
On Monday, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle committed to finishing his college football career at Florida State over finalists USC and Notre Dame, the latter roughly 40 miles from where he grew up and earned two-star status playing his high school ball at Michigan City (Ind.) High.
What happened since his high school days is more than a late-bloomer storyline. In five years at Western Michigan, Fiske became a beast with NFL aspirations, and the talent and motor to get him there.
His burgeoning dream coaxed him into the transfer portal around the time Broncos head coach Tim Lester was purged on Nov. 28. Fiske took an official visit to Notre Dame four days later and picked up a scholarship offer from the Irish on his way out.
“Great kid. He could play anywhere,” former Notre Dame All-America safety Tom Zbikowski said of Fiske on the Inside ND Sports Podcast earlier this month. Zbikowski spent this past season as a defensive quality control coach at Western Michigan.
“He’s got relentless energy,” Zbikowski continued. “He’s as tough as they come. And he reminds me of (former Irish standout defensive lineman) Derek Landri in my opinion, a taller version of him.”
Other Power 5 offers — and the tsunami of FaceTime sessions and phone calls that came with those — rolled in before and after the visit to ND. LSU, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Rutgers were among his reported suitors.
But Fiske narrowed his focus to ND, Florida State and USC — visiting the latter two schools two weeks ago, just ahead of the NCAA dead period for transfers. Schools can still contact transfer prospects during the dead period, which kicked in on Dec. 19 and runs through Jan. 4, but there is no in-person contact allowed.
Notre Dame, which arrived Monday in Jacksonville, Fla., for its Friday Gator Bowl matchup with South Carolina has three committed transfers in this cycle, with more expected to come. Already signed or committed are wide receiver Kaleb Smith of Virginia Tech, kicker Spencer Shrader of South Florida and Ivy League punter Ben Krimm of Penn.
Fiske, who plays primarily inside with some edge versatility, got his degree in Sports Management last spring and will have one year of eligibility at Florida State.
Rivals ranks Fiske as the No. 96 transfer prospect overall and No. 7 defensive lineman in its new transfer portal rankings, a similar standing to ND outgoing transfer D-lineman Jacob Lacey (92/5), bound for Oklahoma.
Fiske spent five seasons at Western Michigan, three of them as a starter. The Broncos finished 5-7 overall in 2022 and 4-4 in Mid-American Conference play. Former Notre Dame running backs coach Lance Taylor has since succeeded Lester as the Broncos’ head coach.
Fiske amassed 58 tackles, including 12 tackles for losses of 57 yards with six sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Grad transfers and players who were in programs with head coaching changes were able to jump into the portal before the early window opened Dec. 5.
In addition to Lacey transferring, the Irish will also lose interior linemen Chris Smith and Jayson Ademilola to expired eligibility after the bowl game. Vyper end Isaiah Foskey has declared for the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility left, while fellow end Justin Ademilola, a potential sixth-year player, remains on the fence regarding a return to ND in 2023.
No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4) ends its 2022 season Friday in the Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla., against 19th-ranked South Carolina (8-4).
Braden Fiske's career statistics
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