A Notre Dame edge defender has put his name in to the NCAA transfer portal.
Senior defensive end Kofi Wardlow is in the portal, he announced on social media, confirming a report from Rivals’ tracker. Wardlow has not played this season and has appeared in three career games, with one tackle that came in 2019 against New Mexico. The 6-2, 250-pound lineman played in two games last year, one in 2018 and redshirted in 2017.
“After deliberate consultation with my family, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal,” Wardlow wrote in a statement posted on his Twitter account. “I have greatly enjoyed my time playing for the Irish, and the community and relationships I have formed here will always be special to me.
“This environment allowed me to grow athletically, academically and personally, and for that I will always be grateful. Most importantly, I will be graduating this fall with my bachelor’s degree from a university I love and respect.”
Wardlow, a Washington, D.C., native, was a member of Notre Dame’s 2017 signing class and a three-star recruit. He was the No. 47 weak-side defensive end in the 2017 class and attended St. John’s College High School in Washington. He was originally committed to Maryland, but flipped to the Irish on National Signing Day in 2017 after taking late official visits to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Notre Dame.
Wardlow can remove his name from the portal at any point if he chooses.
Notre Dame’s defensive line has lost two reserves to the transfer portal in the last week, Wardlow and nose tackle Ja’Mion Franklin, who announced he was leaving the team on Oct. 30 “to work on my mental health” and will be “looking for a fresh start when I resume my football career.”
Irish Sports Daily was the first to report the news.
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