After four seasons at Notre Dame, cornerback Clarence Lewis will look into other options for his fifth and final season of eligibility.
The 6-foot, 202-pound senior entered the transfer portal Friday as a graduate transfer, Inside ND Sports confirmed with multiple sources. Because Lewis is scheduled to graduate in May, he doesn't have to wait for the April 16-30 transfer portal window to open.
Lewis played in 50 games with 23 starts during his Notre Dame career. He tallied 124 tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, 18 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one sack in an Irish uniform.
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Notre Dame’s cornerback depth chart this spring is starting to quickly thin with starter Benjamin Morrison sidelined with a shoulder injury and Lewis entering the transfer portal. Earlier this week, Lewis was taking reps in Morrison’s spot with junior-to-be Jaden Mickey and sophomore-to-be Christian Gray rotating at the other starting cornerback spot. Lewis has also taken reps as a reserve nickelback behind Arizona State graduate transfer Jordan Clark.
The Irish only have two other scholarship cornerbacks on the roster this spring: senior Chance Tucker and sophomore Micah Bell. Two freshman cornerbacks will join Notre Dame’s roster this summer: four-star recruit Leonard Moore and three-star recruit Karson Hobbs.
Lewis emerged as an early contributor at Notre Dame with six starts as a freshman before becoming a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2021. That season he recorded 53 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.
His role in Notre Dame’s defense diminished the past two seasons with two starts in 2022 and one in 2023 when starting nickelback Thomas Harper opted to sit out the Sun Bowl. Lewis shifted inside as a reserve nickelback while maintaining a heavy presence on special teams. In 13 games in 2023, Lewis totaled nine tackles, three pass breakups and returned an interception for a touchdown against Tennessee State.
Notre Dame signed Lewis as a three-star recruit out of Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei. Rivals ranked him as the No. 84 cornerback in the 2020 class. He committed to the Irish over offers from the likes of Virginia Tech, NC State, Rutgers, Duke and Boston College.
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