Notre Dame linebacker Shayne Simon enters transfer portal
Shayne Simon is seeking a new home to finish his college football career.
The Notre Dame senior linebacker announced Saturday on social media he is entering the transfer portal. Though he is out for the season due to injury, he said he will remain with the team through the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl.
Simon, who began the season as a second-team linebacker and special teamer, suffered a torn labrum in Notre Dame’s Sept. 5 win at Florida State. Just like that, his season was over after just eight defensive snaps. The injury allowed him to redshirt this year, and he will have two seasons of eligibility left at his next destination. He is expected to be a grad transfer.
The 6-3, 233-pound Simon made 27 tackles from 2018-20, with 3.0 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. His most notable performance was in the Nov. 7, 2020 win over then-No. 1 Clemson, when he made four tackles (1.0 for loss) and broke up two passes. That game was one of his eight 2020 starts at linebacker, but he lost the job to Marist Liufau toward the end of the year.
He and Liufau reprised their competition in spring practice. When Liufau was lost for the 2021 season late in fall camp due to a lower leg injury, junior J.D. Bertrand – not Simon – stepped into the starting lineup. Bertrand is the team’s leading tackler, with 92 stops.
Simon came to Notre Dame as a four-star recruit out of Jersey City (N.J.) Saint Peter’s Prep. He was the No. 168 overall player in the 2018 class and picked the Irish in July 2017 over Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford and others.
Notre Dame signed an impressive four-man linebacker class Wednesday that contains a quartet of four-star prospects, including No. 41 overall recruit Jaylen Sneed.
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