The last 24 hours have been a roller coaster for Notre Dame athletics when it comes to the transfer portal. First, Cormac Ryan announced his departure from the men's basketball program to North Carolina. The hockey team brought in forward Patrick Moynihan from Providence on Friday morning. But the biggest announcement came early Friday afternoon, with ESPN’s Pete Thamel breaking the news. Junior wide receiver Lorenzo Styles is the latest Notre Dame athlete to enter the portal.
It’s not the first time Styles has been in the news this spring. After spending his first two years with the Irish as a wide receiver, Styles has been taking reps at cornerback. Styles had a solid freshman campaign two seasons ago that ended on an incredibly high note with a career performance in the Fiesta Bowl. After racking up eight catches for 136 receiving yards and a touchdown in that game, the Pickerington, Ohio native entered the 2022 season with a lot of hype. However, Styles failed to take a step forward, putting up nearly identical numbers to his freshman year. Styles finished his sophomore season with 340 receiving yards on 30 catches and scored one touchdown.
The Irish receiver room is better equipped to handle Styles’ departure than it would have been a year ago. Senior Chris Tyree is switching from running back to wide receiver, giving the Irish a potentially stout option in the slot. And Notre Dame has a trio of promising four-star freshmen receivers in Braylon James, Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores. The Irish also have plenty of talent at cornerback, too. But losing a player with the potential of Styles, a four-star recruit who was the No. 6 rated wide receiver of his recruiting class (according to Rivals), is never optimal, especially with Notre Dame’s season opener against Navy in Dublin just over four months away.
