Another Irish defensive end departs as Zinter seeks new opportunity. Depth concerns mount for Notre Dame's defensive line.
Today, Notre Dame defensive end Preston Zinter announced he would be entering the transfer portal. This was first reported by On3. Zinter is one several Notre Dame defensive line departures this season and is the second defensive end to have entered the portal with Josh Burnham entering last week; Burnham has since committed to Indiana and will play his final year of eligibility in Bloomington.
Zinter was never able to crack the rotation as a talented linebacker and made the transition to defensive end this past offseason. He was a talented multi-way starter in high school and was a talented tight end and linebacker. Zinter was a member of the 2023 recruiting class home to several talented Notre Dame defensive players, especially at linebacker. Zinter joined Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry as the third linebacker taken in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
The 6-2, 240-pound linebacker turned defensive end mostly lived on special teams during his career in South Bend. He played in 10 games this past season on special teams and played in all 16 games in 2024 on special teams. The Massachusetts native will have two years of eligibility remaining moving forward for whatever team elects to pick him up in the portal.
The depth along Notre Dame's defensive line is starting to look relatively thin and the need for a transfer portal defensive end is slowly moving up the priority list. They still have their solidified starting lineup in Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young, but the experience behind it remains a question mark. There's no question around the talent, but the depth starts to look thin once you factor in experience.
Zinter is now the 12th Notre Dame player to have entered the transfer portal and the 9th defensive player to elect to enter their name into the portal. Quarterback Kenny Minchey has signed with Kentucky, running back Gi'Bran Payne committed to Cincinnati and Burnham is playing for the Hoosiers in 2026. Those are the only three players who have made their choice in where they'll play in the 2026 college football season.
The majority of the players the Irish have lost in the portal have been overall depth pieces. Players like Burnham and fellow defensive lineman Armel Mukam were expected to take on a much larger role this upcoming season. Other players like Zinter were expected to take on a larger role, but not expected to be an integral part in the rotation. Regardless, this is still a loss from a depth perspective and Notre Dame will now have to replace another quality football player along the defensive line. Hopefully, wherever he ends up, Zinter will become an instant starter and become an impact player for whatever defense he lines up for in 2026.
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