Speedy wideout KK Smith seeks a new home, departing Notre Dame after limited offensive snaps. Will his elite speed ignite a new program's attack?
Notre Dame wide receiver KK Smith announced he will be entering the transfer portal. This was first reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Smith played a limited role this past season on offense making his decision to enter the transfer portal not overly unexpected. He sat behind fellow 2023 classmates Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison for the duration of his career in South Bend. And with the rise of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes, Smith would be battling for a spot in the rotation as a redshirt junior.
Smith was a member of the 2023 recruiting class alongside Greathouse, Faison, Jeremiyah Love, tight end Cooper Flanagan and a handful of other impactful offensive players. Smith didn't play in a regular season game in 2023. He did appear in the bowl game against Oregon State for two plays. He played in six games in 2024 recording three catches for 38 yards. This past season, Smith caught eight passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
The Frisco, Texas native had a skillset unlike the majority of the room, he could flat out run. Smith had elite top end speed, but struggled playing with the level of strength you needed to at this level. The 6-0, 177-pound receiver will have two years of eligibility remaining as he enters the portal.
Smith had his best performance of his career against NC State this past regular season catching three passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. He also caught another touchdown pass against Navy in one of their final home games of the regular season. After his performance against NC State, we thought we might see more of Smith in this offense, especially with his speed, but only played 46 more snaps the remainder of the season. His inability to fully crack the receiver rotation ultimately led to his decision to enter the portal.
Notre Dame still has a lot of viable options remaining on the current roster, as things stand today, at the wide receiver position. Players like Greathouse and Faison are expected to be the leaders within the room. Rising juniors Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams are on pace for a breakout season in 2026 with other players like Logan Saldate, Elijah Burress and a host of talented redshirt freshman and true freshman waiting in the wings. The Irish are also looking at options in the transfer portal at boundary receiver.
Smith has the opportunity to go to another school and be a key player in their rotation or even crack the starting lineup depending on where he goes. The move was relatively unexpected from an intel perspective, but one we knew might happen due to how the receiver rotation worked itself out this season. Smith will be a quality football player for whoever lands him in the portal.
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