Freshman safety Kennedy Urlacher, the son of NFL legend Brian Urlacher, has officially entered the NCAA transfer portal after completing one season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.

A 3-star recruit out of Chandler High School (AZ), Urlacher committed to Notre Dame in December 2023 as part of the 2024 recruiting class. During his true freshman year, he played in 14 of Notre Dame’s 16 games, recording 12 total tackles and a pass breakup.

Urlacher’s decision to explore transfer options comes amid a crowded Notre Dame secondary, which has added key transfers including Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech) and DeVonta Smith (Alabama), while returning productive defenders Adon Shuler and Luke Talich. Shuler, in particular, had a breakout season with 59 tackles and three interceptions.

Though Urlacher was once highly impressed by head coach Marcus Freeman—especially during the team’s College Football Playoff run—limited playing time opportunities may have prompted this move.

In his recruitment prior to joining the Irish, Urlacher considered offers from Kansas State, Miami, Illinois, Penn State, and TCU. These programs could re-emerge as potential landing spots now that he’s back on the market.

The spring NCAA transfer portal window opened on April 17 and runs through April 25, allowing student-athletes to officially declare their intent to transfer. As long as Urlacher is entered by the deadline, he can sign with another school at any point afterward.