Notre Dame Cornerback Clarence Lewis Is Entering The Transfer Portal

Notre Dame veteran Clarence Lewis is entering the transfer portal

Sep 10, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd wide receiver Corey Gammage (7) / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame got a bit more thin in the secondary as Irish Breakdown has confirmed that fifth-year senior cornerback Clarence Lewis was leaving the team and will enter the transfer portal. As a graduate, Lewis isn't held to the same portal timeline as undergrads.

Lewis entering the portal isn't overly surprising, as Lewis didn't have a clear path to starting anywhere for 2024. The timing of it is a bit of a surprise for me, as Lewis was in position to earn a lot of spring first-team reps with Benjamin Morrison out with a shoulder injury. While Lewis wasn't going to challenge Morrison for that spot, a strong spring finish could give him an opportunity to earn a more prominent role in the nickel or at safety.

The New Jersey native was a key rotation player for Notre Dame in 2023, but he was a starter for the Irish early in his career. He took over as the starting cornerback as a true freshman in 2020, and started for Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game against Clemson and in the College Football Playoff semi-final against Alabama.

Lewis racked up a career-high seven pass break ups as a rookie in 2020, and he set a career high with 53 tackles as a sophomore starter in 2021. The arrival of Morrison pushed him to a reserve role in 2022, and he was the backup nickel to Thomas Harper in 2023. Lewis registered a career-low nine tackles last season as his snaps diminished. Harper finished his Notre Dame career with 124 tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, 18 pass break ups and three forced fumbles. He returned his lone interception of 2023 for a touchdown in Notre Dame's win over Tennessee State.

With Lewis gone and Morrison out for the spring the Irish are now very thin at cornerback. Morrison is expected to be healthy for the fall, and the Irish will welcome talented true freshman corners Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs this summer. The departure of Lewis will likely force sophomore Christian Gray into the boundary more frequently. Gray is currently battling junior Jaden Mickey for the starting field corner position.

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