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Report: Notre Dame OL Transfer Rocco Spindler Visiting Virginia

Matt Newton

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Virginia has brought in 19 transfers so far this offseason, including four experienced offensive linemen, but one of the most significant moves might still be on the board for the Cavaliers. According to multiple reports, UVA is currently hosting Notre Dame offensive line transfer Rocco Spindler, who was the starting right guard for the Fighting Irish on their run to the National Championship Game, for a visit on Friday (January 31).

A 6'5", 325-pound graduate student from Clarkston, Michigan, Spindler was ranked a consensus top-five offensive guard in the country in the class of 2021 coming out of high school. ESPN rated Spindler the No. 1 offensive guard in the nation and the No. 64 overall prospect.

Spindler played in two games as a true freshman in 2021, maintaining his redshirt, and then played 12 games in 2022, primarily on special teams. His breakthrough came in 2023, as Spindler earned the starting right guard spot in fall camp and started 10 games for a Notre Dame offensive line that was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the most outstanding offensive line unit in college football.

This past season, Spindler did not begin the year as a starter, but returned to the starting lineup in the fourth game of the season and started every game the rest of the way. Spindler played in all 16 games and started the last 13 at right guard, including each of Notre Dame's four College Football Playoff games and he played every single snap for the Fighting Irish in their loss to Ohio State in the national title game. The Notre Dame offensive line was again a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2024. Altogether, Spindler has logged 23 starts at right guard over the last two seasons and has 40 career games under his belt.

Virginia has landed four offensive line commitments already this offseason in Brady Wilson (UAB), Tyshawn Wyatt (JMU), Kevin Wigenton II (Illinois), and Monroe Mills (Louisville). UVA is also set to return starters McKale Boley, Noah Josey, and Blake Steen. That's already a position group that appears, at least on paper, to be ready to take a big step forward in 2025. But if Terry Heffernan and the Cavaliers manage to secure a commitment from a player with the championship-level experience of Rocco Spindler, that could be a game-changer for Virginia in the trenches.

UVA's most recent transfer commitment was one of Spindler's teammates at Notre Dame, Jayden Thomas, who signed with Virginia on Monday, completing something of a receiver trade between the Hoos and the Irish, as Notre Dame landed Virginia's leading receiver Malachi Fields through the transfer portal last month. The Cavaliers have brought over two transfers who played in the National Championship Game, also securing a commitment from Ohio State linebacker Mitchell Melton.

Virginia has landed 19 transfer commitments from the portal this offseason:

Keep track of all of UVA's transfer portal activity, including outgoing and incoming transfers, here: Virginia Football Transfer Portal Tracker

Stay up to date on all of the transfers who have received offers from Virginia or who have scheduled visits to UVA here: Tracking UVA Football's Offers and Visits in the Transfer Portal

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.