Logan Diggs joins the transfer portal parade out of Notre Dame football

SOUTH BEND — The spring transfer portal continues to flow in one direction: away from Notre Dame football.

Junior running back Logan Diggs joined the parade out of town Thursday evening, announcing his decision via social media. Sidelined for much of spring practice by what he described as a “little tweak in my lower body,” Diggs dropped his bombshell hours after quarterback Tyler Buchner announced he was headed to Alabama.

Junior linebacker Prince Kollie (April 24) and junior wideout/cornerback Lorenzo Styles (April 21) also have entered the portal in the past week. Styles, who reportedly will visit Ohio State this weekend, received public support from Diggs via social media on the eve of the Blue-Gold Game.

“I hate how when someone makes a decision for THEIR life and THEIR future, everyone has so many negative and disrespectful things to say,” Diggs posted April 21 on his Twitter account. “Instead of understanding and supporting each other, you choose to bash.”

Diggs, who led the Irish in carries last season, is a product of Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, La., a New Orleans suburb.

Logan Diggs:Notre Dame running back says he's 'most likely' on track to play in the Blue-Gold Game

Four months ago in the Gator Bowl win over South Carolina, Buchner and Diggs combined for a 75-yard touchdown pass, the second-longest in Irish bowl history.

In two college seasons, Diggs has accounted for 1,319 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. He has averaged 4.8 yards on 217 career carries, with 822 of his rushing yards coming last season in a shared backfield arrangement with junior Audric Estime and senior Chris Tyree.

Diggs, part of a so-called “Three-Headed Monster” in the Notre Dame backfield, joined Estime and Tyree on promotional trip to Ireland in early March. That trio, along with linebacker JD Bertrand and defensive end Nana Osafo-Mensah, made the trip to the Emerald Isle ahead of Notre Dame’s season-opening Shamrock Series meeting with Navy on Aug. 26.

Tyree was moved to wide receiver this spring, but more competition loomed as redshirt freshman Jadarian Price recovers from June 2022 Achilles surgery and redshirt freshman Gi'Bran Payne builds off a strong spring that included 51 rushing yards on 11 carries in the Blue-Gold Game.

Four-star signee Jeremiyah Love is due to enroll in June.

Losing Tyree from the running back rotation, Diggs said on April 6, figured to “put a little more wear and tear” on Diggs and Estime.

“We all had over 100 carries last year, all three of us,” Diggs said. “If we split that, and then (incorporating) Jadarian, that might be plus-30, plus-40 apiece maybe for me and Audric. Whenever one is not needed, we both understand that. We don’t take it personal.”

Sharing the load again this fall didn’t seem to be a problem for Diggs.  

“We know it’s going to be a long season -- hope it’s going to be a real long season -- so we love having each other and pushing each other to compete and be better. Having that running back room and that depth, yeah, it was good, but at the same, life’s all about challenges.

“It’s one step harder, but we’re all still one step closer to getting where we want to go. It’s never going to be easy. If that’s the challenge that’s presented to myself that we need to take us to the next level, then we’re going to embrace it.”

Diggs said he suffered the physical setback on March 24 in the second of 15 scheduled practice sessions this spring.  Diggs said at the time it was “most likely” he would be healthy enough to play in the April 22 spring game; he made it back for limited participation in an open practice after Easter break, but he was among those held out of the Blue-Gold Game for injury/precautionary reasons.

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” he said of his injury. “It’s nothing major. It’s minor. Just a couple weeks out, and I’ll be back.”

The spring transfer portal window for undergraduates is open through Sunday. Players don't have to commit to a new school by that deadline, but they do have to enter their names in the portal.

Follow Notre Dame football writer Mike Berardino on Twitter @MikeBerardino.