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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are preparing for the Sun Bowl as they face the Oregon State Beavers. But not all of the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish will be with the team. Some are making the jump to the NFL, while others have entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Here's a look at some of the biggest names on the Notre Dame side of things that are not going to play in the Sun Bowl against the No. 21 Oregon State Beavers (8-4).
Notre Dame players not playing in the Sun Bowl
Sam Hartman, quarterback
Senior quarterback Sam Hartman will not be under center for this Sun Bowl game as he has declared for the 2024 NFL draft. He had a strong season as he finished 191 of 301 (63.5%) for 2,689 yards with 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions. This is going to be a massive blow to the Fighting Irish's chances to win.
Rico Flores Jr., wide receiver
Freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. is one of a handful of players who have left Notre Dame (9-3) for the NCAA transfer portal. He performed well as he had 27 receptions for 392 yards (14.5 yards per catch) with one touchdown. Without him, it's going to be interesting to see how the offense goes.
Chris Tyree, wide receiver
Senior wide receiver Chris Tyree is also in the NCAA transfer portal. He had similar numbers to Rico Flores Jr. Tyree had 26 catches for 484 yards (18.6 yards per reception) with three touchdowns.
NaNa Osafo-Mensah, edge rusher
NaNa Osafo-Mensah is the biggest defensive player on this Notre Dame team who is not going to be on the field for the Sun Bowl. The senior defensive lineman also has entered the transfer portal and is coming off a career year. He finished with 20 total tackles (12 solo, eight assisted) with 3.0 sacks, so the Fighting Irish will miss Osafo-Mensah in the rotation of the defensive line.
Tobias Merriweather, wide receiver
Tobias Merriweather marks three of the top four receiving options for Notre Dame to miss the bowl game due to entering the transfer portal. Merriweather finished with 14 catches for 284 yards (20.3 yards per reception) with a pair of touchdown grabs. This offense is going to look a whole lot different than last sen.
