In a surprising turn of events, Notre Dame senior running back Gi’Bran Payne has announced that he will be entering the NCAA transfer portal, which opens on January 2. This news comes as Payne, who has one season of eligibility left, faces the possibility of petitioning for an additional year due to a torn ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season after he sustained it during the Blue-Gold Game in April.
During the 2023 season, Payne showcased his abilities by carrying the ball 45 times for a total of 168 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He primarily took on the role of Notre Dame’s short-yardage and third-down specialist throughout most of the season. However, after his unfortunate injury, the depth chart changed significantly, with junior Jeremiyah Love and redshirt freshman Jadarian Price stepping up to dominate the running back position at Notre Dame.
Despite making a quicker-than-expected recovery and demonstrating increased explosiveness, Payne found himself pushed out of the backfield rotation. By the end of the 2025 season, he had only managed to accumulate 9 carries for 53 yards, falling behind sophomore Aneyas Williams and even true freshman Nolan James Jr.
On a positive note, Payne did play a crucial role on special teams, acting as a blocker for Notre Dame’s kickoff return unit, which ultimately helped Price earn second-team All-American honors in that category.
Originally, Payne had committed to Indiana as part of the 2022 recruitment class but followed his former running backs coach, Deland McCullough, when he accepted a position at Notre Dame. However, McCullough departed from Notre Dame in February to join the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving Payne in a challenging situation.
Following McCullough’s exit, Ja’Juan Seider, who previously coached running backs at Penn State, took over the role. Seider had initially recruited Payne to Penn State before securing commitments from standout players like Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the same class. In March, Seider spoke highly of Payne’s performance, emphasizing that you couldn’t tell he had been injured at all.
"I told him I have a couple of guys I call my 'easy button,'" Seider remarked. "He consistently does everything right. He'll be precise in pass protection, make the correct reads, and understand where he fits into the passing game. It's clear he has veteran experience."
Nonetheless, Seider expressed the challenges of fitting multiple running backs into a game plan, stating that historically, he struggled to incorporate even four players effectively. For the 2025 season, he opted to focus on just two primary runners: Love and Price.
In spring practices, Payne found himself slotted as the fifth option behind Love, Price, Williams, and redshirt freshman Kedren Young. Although Young missed the season due to a knee injury, Payne still fell behind newcomer James, who joined the team in June.
"The best players will always rise to the top," Seider stated. "It could be a close competition, but we recognize we have some standout talents here. We also need to play to each player's strengths. If a player isn’t suited for a particular role, there’s no point in forcing them to fill it."
Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 205 pounds, Payne hails from Cincinnati and is expected to attract considerable interest in the transfer portal. Nearly every college football program could benefit from a running back with his capabilities, especially someone proficient in short-yardage and critical third-down situations. However, it’s important to note that Notre Dame is far from an ordinary team.
