BREAKING | Notre Dame Lands Former USC DL Elijah Hughes

Notre Dame needed to bolster its interior defensive line and the Irish landed a key piece in Elijah Hughes, who will have two years of eligibility remaining. 

The former USC defensive lineman entered the Transfer Portal on December 17th, and figures to be able to make an immediate impact for the Fighting Irish. 

In two seasons at USC, Hughes recorded 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Hughes appeared in eight games as a true freshman and then saw action in seven games in 2024. 

As a recruit, the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, Virginia. Hughes chose the Trojans over offers from Duke (Elko), James Madison (Cignetti), Maryland, Miami, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech and several Ivy League programs. 

Hughes will immediately help the Irish as Notre Dame will lose Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III to the NFL. 

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