Notre Dame, Portal QB Target Braden Atkinson Could Be Fine Fit
Braden Atkinson’s route to a Power Four program, a journey that includes a significant visit to Notre Dame this week, is the product of a process that has been building quietly for years.
The transfer portal quarterback target arrived in South Bend Monday and expected to remain on campus through Wednesday as he continues a rapid evaluation of his options after entering the transfer portal earlier this month.
The former Mercer quarterback has seen some significant interest from Power Four programs quickly.
Atkinson emerged as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the FCS during his freshman season at Mercer in 2025. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound signal-caller completed 268 of 407 attempts for 3,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. He won the Jerry Rice Award as the nation’s top FCS freshman and helped guide Mercer to a 9-3 record.
Atkinson is also weighing interest from several other programs, including Syracuse, Baylor, East Carolina, Boston College, Toledo and Tulane.
Rolesville (N.C.) High School head coach Ranier Rackley has worked with Atkinson since the quarterback was eight years old and said long-term perspective has been central as the process accelerated.
“To see how he grew up, his family dynamic and how mature he became over the years, that’s what stands out,” Rackley told Irish Sports Daily. “This has never been rushed with him.”
Notre Dame’s involvement seemed organic from the start.
Rackley has dealt with the Irish staff for the past couple years through recruiting and has repeatedly pointed to the similarities between the program Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame and what Rackley has built at Rolesville.
“It’s so similar to what they’re doing at Notre Dame,” Rackley said. “It’s plug-and-play. Coach Freeman has acknowledged that. (General Manager) Mike Martin has acknowledged that. It’s about relationship-building and the people around the kid.”
Rackley’s connections with Freeman and Martin helped open the door even before Atkinson officially entered the portal. Rackley said he reached out to Notre Dame’s staff shortly after learning of Atkinson’s plans, and the response was immediate.
“I hit them up when I found out he was getting in the portal,” Rackley said. “Once it was official, they reached out and said they loved Braden and wanted to get him on campus. From there, it moved pretty quickly.”
This week’s visit itself may be less about selling and more about seeing if it’s a fit. Rackley said Atkinson is evaluating comfort, people and long-term fit rather than chasing a checklist of football-specific boxes.
“I told him, ‘You’ve got to feel comfortable,’” Rackley relayed. “‘When you get there, you’re going to fall in love with the place and the people.’ That’s what matters.”
The compressed portal calendar means those evaluations are happening in close succession, with little room for prolonged indecision.
The portal hasn’t been open for a week and we’ve already seen several targets make commitments on their first visits, a sign that schools are putting pressure on players to make snap decisions.
“Especially at quarterback, you don’t have time to wait,” Rackley acknowledged. “If you feel good, lock it in. If not, you keep moving, but you have to understand the spot won’t wait.”
Rackley wouldn’t rule out Atkinson making a decision quickly if the fit feels right.
“If you leave a place like Notre Dame and keep looking, they’re going to bring somebody else in,” the coach said. “He understands that.”
Atkinson’s visit comes as Notre Dame seeks to upgrade its quarterback depth behind returning starter CJ Carr
For Atkinson, a player with multiple years of eligibility remaining, the opportunity is about more than immediate playing time. It is about finding an environment that aligns with who he is and his approach to things on and off the field.
“That’s why Notre Dame makes sense for him. It’s not just football. It’s the people. It’s the structure. It fits who he is.”
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