Transfer Portal: Former Notre Dame WR Scrap Richardson switches positions, signs with Auburn

Former Notre Dame football wide receiver Scrap Richardson will continue his college career as a cornerback in the SEC.

On Friday, AuburnSports’ Jeffrey Lee reported that Richardson signed with Auburn after taking an official visit to The Plains on Thursday. According to the 2026 On3 Industry transfer portal rankings, Richardson was the No. 371 overall player and the No. 61 wide receiver in the portal. But for the Tigers, he’ll be looking to swat away passes rather than catch them.

Auburn’s coaching staff includes several familiar faces for Richardson. Before flipping to Notre Dame late in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Richardson was verbally committed to new Auburn coach Alex Golesh at USF as a defensive back. He was also recruited by Auburn cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke at South Florida.

A product of Greenville (Ga.) High, Richardson initially committed to the Bulls in June 2024 ahead of his senior season. Quickly thereafter, he privately reopened his recruitment after receiving Power Four offers from North Carolina, Duke, Notre Dame, UCF, Louisville and Alabama.

Irish wide receivers coach Mike Brown offered the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Richardson in August 2024 as they worked to finalize their 2025 wide receiver class. Richardson committed that October despite never having played wide receiver. He was one of five Notre Dame freshmen who did not appear in a game last season.

Richardson was a quarterback in high school and posed a significant threat as a runner. As a senior, he totaled 1,075 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 88 carries. He also completed 53-of-90 passes for 993 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Defensively, he recorded 81 tackles (63 solo), eight tackles for loss and one interception.

The Irish made use of Richardson’s quarterback background during the 2025 season. Head coach Marcus Freeman said Richardson served as the scout team quarterback in preparation for Notre Dame’s Sept. 13 game against Texas A&M. The Aggies had a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in Marcel Reed.

Although Richardson never recorded an official statistic during his Notre Dame career, he showed flashes in the Blue-Gold Game last spring, finishing with two catches for 22 yards and a touchdown.

Richardson was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school. According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, he was the No. 285 overall player, the No. 7 athlete nationally and the No. 39 prospect in the Peach State. He has four years of eligibility remaining.