Notre Dame freshman guard Jalen Haralson plans to enter transfer portal

When Jalen Haralson signed with Notre Dame men’s basketball in November 2024, he was celebrated as one of the most highly regarded recruits to sign with the Irish in the internet era of recruiting rankings.

But Haralson represented more than a rare signing. He was the embodiment of what head coach Micah Shrewsberry was trying to build in Notre Dame’s program. The Irish were trying to attract highly skilled basketball players who believed they could become better players, better people and better teammates at Notre Dame. That applied to players who could be seen as one-and-done NBA prospects or developmental projects.

Haralson may become one-and-done at Notre Dame, but the next destination won’t be the NBA. The 6-foot-7 guard is expected to enter the transfer portal following his freshman season with the Irish, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

The transfer portal for men’s college basketball opens April 7 and will stay open for two weeks. Three Notre Dame teammates have also expressed their plans to enter the transfer portal: sophomore guard Sir Mohammed, sophomore forward Garrett Sundra and freshman forward Ryder Frost.

Haralson, who landed in early March on the All-ACC honorable mention list, finished the 2025-26 season as Notre Dame’s leader in points scored (437) despite missing four games. His 16.2 points per game average was second behind junior guard Markus Burton, who averaged 18.5 points in the first 10 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Haralson missed three games in February with a minor ankle injury of his own.

Haralson operated offensively as Notre Dame’s starting point guard in Burton’s absence. Haralson tallied a team-high 69 assists (2.6 per game) while also committing a team-high 74 turnovers (2.7). Only starting forward Carson Towt, who grabbed 279 rebounds for the Irish, recorded more rebounds than Haralson’s 107 (4.0) for Notre Dame this season. Haralson added 14 steals and seven blocks on the defensive end.

Haralson, a product of Anderson, Ind., spent the final two years of his high school career at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere. He finished the 2025 recruiting cycle ranked in the Rivals Industry Ranking as the No. 6 small forward and the No. 20 overall prospect in the class. He was a consensus four-star recruit across On3, Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports.

Haralson’s Rivals Industry Ranking of No. 20 made him the highest-ranked Notre Dame signee since guard J.J. Starling in the 2022 class. Starling, who was ranked No. 18 overall, also finished his high school career at La Lumiere and lasted one season at Notre Dame before transferring to Syracuse.

The loss of Haralson, who could technically still chose to return to Notre Dame, would mark a significant blow in Shrewsberry’s effort to show progress in the program after three losing seasons to start his Irish tenure. Notre Dame’s 2025-26 season ended with a loss at Boston College, a 13-18 record and a 4-14 conference record that prevented the Irish from qualifying for the ACC Tournament.

The only good news for Notre Dame this offseason so far came Saturday when the program announced freshman forward Brady Koehler intends to return next season.