DJ McKinney’s route to Notre Dame has been anything but ordinary. The cornerback’s path from Stillwater to Boulder to South Bend would have sounded far-fetched not long ago, but the Irish have leaned hard into the transfer portal under Marcus Freeman, and McKinney is the latest example of that approach.
He arrives as a 2027 NFL-hopeful and as one of Notre Dame’s “three-university” graduate students, joining 2025 team captain Will Pauling in that category. McKinney spent plenty of time around the Notre Dame program over the last six months, though he wasn’t officially cleared for team activities until the school’s second semester ended.
For those looking for a comparison, the academic and transfer path mirrors what Clemson’s Beaux Collins and Virginia’s Malachi Fields have done.
McKinney, a member of the Class of 2022, started his college career in the way many consensus three-star recruits do: on scout team at Oklahoma State. He then made a real jump in 2023, playing more than 500 snaps at corner over 14 games and leading the team with five passes defended.
He also finished that season on a strong note, allowing only two catches for 10 yards after the catch on 10 targets across his final three games against BYU, Texas, and Texas A&M in the bowl game.
A two-year run at Colorado came next. Over those two seasons, McKinney piled up 95 tackles and 13 pass breakups in 22 starts. His 2024 season overlapped with Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy-winning All-American year in Boulder.
McKinney explained his transfer decision to 247Sports Buff Insider this way: "I was really locked in on Colorado. My mom and dad weren't really sure at first.
But that was only because they didn't really know Coach Prime as a person. They didn't know any of the coaches as people."
"After they got to talk to them for a long period, being around them, seeing how they act, they started warming up to them and asking more questions. They understood where everyone was coming from and they also felt this was the place for me."
Now, Notre Dame is the place for him, and the Irish believe it gives him the clearest path to the NFL.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Finally Landed The Linebacker This Class Desperately Needed
Notre Dame added a major piece to its 2027 recruiting class with the commitment of Roman Igwebuike, the 4-star linebacker from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago. A highly sought-after local prospect, Igwebuike arrives with the kind of profile the Irish have been looking for on defense, bringing both a strong national ranking and the kind of in-state credibility that matters in a class built for the long haul.
Igwebuikes rise has been backed by a big junior season at Mount Carmel, where he piled up 111 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. For Notre Dame, the appeal is obvious: a productive linebacker from Chicago with a long list of major offers and the sort of versatility that can anchor a class, even if the bigger question now is how the Irish keep building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Joey OBrien Faces A Crucial Early Career Stretch
Joey O'Brien arrived at Notre Dame with a reputation as one of the more intriguing two-way defensive backs in the class, and the Pennsylvania native was already being viewed as a player who could matter in the Irish secondary once he settled in. After spring practice, though, his momentum hit a pause when a leg injury forced him into a recovery stretch, putting his immediate development on hold just as the staff was starting to sort out where he might fit best.
The encouraging part for Notre Dame is that O'Brien is expected back in time for fall camp, giving him a chance to rejoin the competition before the season gets rolling. From there, the focus shifts to how quickly he can get healthy, get comfortable and work his way into the mix for playing time in 2026, where the Irish are hoping his athleticism and versatility eventually translate into a real role on defense. [Read more 🡒]