Notre Dame kicker Spencer Porath is rolling back into Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend, a full two years after leaving Purdue, and get ready, because he might just be the villain of the day for the Boilermakers faithful. This isn’t just any road game for Porath; it’s his first time back at his old stomping grounds since making a portal-free transfer. You know the student section, the Ross-Ade Brigade, is gonna be fired up, but special teams coordinator Marty Biagi says Porath is ready for whatever invective they throw his way.
Going Home Doesn’t Mean Going Soft
Biagi told the media after practice on Tuesday that the key is for Porath to “try and take it as a faceless opponent.” Seriously, the guy’s got sports psychologists in his corner, working on this stuff. They’re comparing it, not quite on the same level, sure, but to when Riley Leonard, the former Duke quarterback, went back in 2024 and led the Irish to a win over Texas A&M. That game had all the drama, with Leonard facing his old coach Mike Elko and assistants who knew him from his Durham days. Joey Ramaeker, Notre Dame’s director of sports psychology, is all about finding those similarities to help players manage the pressure. We’ve seen this before: Arkansas transfer tight end Ty Washington went back to Fayetteville in 2025, and Notre Dame dropped a 56-13 bomb, with the stands basically empty by halftime. Even Sam Hartman got a gentle return against Wake Forest on Senior Day in 2023, ending in a 45-7 blowout. Porath said back on August 6 that he thinks the Week 4 trip will be “awesome,” adding, “I loved everything about Purdue. Everyone’s great. The coaching staff is great, the players. I can’t wait, and I’ll be excited.” That’s the attitude you want, right?
The “Ghost Transfer” Rule He Basically Sparked
But here’s the wild part: Porath quietly enrolled at Notre Dame for the spring semester without even telling the Purdue coaching staff he was bouncing. News of his transfer commitment dropped on January 13. Fast forward a few months, and on April 1, the NCAA’s Division I Cabinet rolled out massive penalties for schools signing these “ghost transfers,” making the policy retroactive to February 25. We’re talking 20% of a program’s annual budget in fines and a half-season suspension for the head coach. Fail to self-report within 15 days? That’s another 5% fine increase and a 10% bump in the coach’s suspension. You gotta wonder if Porath’s quiet exit was a huge part of what pushed this rule into existence. Talk about making an impact without even kicking a ball!
Locked In For The Kicks
Biagi, a former Marshall kicker/punter himself, isn’t worried about Porath’s mental game. He said the key is “just having a true approach and a game plan,” nothing different from usual. He called Porath “unflappable” and said, “Spencer’s so locked in. When he crosses over onto the field, he’s really dialed.” Even after his first miss as an Irish kicker, a 39-yarder that sailed wide right against Michigan State, Porath was mad at himself, according to Biagi. That’s the fire we want to see! Meanwhile, Purdue’s got freshman kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano, who’s been solid, hitting seven of eight tries this season with a long of 39 yards. This weekend, it’s not just about points; it’s about Porath’s mental toughness and whether he can truly treat his old team as just another “faceless opponent” in what promises to be an emotionally charged return.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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