Two days after his backup center counterpart transferred, sophomore Parker Boudreaux has been given permission to do the same.
Irish coach Brian Kelly announced a release for Boudreaux to seek a transfer Wednesday afternoon.
“We thank Parker for his work, dedication and commitment to our program over the last year and wish him nothing but the best moving forward,” Kelly said.
Both Boudreaux and junior Tristen Hoge were stuck behind senior center Sam Mustipher, who started 12 games last season and has two seasons of eligibility remaining, including 2017. That said, with Hoge’s departure to BYU earlier in the week, Boudreaux appeared to be one snap away from playing time.
— PARKER BOUDREAUX (@TheParkerB_) June 7, 2017
Without them, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand will need to look for another option to provide depth on the interior. Fifth-year senior Hunter Bivin has been the prime candidate to back up the other four positions on the line, and could be considered along with junior Trevor Ruhland. A few freshmen could also provide peace of mind, though admittedly all hopes would be Mustipher avoids injury.
Boudreaux marks the third transfer in nearly exactly one week, with junior linebacker Josh Barajas (FCS-level Illinois State) kicking things off May 31.
No. 50
Listed Measurements: 6-foot-4, 288 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Sophomore with four seasons of eligibility remaining including the 2017 season, though if Boudreaux transfers to an FBS-level program, he will need to sit out 2017 and then will have only three years of eligibility remaining
Depth Chart: Boudreaux was never going to be the top option in 2017 unless Mustipher suffered an injury.
Recruiting: A consensus four-star recruit, Boudreaux chose Notre Dame over a bevy of offers, including from Alabama, Clemson and Florida. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 21 line prospect in the class and No. 46 recruit in Florida in the class of 2016.
CAREER TO DATE
Boudreaux preserved a year of eligibility in 2016.
QUOTE(S)
Partly due to the solid grasp Mustipher has on the center position, Boudreaux warranted little-to-no mention this spring.
WHAT KEITH ARNOLD PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Ultimately, you’ve got to see an offensive lineman at work before you make a determination on his future. Some guys have a knack for playing beyond their physical means (Zack Martin) while others can have all the physical tools but struggle to put it all together. There’s a reason Boudreaux had scholarship offers from just about every major program in the country. And it wasn’t because of his online persona.
“Jokes aside, Boudreaux’s personality is one that’ll serve him well as a college football player. That confidence should pay dividends as he tries fighting his way through a depth chart filled with linemen that all had impressive offers and four stars next to their names. But humility will be important for Boudreaux to embrace as well. A freshman on the scout team is a long way from being one of the most followed high school football players on the internet. That’s a transition worth watching.
“While I’m predicting a redshirt, the short-term future for Boudreaux is exciting nonetheless. He’ll be on an offensive line that’ll have two standout NFL prospects (Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey) and if he’s able to impress this summer, he might even have a chance to find his way into a depth chart fight at a still uncertain right guard spot.
“With Nelson, McGlinchey, Alex Bars, Hunter Bivin and Sam Mustipher all veterans, there’s opportunity sooner than later up front. Don’t be surprised if [Boudreaux] already knows that and has plans for big things sooner than later.”
2017 OUTLOOK
Simply enough, when Hiestand has such success recruiting four-star offensive linemen, some won’t see quick playing time. There is no way around that, and it is a great problem to have for the program. For the individual player, that may not be the case, and one has to presume that is what happened with Boudreaux.
DOWN THE ROAD
Transfers after one season on the bench are not all that common in football. So let’s take to a basketball analogy. If a highly-touted high school star heads to a top-tier basketball program intending to leave after one season and spends it on the bench behind veterans, he will still usually head to the NBA Draft. Why? The last impression scouts had of him was starring, and it was less than a year ago. The odds are, that player will still get drafted relatively highly.
Less than 18 months ago, programs were lined up for Boudreaux’s services. Undoubtedly, some of them will still take a risk on him now, having seen nothing to dissuade them of his talents and with those high school reps still fresh enough in their minds.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95 (theoretically): Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 94 (theoretically): Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92 (theoretically): Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90 (theoretically): Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87 (theoretically): Jafar Armstrong, receiver
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84 (theoretically): Michael Young, receiver
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end
No. 81: Miles Boykin, receiver
No. 80: Durham Smythe, tight end
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right tackle
No. 77: Brandon Tiassum, defensive tackle
No. 75: Daniel Cage, defensive tackle
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, right tackle
No. 73: (theoretically): Josh Lugg, offensive tackle
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle
TRANSFERS
No. 66: Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, transfers to BYU
No. 30: Josh Barajas, linebacker, to transfer to Illinois State