Tae Davis transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for Notre Dame forward ft. Clemson

Notre Dame forward Tae Davis announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Sunday. The junior came in third place for ACC Most Improved Player and is leaving the Fighting Irish with one season of eligibility remaining.

Davis spent two seasons at Notre Dame after beginning his college career at Seton Hall. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. The forward found success driving the basketball and was the Fighting Irish's best defender this past season.

Now, Davis will look elsewhere for a new home for his final season of eligibility. Let's look at some possible landing spots for the Fighting Irish forward.

Top 5 landing spots for Tae Davis

#5. Duke Blue Devils

Duke will likely be without freshman forward Cooper Flagg next season. Flagg, who leads the Blue Devils in every major stat category, is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Losing the freshman phenom will leave Duke without a high-scoring forward with proven rebounding success.

Replacing Flagg won't be easy, and Duke may look to an incoming freshman. The Blue Devils have a number of top forward recruits coming next season, including Cameron Boozer and Shelton Henderson. However, if the squad wants to add an experienced forward with a similar style of play to Flagg, Tae Davis could be their guy.

#4. Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks' season didn't end the way they had hoped. No. 7 seeded Kansas fell to No. 10 Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and is now looking ahead to next season.

Kansas will need to determine what a future without KJ Adams Jr. looks like. Adams just finished his fourth and final season with the Jayhawks. The forward averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 54% from the field.

Tae Davis' 47.6% shooting from the field falls short of Adams' shooting ability, but the Notre Dame junior averages more points and assists. He could fit in nicely with a Kansas team looking to rebuild after the loss of top contributors like Adams, Zeke Mayo, and Hunter Dickinson.

#3. Alabama Crimson Tide

It's not lost on Alabama fans that the squad will be without star forward Grant Nelson next season. Nelson is a similar type of player to Davis, a game-changer for his team who puts up a significant number of points and rebounds.

In his fifth and final college season, Nelson is averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds. The Crimson Tide is heading to the Sweet Sixteen after defeating Saint Mary's 80-66 in the Round of 32.

Tae Davis could fill Nelson's shoes for Alabama next season as the Crimson Tide looks to stay solid in a competitive SEC.

#2. Maryland Terrapins

The Terrapins are still in the midst of a great season. Maryland finished second in the Big Ten this season after missing March Madness last year. The team is still dancing, having defeated Colorado State by a singular point in the Round of 32.

Next season, Maryland will be without star forward Julian Reese. The senior is contributing 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds for the Terrapins. In his absence, Maryland will be in a similar position to Clemson, needing to find a strong shooter who can grab rebounds for his team.

Tae Davis is the type of player Maryland needs if the team wants to continue competing at a high level next season.

#1. Clemson Tigers

Clemson had a strong season, finishing second in the ACC and becoming the only team in the conference to beat Duke this year. The Tigers got upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but could still be a promising destination for transfers.

Next season, Clemson will be without forward Ian Schieffelin, who averaged 12.4 points per game and led the team in assists with 9.4. The Tigers will be looking for a high-scoring forward with rebounding ability. Davis outscored Schieffelin this season, and although his 5.3 rebounds per game came up short of the Tigers forward's value, it's still an admirable stat.

Tae Davis could serve as a promising replacement for Schieffelin, and Clemson could provide him with the opportunity to compete with a strong program and remain in the ACC.