Former Stanford running back Trevor Speights announced Thursday that he will transfer to Notre Dame.
According to multiple media reports, Speights chose Notre Dame over Rice. He will join the Irish as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining, but Rivals.com reported that Speights could wind up with a second year at Notre Dame if a waiver is granted.
Speights posted on Twitter, “I am thankful for my time at Stanford and for everyone who has helped me while I was there. It has been an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to pursue my dreams on and off the field. I’m thankful to have had great teammates whom I have created lifelong bonds with. I look forward to what y’all do in the future. I will miss y’all! …
“Thank you to everyone who has helped me throughout this difficult process. It has been a long month, but I am grateful to have the support system in place to come to a big decision like this one. Go Irish”
Notre Dame had an in on acquiring Speights thanks to the presence of Lance Taylor. The Irish’s running backs coach previously held the same position at Stanford, where he helped recruit Speights. He did another recruiting job on Speights this month, according to 247Sports, which reported that Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly also was involved in landing the transfer.
After redshirting in 2016 as Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love handled running back duties for the Cardinal, Speights began to see action in 2017, gaining 142 yards on 36 carries. The next season, he had 59 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown.
Speights, a product of McAllen (Texas) Memorial High School, didn’t play in 2019 for unspecified reasons.
The Irish already had a crowded backfield, but they did lose their top ground-gainer from last season, Tony Jones Jr. (857 rushing yards, six touchdowns).
