Former Notre Dame star guard Jalen Haralson linked to Big Ten rival

One of Notre Dame's best players from last season might be settling in on his new destination.

When Notre Dame freshman Jalen Haralson made the decision to enter the transfer portal, it started to raise serious concern amongst the Irish fanbase on the future of the program as well as curiosity on where the talented player could be headed next.

Haralson, who arrived in South Bend as the highest-ranked signee in program history, had quickly established himself as one of Notre Dame's most important players. Jalen's averages of 16.2-points, 4-rebounds, and 2.6-assists gave fans a bright spot on what was considered a very difficult season.

His ability is one highly-coveted in the ultra competitive transfer portal and several programs are expected to pursue him. And according to several reports (sub required) online, one of those teams might be a familiar foe. Ohio State is reportedly scheduling an interview with Haralson, which makes sense with the Buckeyes being another program which has lost a lot of talent and therefore is aggressively pursuing bringing skilled players in.

The Buckeyes have been active in evaluating transfer options as they navigate their own offseason needs, and Haralson would fit the profile of a player capable of making an immediate impact. At 6-foot-7, he brings a wing scorer’s frame with enough skill to create offense both on and off the ball, traits that would appeal to a team looking for proven production and long-term upside.

For Notre Dame, Haralson’s departure would mark another notable confirmed loss in a transition-heavy offseason. The Irish losing a player with Haralson’s ceiling will make the rebuild even more challenging for coach Micah Shrewsberry.

Still, Haralson’s portal decision also reflects the modern landscape of college basketball, where standout freshmen often become immediate national targets. Notre Dame developed him for one season; now, programs like Ohio State may get the chance to try to land him for the next chapter of his career.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Jalen Haralson transfer watch: Big Ten school in the mix to land guard