Brian Urlacher's Son Kennedy Reportedly Transfers to USC After Notre Dame Exit

Former Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, is reportedly transferring to USC, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

Urlacher registered 12 tackles and a pass defensed during his freshman season with the Fighting Irish.

Urlacher largely contributed on special teams for Notre Dame this past season, though he did appear in 14 games for a Fighting Irish team that made a run to the National Championship Game.

He was both a 3-star prospect coming out of high school and a 3-star talent in this year's transfer portal, according to 247Sports.

His football lineage is strong. His father spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Chicago Bears and was an eight-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro selection, the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. He had nine seasons with 100 or more tackles to go along with 22 career interceptions and 41.5 career sacks.

"I think even talking to Brian Urlacher he's able to tell Kennedy, 'Hey man, this game's gonna end, and so go somewhere where you can maximize your football opportunities. But understand, set yourself up for life after football,'" Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters after Urlacher committed to the school during National Signing Day back in Dec. 2023. "And I think that coming from the Urlacher family, a guy that didn't come here, but understood the value of Notre Dame, he had a huge impact on his son Kennedy."

After just one season, however, the younger Urlacher was ready for a change in scenery and will now join a USC team coming off a rough debut season in the Big Ten, going just 7-6 overall.