Indiana’s pursuit of Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson appears to be over. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, the freshman guard has narrowed his transfer portal decision down to three schools: 1. Tennessee, 2. Ohio State and 3. North Carolina. Indiana is not among the finalists.
The development marks the second time the Hoosiers have come up short with the Indianapolis-area native. Haralson, who attended Fishers High School in suburban Indianapolis, chose Notre Dame over Indiana and several other programs when he committed as part of the class of 2024. His departure from South Bend and subsequent availability in the transfer portal had initially generated some hope that the Hoosiers could finally land the in-state prospect, but that window has now closed.
A standout freshman season at Notre Dame
Haralson made a strong impression during his one season with the Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward appeared in 27 games, including 23 starts, and averaged 16.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season. He shot 51.5 percent from the field, led Notre Dame in scoring 10 times and recorded double-digit point totals in all but three of his appearances. His efforts earned him an All-ACC honorable mention recognition.
Before arriving at Notre Dame, Haralson was a four-star recruit ranked No. 20 overall in the 2025 class according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He was considered the second-best prospect out of Indiana and the sixth-ranked small forward in his recruiting cycle, coming out of La Lumiere School in Anderson, Ind. He is currently rated the No. 37 player in the NCAA transfer portal.
A busy and challenging portal cycle for Indiana
The Haralson news is part of a wider pattern of near-misses for Indiana in the current transfer cycle. The Hoosiers have also fallen short on several other high-profile targets in recent weeks. Tennessee forward and center JP Estrella opted for Michigan, while Belmont forward Sam Orme committed to Nebraska. There were early reports of Indiana’s interest in Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, but when Blackwell revealed six finalist schools, Indiana was not among them.
Positive momentum with other recruits
Despite the setbacks, Indiana is not standing still. The program is making progress on other fronts with several prospects visiting campus this weekend, including three notable names: 1. Jaeden Mustaf from Georgia Tech, 2. Darren Harris from Duke and 3. Markus Burton from Notre Dame. There are also favorable reports circulating about Indiana’s chances of landing Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell, which could give the Hoosiers a significant addition before the portal window closes.
The program’s ability to close on those remaining targets will go a long way toward shaping the roster heading into next season.