One of the biggest stories surrounding Notre Dame all year has been the injuries this team has continued to fight through. It started before the season began, and has continued throughout the season all the way to the playoffs, where Notre Dame's depth has truly shined.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
The first injury of many to come happened in fall camp, when Charles Jagusah tore his right pec. This injury left a hole in the most important spot on any offensive line; the left tackle. The offensive line coming into the season was already young and inexperienced, but with the injury, they would turn to a true freshman, Anthonie Knapp, to fill in. Knapp's season has been a little up and down, but he has been able to step up and provide quality play for this Notre Dame offense. His play this season even awarded him a spot on the Freshman All-American team. Knapp came to Notre Dame as a three-star tackle who seemed destined to wait his turn behind Jagusah, but ever since he was thrust into this new role, he has been a solid piece for an offense that ranked third in the country in points per game.
As the offensive line finished their stint of injuries, it marked the beginning of a long list of injuries the defense had to sustain all year. In the game against Purdue, senior edge rusher Jordan Botelho also suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Botelho was set to be a big part of what the defense wanted to do this year, but that was unfortunately cut short. His injury meant that redshirt freshman Boubacar Traore and junior Junior Tuihalamaka were set to receive more snaps. Traore was off to a hot start to start the season with three sacks and a pick-six. Tuihalamaka was relatively quiet all year, except for an interception at the goal line against Miami (OH) - until Notre Dame faced off against Georgia in the biggest game of the year. In that game, Tuihalamaka was a force, resulting in a sack and a fumble recovery, which set Notre Dame up for their only offensive touchdown of the game. It was one of many plays made in big moments this season by depth players.
Soon after Botelho went down for the year, Notre Dame's VYPER position was hit again when Traore suffered his own misfortune with yet another ACL tear. With Botelho and Traore both out, defensive coordinator Al Golden looked to true freshman Bryce Young to take his place. Young has been most effective on special teams, where he has been a game-wrecker all year with three blocked punts. His first solo sack came in one of the biggest games all year against Indiana. His talent and athleticism even caught the eye of Georgia Head Coach, Kirby Smart, who marveled at his impressive length and athleticism.
A short time after this, Notre Dame's defense would see their most detrimental loss, Benjamin Morrison. Morrison, a junior, had been starting at cornerback ever since his freshman year. In those three years, he made a name for himself for being one of the best corners in the country and a projected first-round pick. Not only did Notre Dame lose a multiple-time All-American, but they also lost a team captain. In his place, true freshman Leonard Moore stepped up. Moore, only a three-star coming out of high school, was not meant to see significant playing time, but Morrison's injury and Jaden Mickey's departure changed all of that. Since then, Moore has been asked to play every down, sometimes against the other team's best weapon. Moore has thrived in his role, constantly posting impressive PFF grades and even making it on the Freshman All-American team. With the hit to the secondary's depth, Rod Heard II and Jordan Clark have also been huge contributors to a unit that has been consistently one of the best in the country.
Another impactful injury happened just a few weeks ago against Indiana in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Notre Dame lost another team captain, Rylie Mills. Mills has been a star over the past couple of years as a defensive tackle. Mills had a dominant 2024 season with 37 tackles and 7.5 sacks along the interior. Mills' injury couldn't have come at a worse time in the season. Following the Indiana win, Notre Dame was set to take on the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia has always imposed a tough, physical brand of football, a style well-suited for Mills. Instead, Notre Dame's defense would have to rely on Donovan Hinish and Gabriel Rubio. Together, with the help of the rest of the defense, they only allowed 66 rushing yards the entire game. As a perfect summary of the importance of depth on this team, Hinish made the game-sealing sack to secure their win versus Georgia.
Overall, this team has seen numerous other injuries throughout the season that have left players out for weeks at a time. Whether that be Jordan Faison, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Billy Schrauth, or others. As the injuries kept piling up, this team continued to adapt and keep moving forward, a true testament to the coaching and the culture that Freeman has built. The further this team continues to go, the harder these injuries will hit, but this has also given the other players a chance to step up and perform at a high level - something they haven't shied away from.
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