Since the turnstile of injuries at left tackle in 2021, Notre Dame has enjoyed rather astounding offensive line health. Only one start was missed by a starter in 2022 and not a single one has been missed in 2023 through 10 games.
But junior right guard Rocco Spindler will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury and fifth-year center Zeke Correll is questionable to play against Wake Forest (3:30 ET on NBC) as he remains in concussion protocols more than a week after suffering a concussion in the 31-23 loss at Clemson on Nov. 4.
Sophomore Billy Schrauth stepped in for Spindler after the injury, and Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said that will continue the rest of the season. The bigger question about moving forward would be at center, where fifth-year Andrew Kristofic sprained an ankle mere plays after Correll’s concussion, something that could also keep Kristofic out and possibly leave only sophomore Ashton Craig healthy at the fulcrum.
“Ashton Craig did a really good job filling in at the center position,” Freeman said Monday. “I was really impressed with what he did.
“Andrew played well. He still has a high ankle sprain. He didn’t practice much last week. If we played today, it would be Ashtron Craig and Billy Schrauth. We’ll see how Zeke progresses this week and then Andrew Kristofic, how he progresses.”
Come Thursday’s midday update, Freeman may say Correll is cleared and all set. Maybe even Kristofic will be available on Saturday, though that feels less likely. But the possibility otherwise would be a drastic shift for Notre Dame, which has not played without its starting center since the 2020 College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Alabama, the fourth game missed by then-starter Jarrett Patterson with a foot injury and Correll’s second start in his stead. Either Patterson or Correll has started the 36 games since then.
Updated @NDFootball depth chart for this weekend's game with Wake Forest, reflecting the loss of starting RG Rocco Spindler due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XjPRotw8qi
— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) November 13, 2023
CONTINUED RECEIVER WORRIES
Junior Jayden Thomas did not take a snap against Clemson for the same reason he missed the Duke game: a problematic hamstring.
“He came back a couple weeks ago and kind of reaggravated it a little bit,” Freeman said. “He wasn’t at a level to perform what we need him to do. He’s coming back this week.
“We’ll see as we go through practice if he’ll be able to do all the things we need him to do at the wide receiver position.”
Logically, if Notre Dame had more available receivers, Thomas may not have pressed into action as quickly. But the Irish have just four other receivers available, including freshman Jaden Greathouse, who was battling his own nagging hamstring, not to mention sophomore Tobias Merriweather, having made five catches for 83 yards in the last six games.
More relief may be on the way … eventually.
Freeman donned a coach’s public optimism when discussing junior Deion Colzie (knee surgery) and sixth-year former walk-on Matt Salerno (knee), but in both instances, Freeman was vague enough to suggest neither is near playing.
“When [Colzie is] available to play, right now the mindset is he’ll play,” Freeman said. “But he’s not ready after his knee surgery to perform at the level we need him to.”
Colzie has appeared in four games this season, so if he plays in either of the two remaining regular-season games, he will use up a year of eligibility. However, his fifth game being a bowl game would not count toward that ticking clock, Freeman confirmed Monday. The NCAA passed that exception last season and apparently quietly extended it forward, quite possibly permanently given the increasing prevalence of bowl opto outs for NFL draft preparations or entry into the transfer portal.
Salerno’s motivation to play would be that this weekend is his last home game. Perhaps that induces a snap.
“There’s a chance we get him back here,” Freeman said. “I don’t know exactly when. He’s been doing a little bit more in practice, doing some individual drills. This week, we’ll increase it a little bit more to truly get him game ready. We’ll see how long that takes.
“I have a confidence we’ll get him back before the year’s over.”
Notre Dame settled at -24.5 (who ever could have seen that coming) to start the week, total at 47.5.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) November 13, 2023
Honestly, doubt there's much movement this week.
A FOURTH QUARTERBACK
Notre Dame’s expected 2024 roster includes three quarterbacks: current sophomore Steve Angeli, current freshman Kenny Minchey and current high school senior C.J. Carr.
Setting aside their lack of experience, the modern transfer market makes adding a fourth quarterback both more plausible and more of a necessity. If any one of those three were to exit for immediate eligibility elsewhere, the Irish would be an injury away from turning to a walk-on as a backup.
“We owe it to this program to try to put four quarterbacks on scholarship,” Freeman said. “That’s the number we have allotted for. … We want to try to always have four guys on scholarship.
“That has nothing to do with my beliefs in Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey. Both of those guys are extremely talented, and I can see being the leader of our program as we move forward.”
Freeman phrased that diplomatically, conceivably even leaving the door open for another recruit to join Carr. That is unlikely.
The Irish will pursue another veteran quarterback, almost certainly a graduate simply given the University’s stringent transfer restrictions. It could be a veteran not assured of playing time but willing to take that risk, yet reading into Freeman’s comments, it is more likely Notre Dame tries to find its 2024 starter on the open market.
how y'all like peacock now? https://t.co/WsyuJ7KOzb
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) November 13, 2023