Notre Dame may be getting a timely boost up front for Saturday night’s trip to BYU.
Sixth-year defensive tackle Jason Onye was upgraded to questionable after sitting out the last 5 1/2 games with a left ankle injury, putting him in line to potentially return for the first time since the season-opening win over Wisconsin. That would give the Irish another body in a defensive tackle rotation that already had to absorb some more turbulence against Stanford, when Pittsburgh transfer Francis Brewu went to the medical tent in the second quarter.
Brewu eventually came back for a brief stretch after an undisclosed injury, but his workload was limited to a season-low 12 defensive snaps.
There was better news at linebacker, too. Third-year linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa came off the injury report after missing the Stanford game with a left wrist injury he suffered at North Carolina.
The All-America candidate wore a soft cast that extended to his forearm, but all signs point to him being available against the eighth-ranked Cougars in Provo, Utah, on Oct. 17.
The situation is less optimistic for third-year safety Brauntae Johnson. He was injured in the Wisconsin game, underwent surgery on his left foot and was seen before the Stanford game wearing a light brace. Freeman said it would be “November-ish when he’s ready to come back.”
Freeman added that Johnson’s recovery path is different from Onye’s because of the previous injury to the same foot. “It is exactly as we thought once we did the scan and did his surgery,” Freeman said of Johnson.
“We knew his recovery would be longer than Jason. You’re talking about a foot he previously injured.
He’s right on the timeline that we expect.”
Johnson had surgery on the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in mid-August of 2024 and returned in time for the Florida State game on Nov. 9, but he ultimately took a redshirt season and still has two years of eligibility left after this one.
In Johnson’s absence, Luke Talich and Joey O’Brien - who started at Purdue - have handled the safety spot opposite captain Adon Shuler. Moore, meanwhile, remains questionable after missing the Stanford game with a concussion he suffered in the final three minutes of the Oct. 3 win at North Carolina. He was on the sideline during the Stanford blowout, smiling and talking with quarterback CJ Carr late in the game.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Faces A Road Test Marcus Freeman Still Has To Pass
Notre Dames trip to Provo comes with the kind of spotlight that has a way of exposing the same old questions. The Irish have not won a true road game against a top-10 opponent since 2012, and under Marcus Freeman they have gone 2-4 in true road games against ranked teams. Now they head to face undefeated BYU, ranked eighth, in a setting that should feel every bit as unforgiving as the stakes attached to it.
For Freeman, this is more than another ranked matchup on the schedule. It is a chance to show that Notre Dame can carry its talent, poise and playoff hopes into a hostile road environment and actually finish the job. The Irish have been good enough at home and strong enough overall to stay in the national picture, but until they solve a test like this one, the lingering doubt about their ceiling will keep hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Undefeated Start Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Notre Dame
The No. 2 Fighting Irish are headed into a Week 7 matchup that should say plenty about where both programs really stand, with undefeated BYU bringing its perfect start into South Bend for a top-10 clash. Notre Dame has looked like a legitimate heavyweight by the advanced numbers, and CJ Carr has already pushed himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation as the offense continues to gain national attention.
BYU, ranked No. 8, has earned this moment by staying unbeaten and steady through the first part of the season, but this trip will demand answers in every phase against a Notre Dame team built to test weaknesses. The betting market expects a tight one, which only adds to the stakes in a game that could reshape the picture for both teams in the second half of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Sent Another Message Before BYU
Notre Dame left no doubt against Stanford, rolling to a 58-7 win that showed just how complete this team can look when it is sharp on both sides of the ball. The offense moved with confidence, the defense smothered everything in front of it, and Marcus Freeman came away talking about execution and turnover margin as signs his team is playing winning football while still leaving room to clean up the penalty issues that surfaced.
At 6-0, the Irish have built a rsum that now has to travel with them into a tougher stretch, starting with Brigham Young on deck. The challenge from here is not proving they can dominate when things go right, but sustaining that level when the opposition gets better and the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]