Notre Dame’s fall camp took a hit before practice even got rolling, with the program announcing injuries to two rising players: offensive lineman Matty Augustine and cornerback Chaz Smith.
Augustine had been making noise in the battle at right guard after a strong spring. The 6-7, 315-pound Connecticut native had also been viewed as the “next man in” at multiple spots along the offensive line, and there was at least some belief he could make Sullivan Absher sweat for the starting right guard job if he put together a big camp. At the very least, though, his injury trims the depth in a room that has been leaning on young linemen to keep pushing.
A four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle according to Rivals/On3 composite rankings, the Greenwich native has clearly started to carve out a place for himself in South Bend. That momentum now gets interrupted by a foot injury, and while Notre Dame expects him back at some point this season, he is unlikely to return during fall camp.
Smith’s situation is a little different, but the message is the same: another promising young player is on pause. The Tennessee native came in as part of Notre Dame’s 2026 class, which Rivals/On3 ranked No. 1 in the country. As an early enrollee, he showed encouraging signs in the spring, even if he was never really in line to crack the two-deep this year.
The 6-1, 180-pound freshman cornerback did look noticeably bigger during Notre Dame’s first fall practice, and that showed up in how he handled larger receivers on the roster - something he had struggled with back in March and April. His functional strength still needed work, but there were early signs that he was trending the right way. Now that progress gets interrupted for the short term, though Notre Dame also expects him back later this season.
The good news for the Irish is that neither injury is believed to be season-ending. Even so, the timing matters.
Augustine’s absence comes with a real competition in the offensive line room, while Smith’s injury slows down a developmental path that had started to pick up. Notre Dame’s depth will be tested a little earlier than planned.
In Other News...
Miami Just Got A Reality Check In The Title Race
Miami enters the new season carrying the kind of expectations that come with a team that just played for the College Football Playoff national championship. CBS Sports still views the Hurricanes as a major contender, placing them No. 7 in its preseason rankings, but that comes after a significant slide from No. 2 in the previous final rankings. The drop reflects a broader shift at the top of the sport, where programs like Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Georgia and Texas have all moved ahead on the strength of returning talent and offseason momentum.
For Miami, the biggest concern is up front, where the offensive line took a hit with several starters headed to the NFL. That kind of turnover can matter in a league race as tight as the ACC, especially for a team trying to back up a championship run and stay in the national conversation. The Hurricanes still have the look of a contender, but the preseason perception is a reminder that repeating a climb to the top is never automatic. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Already Faces One Big Fall Camp Question Up Front
Notre Dames sixth fall camp practice came with the usual mix of evaluation and adjustment up front, where offensive line coach Joe Rudolph and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge both spent time sorting through progress, health, and depth. Rudolph addressed the ripple effect of Matty Augustines injury, while also pointing to the way other linemen have handled the added work as the staff keeps trying to stabilize a critical area before the season starts.
On the other side of the line, Partridge said Keon Keeley and Armel Mukam are moving forward as they take on more of the playbook, a sign that the Irish are still trying to see how much they can trust certain young pieces in meaningful roles. Senior voices Ashton Craig and Boubacar Traore also offered a glimpse into camp from a players perspective, talking through conditioning and growth, but the broader question remains how quickly the line can settle into something dependable. [Read more 🡒]