Notre Dame’s injury report is crowded again, but the timing matters. The Irish can probably get by Navy with the roster in its current shape; the real test is whether Chris Ash has enough pieces back in time for Miami.
Marcus Freeman laid out a long list of defensive and rotational concerns on Monday afternoon, and the most important name on it is DJ McKinney. The transfer cornerback suffered an ankle injury late in the BYU game, and the bye week wasn’t enough to get him right.
Freeman said McKinney is out for Navy, which makes sense given the matchup, but it also raises a bigger issue for two weeks from now. An ankle can linger, and a cornerback who can’t cut isn’t much help chasing receivers.
That’s manageable against Navy. It’s a much different story against Miami, especially Malachi Toney.
Notre Dame’s staff clearly isn’t going to force the issue this weekend. With Navy not expected to stress the corners the way Miami would, McKinney can sit without the Irish paying a heavy price on Saturday. If this were the Miami game instead, the approach might be different.
Brauntae Johnson is another concern. He remains out after getting hurt in the first half of the season opener, and Notre Dame had been hoping his absence would last only “just a couple of weeks.” Now that the calendar has turned to Week 8, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll play at all this season.
The rest of the list is less definitive, but still worth watching. Freeman said tight end Cooper Flanagan is questionable with a hamstring issue, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is questionable with a thumb injury, defensive lineman Loghan Thomas is questionable with a shoulder problem, and cornerback Mark Zackery IV is questionable because of a concussion.
Viliamu-Asa stands out from that group. Notre Dame drew criticism for not using him more against BYU, and now there’s at least a clearer explanation: his thumb was still bothering him. Of the questionable players, he seems like the one whose availability would have been handled differently if Miami were on deck this week.
Even so, the bottom line stays the same. Notre Dame should be able to handle Navy without Viliamu-Asa, and probably without the rest of the questionable group too. The bigger question is whether the injury list shrinks enough before Miami shows up.
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The production did not stop there, either. Kyle Hamilton, Xavier Watts, Drue Tranquil, Malachi Fields, Mitchell Evans, Michael Mayer and Mike McGlinchey all turned in meaningful contributions for their clubs, and Eli Raridon added another highlight by finding the end zone for his second career touchdown. For Notre Dame, it is another reminder that the programs reach extends well beyond South Bend, with alumni continuing to make noticeable plays on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]