Notre Dame injury report: Fighting Irish to be down nine players for Championship Game

Marcus Freeman has quite the puzzle to solve. With the NCAA National Championship game just a couple of days away, the Notre Dame head coach needs to decide what to do without players who have been key to the team’s performance this season.

Freeman and his Fighting Irish will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The team will bring most of its stars, starting with quarterback Riley Leonard and receiver Jordan Faison.

However, they will also have to address the absence of several players who have not recovered from their injuries. Others will be able to play, but they will not be 100%, which will represent a challenge for Freeman and the Notre Dame coaching staff.

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The players that were ruled out

Several of them were injured before the start of the regular season, so their absence will not weigh as heavily on the team. OL Styles Prescod, S Teabron Bennie-Powell, RB Gi’Bran Payne, DB Chance Tucker, CB Benjamin Morrison, and DE Boubacar Traore have been nursing injuries most of the season and will not play this Monday either.

The real problem for Coach Freeman is the players who recently got hurt and who have already been ruled out for the game against Ohio State. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills injured a knee in the first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP), which will keep him out against the Buckeyes.

Tight end Cooper Flanagan hurt his Achilles tendon in the second round of the CFP, while offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp injured an ankle in the semifinal against Penn State. Both will miss the grand finale against Ohio State.

Questionable and available

Receiver Beaux Collins (calf) and offensive guard Rocco Spindler (ankle) were hurt in the Penn State game and are being evaluated day-to-day. They could play against Ohio State, but their performances are unlikely to be the best.

Star running back Jeremiyah Love has battled a knee injury that has affected his stats in the CFP. He’s a lock to play Monday, but it’s hard to know how the injury will affect him. The issues appear serious, but fans are confident Freeman already has a solution that will allow them to hoist the championship trophy.