Marcus Freeman expects multiple Notre Dame players back from injury against Ohio State

The matchup of the week in college football will take place in South Bend. No. 9 Notre Dame is going to play host to No. 6 Ohio State, setting up what should be an epic showdown. Marcus Freeman is looking for a signature win during his second season in charge with the Fighting Irish and Saturday will be an excellent chance to capitalize.

Heading into the matchup, Notre Dame is going to be dealing with a few injuries. Freeman provided an update on a few players during his Monday press conference, giving quick answers on them all. For the most part, it’s positive news with a lot of guys expected to go against Ohio State.

JD Bertrand – “He’ll be back,” Freeman said.

Mitchell Evans – “He’s a little behind JD but I expect him back by Saturday.”

DJ Brown – “He’ll be back.”

Eli Raridon – “No, not yet.”

Gabe Rubio – “He will start practicing Tuesday. So expect him, if all goes well this week, to be able to go on Saturday.”

Notre Dame to get linebacker JD Bertrand back

Of all the names Freeman mentioned, Bertrand is the biggest. He has been one of Notre Dame’s best defensive players over the past two seasons. The linebacker is absolutely a must-have in any game but especially when facing Ohio State at home.

Bertrand missed last week’s game against Central Michigan, dealing with a concussion. It occurred in the third quarter of the Week 2 game against NC State, meaning it’s spanned over multiple weeks. Notre Dame fans will now breathe a sigh of relief with having their defensive star back.

In around 2.5 games played this season, Bertrand has recorded 13 tackles, with a tackle for a loss being included in there. Bertrand has been Notre Dame’s leading tackler and is hoping to continue to put up similar numbers during the 2023 season.

Freeman knows the type of production Notre Dame loses when Bertrand is out. But he provides so much more than a few tackles, being a real leader on the field.

“When he’s out, yes, you lose a lot of production,” Freeman said before the Central Michigan game. “He’s a really good football player. But you lose a captain, you lose the leadership, the verbal communication of a confident guy that’s played a lot of snaps. That, to me, is where I’ve challenged that room.”

Thankfully, the leader is stepping back onto the field on Saturday.