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Notre Dame football starting center Zeke Correll inactive for Saturday's game vs. Stanford

Kyle Kellyby:Kyle Kelly•11/25/23•

ByKyleKelly

Zeke Correll
Notre Dame offensive lineman Zeke Correll. (Blue & Gold)

The Notre Dame football program will be without its longtime starting center for the second straight week. Ahead of tonight’s matchup between the No. 18 Fighting Irish (8-3) and the Cardinal (3-8), the Notre Dame Football Communications Team announced on social media that graduate student Zeke Correll would be unavailable to play.

The 6-foot-3, 306-pound Correll last played on Nov. 4 in Notre Dame’s 31-23 loss to Clemson. However, after playing 32 snaps against the Tigers, he was ruled out with a concussion. Following that same game, starting left guard Rocco Spindler suffered an MCL injury in his knee that will sideline him for the remainder of the year.

Correll also missed last Saturday’s home season finale against Wake Forest. In coach Marcus Freeman’s weekly Monday news conference, Freeman noted Correll was still in concussion protocol and was not close to playing in Week 12 versus the Demon Deacons. The Irish won that game 45-7.

Sophomore Ashton Craig replaced Correll as the starter last week and played 66 snaps. The Notre Dame football depth chart lists Craig as Correll’s backup.

Correll had started the last 23 games for the Irish before his head injury. He also earned the first crack six times in 2021. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Correll had been Notre Dame’s third-best pass blocker on the O-line this season with a “78.0” grade. Junior left tackle Joe Alt ranks No. 1 at “93.0.” Craig has achieved a 78.1 grade in his seven appearances in 2023.

Correll also had the third-best PFF Pass Blocking Efficiency grade, a PFF Signature stat measuring pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. Correll’s efficiency is 98.0. It only trailed Craig (99.2) and Alt (99.1). Correll had only surrendered 11 pressures in 288 pass-blocking snaps.

The Irish offensive line ranks No. 23 among FBS teams in sacks allowed (1.27 per game). They are also No. 14 in tackles for loss surrendered (4.00). In the run game, the Notre Dame offense averages 163.4 yards per game, which ranks No. 60 in the nation. Junior running back Audric Estimé is No. 29 in yards per carry (5.96).

Saturday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Network. Notre Dame football fans looking to watch tonight’s game can do so by subscribing to Fubo TV’s Elite/Premier plans.

Fubo (try for free) Fubo’s holiday offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite and Premier plans ($20 off the first and second months)

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