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Rylie Mills injury: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman provides update on fifth-year DL

Kyle Kellyby:Kyle Kelly•12/20/24•

ByKyleKelly

Rylie Mills
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills. (Mike Miller/Blue & Gold)

Following No. 7 Notre Dame football’s 27-17 victory over No. 10 Indiana, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman provided an injury update on graduate student defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who left Friday night’s game early in the second half.

“There is optimism,” Freeman told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN postgame. “I won’t get into details on what they told me, but it sounds like it’s not season-ending. We just gotta get him right here in the next 10-11 days and get him ready for this upcoming contest down in New Orleans.”

With 12:57 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Mills sacked Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke on first down. Shortly thereafter, Mills was on the ground holding his right knee. The Notre Dame medical team went onto the field to assess the situation.

After about two minutes of an on-field evaluation, Mills walked off the field gingerly to the injury tent. He spent about four minutes inside it before he emerged on the sideline without his helmet. While walking on the sideline, Blue & Gold noticed Mills had a noticeable limp, which ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath detailed in a report with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

“Rylie Mills came out of the injury tent walking gingerly, favoring his right leg,” McGrath said. “Athletic training staff made him put a brace on that right knee, which he was hesitant to do. He told teammates he was fine, but he was moving with a noticeable limp. It looks like he’ll try out this brace and see if it helps.”

Mills did not return to the game. Before the injury, he had 2 solo tackles, including his sack. Senior defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio replaced him and had 2 tackles.

Entering Friday night’s game, Notre Dame was already razor thin on the defensive line, especially at defensive tackle. Preseason All-America nose tackle Howard Cross III returned to the lineup for the first time in a month after an ankle injury against Florida State on Nov. 9 sidelined him. The Irish are also playing without senior Jason Onye, who left the team after five games.

At vyper, Notre Dame has played without its starting and backup options entering the season. Graduate student Jordan Boetlho sustained a season-ending knee injury against Purdue on Sept. 14. Then, sophomore Boubacar Traore injured his knee two weeks later versus Louisville. That also sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Mills has 37 tackles (19 solo), 8.5 stops for loss and 7.5 sacks on the season.

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