Notre Dame football injury report: Coach Marcus Freeman rules DL Rylie Mills out for CFP

On Monday, Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman announced the team’s pregame injury report ahead of its College Football Playoff quarterfinal game vs. Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Graduate student defensive lineman Rylie Mills has been ruled out for the remainder of the CFP with a right knee injury.

Freeman also said that offensive lineman Rocco Spindler (right ankle), freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (right knee), freshman linebacker Bodie Kahoun (right lower leg) and sophomore wide receiver KK Smith (clavicle) are all questionable.

Sophomore offensive lineman Charles Jagusah is also available after initially being ruled out for the season in August. Freeman said they will rely on freshman defensive lineman Bryce Young against Georgia despite him receiving attention from the Notre Dame medical staff during the Indiana game.

Mills and Spindler suffered injuries against Indiana in Friday night’s College Football Playoff first-round game. After Spindler played 34 snaps in the first half, Blue & Gold spotted him on the sideline out of uniform in the second half. Mills injured his knee while sacking Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the third quarter. He also did not return to the game. 

Viliamu-Asa injured his knee against Army on Nov. 23, which Freeman initially designated as a sprain postgame. The first-year thumper did not play against USC on Nov. 30 or Indiana. He was not in uniform for either game. Freeman said he will return to practice this week.

Irish senior Jason Onye remains out with a personal matter and has not been listed on the team’s depth chart. He has not played since Sept. 21 against Miami (Ohio).

Notre Dame Football Injury Report vs. Georgia (College Football Playoff, Sugar Bowl)

Here is a detailed look at the Notre Dame football injury report for its College Football Playoff quarterfinal game vs. Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1

— Freshman linebacker Bodie Kahoun (right lower leg) is questionable for the game. He played 16 snaps, 8 on kick coverage and 3 punt return, against Army before Freeman announced his injury Nov. 25.

— Graduate student defensive lineman Rylie Mills (knee) is out for the remainder of the College Football Playoff. After Mills sacked Rourke, he was on the ground holding his right knee. The Notre Dame medical team went onto the field to assess the situation. After two minutes of an on-field evaluation, Mills gingerly walked off the field to the injury tent. He spent about four minutes inside it before he emerged on the sideline without his helmet. He had a noticeable limp.

— Graduate student offensive lineman Rocco Spindler (right ankle) is questionable for the game. Spindler received the Notre Dame medical staff’s attention early in the second quarter of the Indiana game. Blue & Gold discovered Spindler was in the injury tent. As he emerged, he appeared to do a few calf raises and then return to the game. However, he was no longer in uniform for the second quarter.

— Sophomore wide receiver KK Smith (clavicle) is questionable for the game. Freeman said Nov. 25 that Smith would be out for 4-6 weeks.

— Freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (right knee) is questionable for the game. He only played six snaps in his first career start against Army on Nov. 23 before injuring his knee.

Notre Dame football players out for the season

— Senior walk-on cornerback Marty Auer (knee) is out for the season. He tore his left ACL during a preseason practice on Aug. 2.

— Walk-on graduate student defensive lineman Quentin Autry (shoulder) is out for the season. There are no details on when the injury occurred.

— Freshman safety Taebron Bennie-Powell (shoulder) is out for the season. He underwent surgery on his left shoulder labrum after a high school injury hindered him during preseason camp.

— Graduate student Jordan Botelho (knee) is out for the season. The Irish starting vyper injured his right knee on a pass rush against Purdue on Sept. 14.

— Junior Ashton Craig (knee) is out for the season. The Notre Dame starting center injured his left knee on a run-blocking play against Purdue on Sept. 14.

— Sophomore walk-on cornerback Charles Du (shoulder) is out for the season. There are no details on when the injury occurred.

— Sophomore offensive lineman Charles Jagusah (shoulder) was initially ruled out for the season after he tore his right pectoralis muscle during preseason camp practice on Aug. 3. However, Jagusah recently returned to practice and was in uniform for the Indiana game Dec. 20. Freeman said he was available to play in the Sugar Bowl.

— Sophomore linebacker Kahanu Kia (knee) is out for the season. He tore his ACL during preseason camp.

— Junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hip) is out for the season. Freeman revealed last Friday that Morrison has already undergone surgery.

— Junior running back Gi’Bran Payne (knee) is out for the season. He tore his ACL in his right knee during the Blue-Gold Game on April 20.

— Freshman offensive lineman Styles Prescod (shoulder) is out for the season. A high school shoulder injury persisted during preseason camp, which resulted in the decision to have surgery.

— Sophomore defensive lineman Boubacar Traore (knee) is out for the season. He suffered a knee injury that required season-ending surgery against Louisville on Sept. 28.

— Senior cornerback Chance Tucker (knee) is out for the season. He tore his ACL during the team’s “jersey scrimmage” on Aug. 17.