Notre Dame loses a starter and a contributor for the season due to injury
The Notre Dame football program will be without its starting right guard for the remainder of 2023. In his weekly Monday news conference, coach Marcus Freeman announced Rocco Spindler is out for the season after suffering a knee injury against Clemson on Nov 4. Spindler will have surgery this week.
At the start of the season, Spindler took over the reins for former starting right guard Josh Lugg, who moved on to the NFL. The 6-4 5/8, 314-pound Spindler had started in 10 games during his junior campaign. He only missed six offensive snaps in Notre Dame’s 31-23 loss to the Tigers.
Freeman said the program will look toward sophomore offensive lineman Billy Schrauth to replace Spindler. The 6-4 1/2, 311-pound Schrauth has played in seven games this season and 76 snaps on offense. Fifty of those game reps came at right guard.
Freeman also noted Monday that freshman safety Luke Talich is done for the year after suistaining a broken collarbone in practice. Talich will also have surgery.
The 6-3, 5/8, 198-pound Talich had played in all but one game for the Irish this year, predominately on special teams. Forty-seven of his 72 snaps have come on the kick coverage unit. He’s also seen a recent increase in punt return snaps with 19. Talich has recorded two solo tackles this season.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman provides other injury updates
Also on Monday, Freeman revealed starting center Zeke Correll is questionable for this Saturday’s Wake Forest game with a concussion. Backup offensive lineman Andrew Kristofic — who replaced Correll in the Clemson game — has a high ankle sprain. Freeman said Kristofic did not practice much last week.
The 6-3, 306-pound Correll has started in every game at center over the last two seasons for the Irish. He played 32 snaps against Clemson before his head injury. Kristofic only played six snaps versus the Tigers before he was sidelined. Sophomore Ashton Craig filled in for Correll and Kristofic.
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In the wide receiver department, Freeman said junior Jayden Thomas reaggravated his hamstring injury, which has hindered him for most of the 2023 season.
The 6-1 1/2, 221-pound Thomas initially had a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 17-14 loss to Ohio State on Sept. 23. Thomas missed the following week against Duke on Sept. 30 and then most recently for the Clemson game.
Between the five weeks of the Duke and Clemson games, Thomas played 35 snaps on Oct. 7 against Louisville and caught 2 passes for 33 yards. But then, On Oct. 14 versus Southern California, he only played 6 snaps and did not register any statistics. He only logged 11 snaps in the Oct. 28 Pittsburgh game before missing Clemson.
Thomas has 17 receptions, 251 receiving yards and 1 touchdown on the season.
Fellow junior Deion Colzie is still unavailable after having an arthroscopic knee surgery. The 6-4 1/4, 210-pound Colzie has not played since the Central Michigan game on Sept. 16.
Lastly, graduate student Matt Salerno is working his way back from a lower leg injury he sustained in the Tennessee State game on Sept. 2. Freeman said he had confidence they would get Salerno back before the year is over.
