Notre Dame QB Ron Powlus III medically retires from football
The array of Notre Dame quarterbacks dressed in red jerseys during the Fighting Irish’s first practice of the spring looked a little different Wednesday. Of course, new additions in Wake Forest graduate transfer Sam Hartman and early enrollee freshman Kenny Minchey made it that way. But a familiar face was missing, too.
That belonged to Ron Powlus III, son of 1990s Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus.
Powlus III has medically retired from football according to a Notre Dame spokesperson. The Irish legacy will not roam the Blue & Gold sidelines any longer. He’s been replaced, in essence, by a walk-on head coach Marcus Freeman did not meet until Wednesday morning. That QB was not listed on the roster provided by the university prior to practice No. 1.
As it stands, Notre Dame’s rostered quarterbacks are the four on scholarship; Hartman, Minchey, junior Tyler Buchner and sophomore Steve Angeli. Powlus III, an early enrollee in the recruiting class of 2021 out of Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn High School, wasn’t ever going to sniff playing time with a stacked signal-caller room like that. Drew Pyne saw that writing on the wall and transferred to Arizona State this offseason after starting 10 games for Notre Dame last fall with Buchner shelved with a shoulder injury.
Powlus III was a key figure for the Irish in helping run the scout team last season. Buchner’s injury elevated Angeli to backup status as a true freshman. Subsequently, Angeli got reps with the varsity offense to prepare him for the event of playing on Saturdays if anything ever happened to Pyne. Powlus III was popular on the Notre Dame sideline on game days, too, often wearing a colorful hat easily visibly from the field so he could signal in plays to Pyne.
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“There is an overwhelming sense of pride, not only in myself but just being a part of Notre Dame,” Powlus III said after a fall camp practice last year. “I grew up a Notre Dame fan. My family has been Notre Dame fans basically my whole life.”
That won’t change. Powlus III’s father is still a senior associate athletics director for the Irish. He’s present at practices and heavily involved in proceedings with Freeman and athletics director Jack Swarbrick daily.
