Notre Dame's Football Depth Will Be Tested After the Break

Injuries are piling up for the Irish. The two-week break couldn't come at a better time.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) lays on the ground after being tackled during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Louisville at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame is beat up after five games

Notre Dame has suffered an unfortunate rash of early injuries this season. Offensively, the Irish lost Charles Jagusah in August followed by Ashton Craig and Billy Shrauth in the Purdue game along the offensive line.

Additionally, standout wideout Jordan Faison has been hampered with an ankle injury that seemed to be re-aggravated in the Louisville game.

Defensively, Notre Dame has lost Jordan Botelho, Gabe Rubio, Josh Burnham, Boubacar Traore and Christian Gray to injuries of varying significance. At one point in the Louisville game, the Irish had 4 true freshmen on the field defensively out of necessity. This is a tough dynamic to navigate.

Peacock reports Jordan Faison is done for the day with his injury

— Chuck Freeby Sports (@ChuckFreeby) September 28, 2024

Short-term pain for long-term gain for Notre Dame

Notre Dame having to play so many young players and depth players on both sides of the ball is certainly not ideal. This will make it harder to win the rest of the games on the schedule the rest of 2024 and will also result in a lack of ideal depth.

On the plus side though, if there is one, it's that Notre Dame is getting a lot of very talented, albeit young, players high-quality competitive snaps in games of import.

While this does result in some shaky play now, this experience will pay dividends down the road as these players come into their own and get stronger and more confident.

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