Notre Dame Must Embody the 'Next Man Up' Philosophy After Key Injuries

There's been no luck of the Irish when it comes to injuries for Notre Dame.

Sep 14, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Jordan Botelho (12) is carted off the field with an apparent injury during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Every team has injuries, but Notre Dame's MASH unit is extreme

Only five games into the 2024 season and Notre Dame has some serious injury and depth concerns. Nearly 2 dozen key contributors on both sides of the ball have been sidelined with various ailments and injuries, many being of the long-term or season-ending variety.

This is certainly an unfortunate situation, but this is football. And nobody is coming to the rescue. Every team has its own injuries and problems to worry about.

This is a battle of attrition and depth. And speaking of depth, Notre Dame's will be tested in the remaining seven games of the season more than most programs.

Notre Dame wide receiver Jordan Faison, who missed time earlier this season with an ankle injury, helped off the field after a nice first-down catch.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 28, 2024

Notre Dame and the "next man up" philosophy

Looking at the bright side, Notre Dame is already getting plenty of young players involved on the field. At one time against Louisville, with the game still very much in doubt, the Irish had four true freshmen playing defense in Thomas, Young, Moore, and Viliamu-Asa.

This bodes wonderfully for the future of the program but comes with risk as young players often make rookie mistakes that are to be expected, but that Notre Dame cannot afford with no losses to spare.

While this youth movement is great for what Notre Dame will become in upcoming years, it's important to remember that the "next man up" wasn't the first man in for a reason.

Notre Dame was already an inconsistent team before this massive slew of injuries, the reliance on youth and depth that will be required in the second half of the season now as a result of them will be a massive challenge.

Buckle up folks, it's going to be a wild ride.

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