Two Days to Go: Notre Dame Injury Updates Before National Championship Game
As the National Championship showdown between Notre Dame and Ohio State nears, head coach Marcus Freeman provided key injury updates during Media Day. While Freeman refrained from confirming a specific plan for replacing injured left tackle Anthonie Knapp, he strongly suggested that sophomore Charles Jagusah is likely to step into the starting role.
Jagusah Expected to Start at Left Tackle? Although Freeman stopped short of officially naming Charles Jagusah as the starting left tackle, his comments indicated that the sophomore is the leading candidate. “We’ve been working Charles Jagusah at left tackle, but also giving him reps at guard,” Freeman said. “We have a good idea of what we’ll do starting Monday, but we’re comfortable waiting until then to finalize our decision.”
Despite Freeman’s cautious approach, ESPN’s Pete Thamel has reported that Notre Dame plans to start Jagusah at left tackle in the National Championship.
Starting a player with just one career start—none this season—in such a high-stakes game is far from ideal. However, Jagusah’s situation is unique. As the expected successor to Joe Alt, he likely would have been a starter this season if not for a previous injury.
While losing Anthonie Knapp, who started 15 games this season, is a setback, Notre Dame is fortunate to have a promising talent like Jagusah ready to step up. The challenge ahead is enormous, and success is not guaranteed, but the Irish are in a better position than they could have been.
A Look Back for Perspective Notre Dame fans might recall a similar situation in 2021 when Blake Fisher suffered an early-season injury but returned to start in the Fiesta Bowl. Fisher played 91 snaps in that game and finished as one of the Irish’s highest-rated players. This serves as a reminder that unexpected contributors can rise to the occasion in crucial moments.
With Monday’s game rapidly approaching, all eyes will be on Notre Dame’s offensive line and how Jagusah handles the pressure of his first National Championship appearance.
Beaux Collins Likely to Return at Wide Receiver Notre Dame’s wide receiver unit has been a collective effort this season, particularly during the playoffs. A key player, Beaux Collins, missed the Orange Bowl due to a calf strain but is expected to return for the National Championship. Head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that Collins has been practicing and making good progress.
“He’s progressing exactly as expected,” Freeman said. “He practiced the majority of yesterday’s session, which was his first full practice in recent days. As long as there are no setbacks, we expect him to be good to go on Monday.”
Collins’ return adds a valuable option to Notre Dame’s offense, strengthening their passing game against Ohio State’s tough defense.
Rocco Spindler on Track to Play at Guard Starting right guard Rocco Spindler, who was forced out of the Orange Bowl due to an injury suffered against Indiana, is expected to play in the National Championship. Although he wasn’t listed on the injury report earlier in the week, Spindler’s recovery has been carefully monitored.
Spindler told Blue and Gold Illustrated that he’s “100% ready” for the game, and the extra rest days have clearly helped with his recovery.
Rocco Spindler confirmed he is good to go for Monday’s championship game. With Spindler back, Notre Dame’s offensive line should be at full strength.
The bigger concern might be whether Spindler can finish the game, given his recent injury issues. If he cannot, Notre Dame will need to make a tough decision: keep Jagusah at left tackle and bring in Sam Pendleton at guard, or shift Jagusah to guard and move Tosh Baker back to left tackle.
Ideally, Spindler will stay healthy and perform at his usual level, ensuring the offensive line remains stable against Ohio State’s pass rush.
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