Notre Dame football marked move-in day by putting a stamp on fall camp with a scrimmage featuring around 100 plays.
As expected, Marcus Freeman didn’t go too in-depth on the scrimmage, aside from saying he was pleased with camp and highlighting the offense’s success on Friday.
Perhaps the most significant questions from the fan base centered on two players who weren’t expected to help Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on September 6.
Freeman provided an update on receiver Quincy Porter’s injury status and also shed light on where the program stands with defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, who may (or may not) have another year of eligibility.
Porter arrived at Notre Dame with a knee injury that required surgery, causing the sophomore to miss all of spring practice. Heading into fall camp, there were reports that Porter was expected to be a full participant by the start of the season.
That simply wasn’t true.
Throughout camp, Porter didn’t participate in individual drills while the media was present, making it clear he wasn’t close to being ready to return to football.
Freeman initially said Porter could be back in a couple of weeks, but he somewhat walked that back in the same answer, explaining that the receiver underwent another procedure on Friday.
“He's still a couple of weeks out and he's getting better,” Freeman stated. “He had a minor procedure today just to try to get him a little bit quicker to hopefully being able to help us. He's still got a little bit of time to be in a position where we feel like he can help this team. It'll happen. It's going to happen here soon. I just don't know when it's going to be.”
The good news for Notre Dame is that it has options at boundary receiver.
Junior Micah Gilbert has had a productive camp, while Mike Brown has rotated various players through the position to prepare for the season.
“Micah's who we thought Micah was going to be, who we expected Micah to be,” said Freeman. “He's been having a really good camp, has made some big catches, has really done a good job. As well as Elijah Burress being back, Jerome Bettis has done a heck of a job. Those guys have had a really good camp. Devin's (Fitzgerald) been into the boundary a little bit and he's been making some big plays. Those guys have really had a good camp.”
Notre Dame’s other major roster question surrounds defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, who is fighting for another season of eligibility following the NCAA’s release of its 5-for-5 eligibility model.
Earlier this week, Tuihalamaka gained approval for a fifth season and the ability to enter the Transfer Portal after Louisiana granted 16 players a temporary restraining order allowing them to return to college and enter the Transfer Portal.
Tuihalamaka entered the portal Thursday, and while there had been some speculation by other outlets that he could ultimately return to Notre Dame, Freeman made it clear Friday that it wasn’t really on the table.
“I haven't talked to him, but for us right here at Notre Dame, it's just too late in the graduate admissions process,” explained Freeman. “I don't think it would put a person in a good situation this late, and school starts on Monday, to have success in the classroom and on the field.”
That last part is important.
Success on and off the field is a concern for players who haven’t been participating in NFL camps, as they missed spring, summer and fall camp with a team. Returning to college football without that preparation could create legitimate concerns about their ability to safely transition back into the sport.
That may be even more relevant for Tuihalamaka, who tore his pec during his Pro Day workout this spring.
Would Notre Dame ideally like to add more depth to its defensive line room, especially with a player who already knows the defense? Probably.
Now, would the Notre Dame football program ideally love to add more depth to the defensive line room, especially with a player who knows the defense? Probably.
But there’s more that goes into it, including the player’s safety and ability to succeed off the field.
“That's kind of been our stance with it,” Freeman said. “When these rulings started being approved, it's just our admissions has already done their admissions and cycles. You're not going to set that person up to have success. That's kind of where the university and the athletic program stand right now.”
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