Notre Dame has some good news on the injury front heading into this week’s game against NC State. Tight end Cooper Flanagan has been upgraded to “questionable” on the team’s injury report this week after missing the first five games of the season with an Achilles injury that he suffered in last season’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in the College Football Playoffs.
“He's getting closer,” Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said of Flanagan on Monday. “He started to get a little bit of reps last week in practice. We'll see. We're going to try to add a couple more reps to him in practice to try to work up that capacity of how much he can do in the game. It's the value, right? Like, we need to make sure that when he's back and ready to roll, we can get the most value out of Cooper Flanagan.
“He would be a huge addition when he's ready,” Freeman continued. “I don't know, (if it) will it be this week next week, but he's getting closer Right now, it's just not the injury anymore, as much as the capacity to give us what we need on the football field, but he will. He's an impact player. So, when we're able to get him back, you'll see him out there on the field for sure.”
Flanagan played in 13 games, with five starts, for the Irish last season after playing in 13 games as a true freshman in 2023. He has five career receptions for 74 yards through two seasons.
Meanwhile, kicker Noah Burnette missed Saturday’s win over Boise State with a right hip injury and he is “questionable” for this week’s game. He has now missed two games this season after transferring from North Carolina. Freeman said on Mondy that the injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s game is different from the one that kept him out of the Purdue game on Sept. 20.
“We've got to find the right formula,” Freman said. “He's in a really good spot right now, but he was in a really good spot a couple weeks ago, and then we got injured again, so we've got to kick him. We have to. You can't go weeks without kicking. and expect to make it in a game. Like anything you've got to practice.
“Is it practice,” Freeman continued. “Is it treatment? Is it some type of fueling thing with his muscles? We have to get this thing figured out and we are all, from the kid to us to sports medicine to nutrition, we're all trying to figure out, hey, what is the right formula to make sure he's available for Saturday, but also he's prepared to do what he's asked to.”
Burnette has made all three of his field goal attempts and is 13 for 13 on extra points this season after going 6 for 6 on PATs against Arkansas on Sept. 27.
Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse is also listed as “questionable” this week after missing the Boise game with a right thigh injury.
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