Don’t expect to see Jaden Greathouse play in the last two games of Notre Dame’s regular season. The Fighting Irish wide receiver has missed six consecutive games with a lingering hamstring injury. He was listed as “questionable” on Notre Dame’s team injury report last week before becoming a late week scratch in last Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh.
Last week, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman detailed a procedure that required blood to be removed from the juniors leg in an attempt to aid the healing process. Greathouse has played in exactly four games this season, which means if he does not play another game in the regular season he retains a season of eligibility under the NCAA’s redshirt rules.
Freeman and his staff have weighed the pros and cons of trying to get Greathouse on the field against either Syracuse or Stanford, who are a combined 6-14 entering this week’s play, versus keeping him out until to continue to heal when the postseason begins next month.
“It’s taken him longer than we thought to get healthy but he’s probably as close to being healthy right now as he’s been,” Freeman said of Greathouse during his Monday press conference. “But is it right for him to…is it right for us to make him play these last two games and cost him a year (of eligibility) if we can get away with saving him a while year by not playing him these last two games.
“So, right now, that’s our mindset,” Freeman continued. “If we don’t have to play him this week let’s try not to. He’ll be ready but we’re going to try to hold off on playing him in the hopes of being able to redshirt him this year and if we play beyond Stanford, then he’ll be ready to go.”
Greathouse was Notre Dame’s star receiver during last year’s College Football Playoff run. He had 13 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns in ND’s final two playoff games against Penn State and Ohio State. He has four catches for 73 yards this season..
It is likely a wait and see approach for defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio as well. The defensive tackle has not played since suffering an elbow injury after Notre Dame’s Oct. 11 win over NC State. Returning this month is unlikely, but he is hopeful to return for the postseason.
“I mean, you’ve got me talking about things that are uncertain right now,” Freeman said when asked about a December return for Rubio. “But if we are able to be in postseason play, we expect Gabe Rubio to be back from that.”
While Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff future is still uncertain, the Irish are a lock for a bowl game if they were to be left out of the CFP field.
In addition to Rubio, left guard Billy Schrauth, kicker Noah Burnette, tight end Cooper Flanagan, defensive lineman Sean Sevillano, Jr and offensive linemen Charles Jagusah and Peter Jones are all listed as “Out for the Game” for this week’s matchup with Syracuse on the Irish injury report.
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