The Big Hurt Follows Notre Dame's Senior Class
With his official announcement that his football playing days are over because of multiple concussions, senior Notre Dame wide receiver Corey Robinson became yet another example of the gladiator nature that comes with the sport, leading to a high rate of attrition.
When one looks at the 24-man class that was signed by Notre Dame in February 2013, including Robinson, it’s sobering how many have been on the operating table or are no longer with the team as seniors. Only 14 of the original group remain for various reasons, and even several of them are coming off of or recovering from major injuries.
Quarterback: Malik Zaire
He is returning from a fractured ankle from game 2 of last season that sidelined him the balance of the year, and even this spring it kept him about “80 percent,” per head coach Brian Kelly.
Running Backs: Greg Bryant, Tarean Folston
Bryant, who left the University last August, tragically died on May 8 in a Florida shooting. He had been medically redshirted as a freshman.
Folston had only three carries in the 2015 opener before tearing his ACL that resulted in a medical redshirt for the top rusher in 2014.
Receivers: Will Fuller, Torii Hunter Jr., Corey Robinson
Fuller is in the NFL after becoming a first-round pick.
Hunter shattered his leg in an all-star game practice before enrolling at Notre Dame, forcing a medical redshirt season as a freshman. It wasn’t really until last season with 28 catches that he began rounding into form.
Robinson, as noted, called it a career after nabbing 65 passes his first three seasons.
Tight Ends: Mike Heuerman, Jacob Matuskia, Durham Smythe
Two hernia surgeries severely hampered Heuerman’s progress, and last August he was not cleared medically to play football again.
Smythe missed the final 10 regular season games in 2015 because of knee and shoulder surgeries.
Offensive Line: Hunter Bivin, Steve Elmer, Mike McGlinchey, Colin McGovern
Bivin and McGovern, vying for the No. 1 spot at right guard, have both been hampered during their careers by various health ailments.
Elmer enrolled early with Robinson in January 2013, roomed with him and joined him on the Dean’s List. Despite 30 career starts, the right guard opted to graduate this May, forego his senior year, and move on to a life after football because “my heart is no longer in it.”
Defensive Line: John Montelus, Doug Randolph, Isaac Rochell, Eddie Vanderdoes (never ended up enrolling)
Montelus, an offensive guard his first couple of years, had shoulder problems upon his arrival, which inhibited his progress and led to a medical redshirt.
Randolph’s career ended this winter because of a spinal condition that made him a medical hardship case. He was a student assistant for the team this spring, a role Robinson will also take with the receivers this fall. In such situations, they are no longer on football scholarship but the University continues the free tuition.
Even Vanderdoes at UCLA had to sit last season because of a torn ACL suffered in the opener.
Linebackers: James Onwualu, Michael Deeb, Jaylon Smith
Deeb’s football career ended last August because of elbow ligament reconstruction that involved the nerve.
Butkus Award winner Smith is now in the NFL — but he would have been unavailable to play this year at Notre Dame anyway because of a severe knee injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.
Onwualu had to overcome wrist surgery performed in the winter of 2015.
Cornerbacks: Cole Luke, Devin Butler, Rashad Kinlaw (dismissed during freshman year),
Butler recently re-fractured the same foot that sidelined him for the bowl game, and he could be shelved four months, which might prompt a medical redshirt season in 2016. His replacement, junior Nick Watkins, is recovering from a fractured humerus.
Safety: Max Redfield
The senior free safety has missed a few games because of various injuries, including a broken rib as a sophomore. He also was slightly slowed by a foot injury early this spring but has remained relatively healthy.
Now, at strong safety … junior starter Drue Tranquill is coming off ACL surgery each of the past two seasons and backup Avery Sebastian is in a sixth year because of missing two years (including 2015) with injuries.