Injuries Cast Early Shadows on Fighting Irish Lineup
Notre Dame’s football program disclosed on Wednesday that two of its most promising preseason prospects will be sidelined for an indeterminate period after undergoing surgery.
Matty Augustine, a sophomore offensive lineman, fractured his fifth metatarsal in his right foot and has already undergone surgical repair, casting him out of action for the foreseeable future.
Freshman cornerback Chaz Smith suffered a scaphoid injury to his right wrist, a delicate bone that required surgical intervention, further depleting the backfield.
With Augustine’s absence, the coaching staff has turned to Sullivan Absher, a 6‑foot‑7 senior lineman weighing 320 pounds, to assume the right guard position, a role he is expected to fill as the primary candidate.
Although the cornerback depth chart is regarded as one of the nation’s deepest, the loss of Smith still represents a significant blow to the secondary’s early‑season readiness, and no concrete timetable for either player’s return has been provided.