Report: Notre Dame defensive linemen to miss 2022 season with torn ACL

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•03/19/22•

BarkleyTruax

Notre Dame’s freshman defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina has torn his ACL and will require surgery, according to 247Sport’s Tim Prister, via Tom Loy. Keanaaina just completed his freshman season with the Fighting Irish and is expected to miss the entirety of his sophomore campaign.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Brighton, Colorado-native appeared in two games this past season against Navy, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State. He recorded one tackle on the year during the Fighting Irish’s 37-35 Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State as the backup to nose tackles Kurt Hinish and Howard Cross III.

Coming out of J.K. Mullen High School in Denver, he chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, USC and others. Despite his lack of playing time since arriving in Southbend, Indiana, he is a former four-star recruit, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the a top-500 player in the 2020 class, including landing inside the top-50 defensive linemen in the nation; he was also the No. 4 player out of Colorado.

With Keanaaina missing the 2022 season, he now has three years of eligibility remaining in 2023 if he takes advantage of the free COVID year granted by the NCAA in 2020.

Keanaaina’s injury comes on the first day of Notre Dame’s spring practice schedule. With players ahead of him on the depth chart either graduating or leaving the program, he was expected to be a regular rotating member of the Fighting Irish’s defensive line next season.

Keanaaina was set to compete Jacob Lacey this spring, so the Irish will rebuild his rotation as defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola is out as well following shoulder surgery. Sophomore Gabe Rubio will likely get reps during the spring in Keanaaina’s place.

Notre Dame is set to get its season underway Sept. 3 against Ohio State, and Keanaaina will have to look on as his team battles the Buckeyes from the sidelines.