Notre Dame football injury update: Logan Diggs, Jayden Thomas and more
Wednesday’s Notre Dame football practice was a bit jarring. Several key contributors were not full participants. Some did not participate at all.
Sophomore wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie worked out in the pit, and starting left guard Jarrett Patterson was nowhere to be found along with several other reserves along the offensive line. Head coach Marcus Freeman addressed the wide-range of injury situations in his Thursday press conference.
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Patterson is out for 10 days with a foot sprain. He is questionable to play against Ohio State on Sept. 3. His fellow offensive linemen who have been out don’t have as clear-cut of timelines. Junior tackle Michael Carmody, for instance, is in concussion protocol. Backup center Pat Coogan and tackles Tosh Baker, Aamil Wagner and Caleb Johnson were also missing Wednesday. Freeman said they were on the field Thursday in a non-contact capacity.
Freeman did not delve into specifics on that quartet’s ailments, but from the sound of his comments they have likely also been in concussion protocol.
“There is a return to play progression that we have, that our doctors have, and we have to trust our doctors in terms of making sure our players are safe,” Freeman said. “So a lot of those guys are just in that return to play protocol in terms of, you have to get your baseline test where it needs to be, you have to do physical activity without doing any symptoms before you can really start the physical contact So all those guys are really working through that progression, but we expect them to be back.”
Notre Dame football Aug. 17 practice observations
• Offense
• Defense
There is a return to play progression for sophomore running back Logan Diggs, too.
Diggs has been in a red non-contact jersey for all 12 of Notre Dame’s fall camp practices so far, but that could come to an end as soon as next week. Freeman said he expects Diggs to be cleared for full contact in the coming days, which would make him a serious candidate to suit up to play against the Buckeyes in the season opener.
“I look at the red jersey and I’m like, man, I’m just ready to get this off,” Diggs said Wednesday. “One day I’m going to come back to my hook, and that blue jersey is going to be on there. It’s going to be a good day. Confidence is going to be through the roof. I’m going to be excited. I’m already excited. I love football.”
Wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie, meanwhile, haven’t had as good of news lately. Thomas has been ascending, but there is only so much he can improve if he isn’t healthy. He has missed multiple practices this week with a tight hamstring. Freeman said it was a grade 1 strain suffered Monday.
“We’re just being cautious,” Freeman said. “We expect him to be back soon, but not yet.”
Freeman did not update Colzie’s condition, but the sophomore was still in a knee brace when reporters last saw him Wednesday. His availability for the Ohio State comes more into question each time he is unable to give it a go in practice.
The thinning numbers at wide receiver prompted junior safety Xavier Watts to shed the white No. 4 jersey he has been sporting as a defensive back in exchange for a blue No. 26, which he used to wear as a wide receiver in his first two seasons with the program. Notre Dame needs depth in the slot after sixth-year senior Avery Davis was lost for the year with his second ACL injury in less than a year. Freeman said Watts played both sides of the ball in Thursday’s scrimmage.
