Notre Dame football: Injury updates following Day 1 of 2022 fall camp
On Friday, Notre Dame opened fall practice on a muggy morning in South Bend with just more than four weeks to go until they take the field in Columbus. While the team is relatively healthy overall, there are some lingering injuries from spring practice and summer workouts. Here’s a brief summary following post-practice comments from head coach Marcus Freeman.
RB Logan Diggs
Diggs tore the labrum in his shoulder during the Blue-Gold Game, and he was expected back in late September. That timeline could move up slightly; he may be ready for Ohio State, but he would not be taking the bulk of the reps at the position by any means.
The sophomore back was in a red jersey on Friday, signaling he is not going full-contact yet.
“There’s a progression for some guys getting back,” Freeman said. “You can’t just go from zero and put them in at 100. So we have some guys on limited reps.”
Freeman included Diggs in that group.
PROMOTION: Sign up for just $1 for your first year at Blue & Gold
WR Avery Davis
Davis is in the same situation as Diggs, although he was not in a red jersey. He was a full participant in practice, but he is taking limited reps. The graduate student wide receiver tore his ACL in November against Navy.
WR Joe Wilkins Jr.
Wilkins, a graduate student, had foot surgery following a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot last spring. He was practicing on Friday, but he will not play at Ohio State on Sept. 3. Davis also suffered a torn MCL last year and missed the majority of the season.
LB Marist Liufau
After he was the talk of early fall camp last season, Liufau suffered a major ankle injury which sidelined him for his junior season. Now he’s back and expected to be ready to go for Columbus, but like Diggs and Wilkins, he is taking limited reps.
“I want to see him get to a place where he’s 100 percent full-go in practice, and then we’ll get to the game,” Freeman said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Currently sidelined
Sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans and freshman running back Jadarian Price remain in boots. Evans is expected to return at some point during 2022 following July foot surgery for a stress fracture, while Price is out for the year with an Achilles injury.
Junior defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina, who tore his ACL on March 17 in the first spring practice, was not practicing with the line but was brace-less on the sideline.
