Notre Dame guard Billy Schrauth to miss multiple weeks with knee injury

Notre Dame guard Billy Schrauth will miss 3-4 weeks with a knee injury, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Blue & Gold‘s Mike Singer can confirm that Schrauth suffered a sprained MCL and will miss multiple weeks.

Irish running back Jeremiyah Love suffered the same injury against USC last season. He did not miss any games — primarily because he had three weeks to rest before Notre Dame’s first-round matchup against Indiana — but he re-aggravated his knee in the Sugar Bowl and was not 100 percent throughout the College Football Playoff run.

With Schrauth out, redshirt sophomore Sullivan Absher will likely take his place at left guard. Notre Dame is stretched thin on the offensive line, with two Week 1 starters (Schrauth and center Ashton Craig) and one projected Week 1 starter (right guard Charles Jagusah) on the shelf.

Schrauth got hurt during the second quarter of Saturday’s game against USC. He came back on the following possession, but he got hurt again in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t know what it is — knee, leg, contusion — but I know he was able to get back in there, then hobbled out again, and he was able to lead our team in the fight song,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “That’s what’s most important. When we win, Billy leads us in the fight song. But I don’t know the medical diagnosis yet.”

When he played, Schrauth dominated the Trojans. Notre Dame ran behind the redshirt junior 8 times on Saturday night for 139 yards — including 6 first downs and 5 gains of 10-plus yards — and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Huge impact,” Freeman said. “He’s a tough kid.”

Schrauth has been Notre Dame’s best and most consistent offensive lineman this season, allowing only 2 quarterback pressures all year, per PFF. He has dealt with injuries in the past, though. Schrauth missed more than a month in 2024 with a mid-September ankle sprain that required surgery, returning in late October and playing the rest of the season.

When healthy, Schrauth is projected among the top guards in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Absher has played 71 snaps this season after losing the starting right guard competition to redshirt freshman Guerby Lambert. He has been the first offensive lineman off the bench at every position but center, where redshirt sophomore Joe Otting filled in admirably for Craig against USC.

The Irish are on bye this week, and they close out the regular season with Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford in November. Schrauth should return in time for the CFP, if Notre Dame wins each of those five games.