by Notre Dame will be without one of its best blockers for the College Football Playoff national championship showdown against Ohio State. Left tackle Anthonie Knapp will miss the game due to a high ankle sprain, head coach Marcus Freeman announced Sunday.
Knapp suffered the injury during the second quarter of the Irish CFP quarterfinal win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. He was replaced by graduating senior Tosh Baker for the remainder of Notre Dame’s 27-24 win.
The freshman started each of the Irish’s previous 15 games this season. He won the starting left tackle position after Charles Jagusah suffered a shoulder injury during preseason training in August. Knapp came to Notre Dame as a three-star recruit from Roswell High School in Georgia.
Starting right guard Rocco Spindler, who suffered his own ankle injury against Penn State, will look to practice this week. He also left the match in the second quarter and was replaced by Jagusah. The senior appeared in all 15 games for Notre Dame.
“We’ll see how he progresses through the week of practice,” Freeman said, via ESPN. “I know he will give everything he can to make sure he is prepared.
“As far as the starting lineup goes, we’ll do what’s best for our program. We’ve got to figure that out. We’ve got a week of preparation to make sure we get the right guys to start this game, and we’ll see what that’s here in the next few days.”
With Jagusah now available, Freeman acknowledged he could potentially start at left tackle, assuming Spindler is available to play.
The injury news for running back Jeremiyah Love was much better. The Irish’s leading rusher (1,122 yards, 17 touchdowns) is dealing with a knee injury but will play against the Buckeyes. Love rushed for 46 yards and a score against Penn State.
However, the status of curator Beaux Collins is less certain. Collins saw limited action in the Orange Bowl due to a calf injury, but Freeman is hopeful he will be available. The senior was Notre Dame’s second-leading receiver this season with 37 catches for 458 yards and three touchdowns.
Notre Dame and Ohio State will face off in the CFP national championship game on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
