Notre Dame DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Breaks Foot, May Miss Season

Notre Dame did not make it out of their week one battle with Michigan unscathed we learned on Sunday.  Sophomore nose tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa suffered a broken foot and will be out for 10 weeks according to Brian Kelly on Sunday.

“A broken foot. Fifth metatarsal,” Brian Kelly said on Sunday.  “He’ll have surgery tomorrow. That’s usually something that takes about 10 weeks, so we’ll lose him for a considerable amount of time.

Tagovailoa-Amosa Could Return, Maintain Redshirt

Because of the new redshirt rules in the NCAA, Notre Dame could conceivably both get Tagovailoa-Amosa back this year and still retain a redshirt season for him.

“We’re hopeful we’ll get maybe some play out of him at the end of the year,” Kelly said.  “If it’s 10 weeks, maybe we get considerable play with some light-game activity from him.”

With a timeframe of 10 weeks, that would put his return right at the end of the regular season – assuming an on-time recovery.  New NCAA rules state that a player can play in four games at any point in the season and still retain a season of eligibility.

So let’s dream for one second.  If Notre Dame were to make the playoffs and advance to the Championship game, Tagovailoa-Amosa could come back for the season finale at USC and play in both of those games and still retain his redshirt season.

Jayson Ademilola Moves Up

When Tagovailoa-Amosa went down, true freshman Jayson Ademilola got thrown into action.  That will continue to be the case as Notre Dame replaces last year’s surprise freshman with another true frosh.

“Jayson will be put in a high-leverage situation,” Kelly said.  “We have a lot of confidence in Jason. He’s ready to play really good football for us.”

In a perfect world Ademilola would have been eased into playing time instead of getting thrown onto the field this early, but perfect world scenarios rarely exists in football.

Ademilola clearly has the talent to play – that much was clear last night. What Notre Dame will need to do though is guard against him wearing down the way Tagovailoa-Amosa and Kurt Hinish did when they played more snaps than frosh DL ideally would.

To keep Ademilola fresh and to help replace Tagovailoa-Amosa, Notre Dame will also cross train starting nose tackle Jonathan Bonner and backup nose tackle Kurt Hinish at the three technique.  Micah Dew Treadway was already pushing for playing time before Tagovailoa-Amosa’s injury as well and will get more playing time.

Losing a quality defensive lineman in the first game of the year is never a good thing – especially when big things are expected of that player.  Notre Dame has depth to be able to withstand a loss like this and still keep a rotation going to keep all of the linemen fresh each week.

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5 Comments

  1. Not to beat a dead horse, but the Achilles Heel in Notre Dame’s roster, yesterday, today and tomorrow is the lack of quality depth at defensive tackle.

    People ignore it, but it is the single biggest difference between the Irish roster and the CURRENT
    big five (screw the AP and other polls) best ROSTERS in college football:

    Bama
    Georgia
    Clemson
    Ohio State
    Oklahoma

    Frankly, at those programs, Tagovailoa-
    Amosa and Hinish would have redshirted in 2017, not been key reserves.

    And, last Winter, it was iffy that Tillery and Bonner would return. that would have left Tagovaioa-Amosa and Hinish as the starters.

    Frankly, the idea that Myron will return this year is iffy. Averring that he will be effective is merely disingenuous.

    Still, the irish are whistling past the recruiting graveyard with their current depth chart at DT.

    There was talk about bringing in four DTS for 2019, now it looks as if it will be Lacey and Spears. That is simply half a loaf. In the offseason Elston was quoted as saying that they would bring in up to 7 DL, given the guys they felt they had a shot at. That does not look as if it will occur.
    Read this memo again on 9/21 2019 and on 11/7 2020. For if this problem is not rectified immediately the Irish will be able to beat, sometimes, the Michigans and USCs of the world, but will be overmatched in the trenches against the Big Five.

    The game is slouching toward spread football and a lot of plays.

    Notre Dame needs to fix this.

    The irish need to have 6 upper clasman DTS on the roster, each year, every year.

    The bullet was partly, but only partly dodged this year, when Tillery and Bonner returned. Had they not, the starting D tackle opposite Hinish (sic) would have been Ademilola or Franklin or Micah Dew Treadway when Standord arrived in South Bend on 9/29.

    It is big time football. Chickens come home to roost.

    The current situation and the 2019 recruiting situation simply will not do.

    1. The lack of development from DARNELL EWELL has really hurt the DT position! He came in so highly rated and has failed to even remotely live up to expectations! AMENDOLIA has passed him now in the rotation! Sad he doesn’t even get mentioned in any articles concerning playing time!!

      1. Darnell Ewell is no longer a defensive tackle. He moved over the offensive guard. That is why he is no longer talked about in regards to depth at DT. Ewell was actually considered by some to have a higher ceiling as a OG out of high school.

      2. I understand that Frank but he was recruited to play DT!! Where he showed no promise and could not keep his weight down!! YOU really don’t believe he will see time at O-LINE CMON!!

    2. I see there is an instinctive reaction against Duranko’s commentary on the D line. But he is right and his comment and not just another “glass half empty” throwaway. Every successful football team at college or pro level has interior D lineman who can occupy the offensive line and leave room for the linebackers to clean up, as well as outstanding edge rushers. How did the Philadelphia Eagles get the Super Bowl and win it? With eight defensive linemen who all play a substantial portion of the game. A solid D line will win 10 or 11 games but not a national championship. That is the reality.

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