#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Lose Star CB To Shocking Injury For Remainder Of Season

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have lost top cornerback Benjamin Morrison for the remainder of the season due to a hip injury.

Morrison, a junior cornerback for the Fighting Irish, suffered an injury during the 49-7 win over the Stanford Cardinal. The defensive back had four tackles in the game, but the severity had been unknown until coach Marcus Freeman announced an update today.

Morrison will miss the rest of the 2024 football season with a hip injury that will require surgery to repair. The cornerback has 20 tackles this season, which has put him on track to smash his previous season-high total in tackles. However, the Fighting Irish will lose their fifth-leading tackler after an unfortunate injury was suffered.

USATSI 24476230 168400517 lowres — Notre Dame corner back Benjamin Morrison (20) and linebacker Jaiden Ausberry (4) tackle Stanford running back Chris Davis Jr. (5) during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend.

It was be a “next man up” attitude for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish moving forward as Morrison leaves a hole in the defense. Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, and Max Hurleman will have to step up for the Fighting Irish moving forward to help fill the new void.

NEWS: Marcus Freeman announced Notre Dame star CB Benjamin Morrison is out for the season due to a hip injury.https://t.co/VlHOVkxh3h pic.twitter.com/nfi8tIePRP

— On3 (@On3sports) October 14, 2024

Another option who could also see more time on the field is freshman safety Kennedy Urlacher, who has experience playing in coverage. Urlacher would fit into a slot role given his height and speed, which could be a possible option moving forward. The only issue comes from a technical standpoint, as Urlacher has never had any formal training as a cornerback.

How Could the Benjamin Morrison Injury Impact the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

USATSI 24232635 168400517 lowres — Sep 14, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) runs into Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With the injury occurring the Morrison, the Fighting Irish now have taken a major blow to their improving defense.

Each week the Notre Dame Fighting Irish appeared to click more on the defensive side of the football. A big part of that success was the captain cornerback Morrison leading the team with his play on the field. Now, without Morrison, the defense might see some short term issues arise.

Notre Dame plays Georgia Tech next weekend in the first game for the team without Morrison in the lineup. It is rather unfortunate timing as the Yellow Jackets have thrown the ball a significant amount this season behind quarterback Haynes King. Currently, King has 1568-yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception this season, and has not been afraid to challenge teams deep.

Without Morrison, the Yellow Jackets may try to test the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense deep early in an attempt to find out just how deep the corner back unit is.

Currently, King is listed as day-to-day after suffering an injury last game against the UNC Tar Heels in the 41-34 win. If King does not play, backup quarterback Zach Pyron would be the man to step up, and Pyron plays a very similar type of football. The backup quarterback starter three games as a freshman in 2022, recording 565-yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions while being sacked seven times.