Adam Rittenberg, senior writer for ESPN
Our Lady will have two of his screwball starters available for Friday’s first-round College Football Playoff game against Indianaas a defensive lineman Howard Cross III and running back Jeremiah Love both will play.
Irish boxing team coach Marcus Freeman confirmed on Sunday the return of Cross, who had not played against the team since November 9 State of Floridawhen he suffered a high ankle sprain. Cross, who earned All-American honors in 2023 and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, has four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in nine games this season.
“Howard Cross is an excellent football player,” Freeman said. “When he’s gone, you miss him.”
Love, who leads Notre Dame with 949 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, injured his right knee in the second half of the team’s regular-season finale on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. USC. He had 99 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game, acrobatically hurdling over the Trojans’ defender, and has 336 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the last three contests.
Notre Dame will also have a reserve Devyn Ford available, Freeman said, being a defense attorney Kyngston Williams-Assa (knee), who has 29 tackles and a sack as well as several reserves, will not play against Indiana.
