Notre Dame Football: Latest News, Injuries and Updates on the Fighting Irish

With Saturday's spring practice being fully open to the media throng, a few tidbits of information were able to be gleaned. 

The weekend's coaching clinic brought about a few interesting revelations, particularly surrounding the shocking news around Aaron Lynch's decision to leave the program. 

The following slides will examine the latest injuries and other points of interest leading up to next Saturday's annual Blue-Gold Game. 

Defensive Injuries

—Linebacker Prince Shembo, who figures to see an expanded role at outside linebacker this fall, has been dealing with a nagging turf toe injury for some time. It was decided that surgery was necessary, and Shembo will be out of action for around six weeks. 

—The defensive line has taken a bit of a hit, as defensive end Chase Hounshell and nose guard Tony Springmann are still nursing nagging injuries. Neither player has been cleared to participate in spring practices, and are not likely to play in Saturday's Blue-Gold Game.

—Also worth noting is cornerback Bennett Jackson's ailing shoulder. Jackson has participated in spring practices, but has been limited by pain and soreness. Should Jackson's injury get worse, the cornerback position would be scarily thin. 

Offensive Injuries

—Wide receiver John Goodman was seen wearing a protective walking boot at Saturday's practice, as the fifth-year senior is nursing a sprained ankle. Irish fans need not worry, as head coach Brian Kelly said that Goodman would be playing should it be a fall Saturday. 

—Running back Cam Roberson has participated in spring drills at running back, but has been limited by surgery Roberson had on his ACL last spring. There is no timetable for his full recovery. 

—Former quarterback and current wide receiver Luke Massa has suffered a torn ACL, and is expected to be out of action for the next five months, at the very least. 

—Tight end Troy Niklas missed Saturday's practice with the flu. Niklas should be back on the practice field this week. 

The Aaron Lynch Situation

In perhaps the most shocking news of the offseason, freshman All-American defensive end Aaron Lynch has left the program. 

When asked about his reason for leaving, Lynch said he wants "to go back home to Florida." 

Lynch's unhappiness with the city of South Bend were never kept quiet, and there was always a worry in the back of the collective mind of Notre Dame Nation that Lynch would bolt for another school. 

Rumors have it that Lynch will likely land at the University of South Florida, where his head coach would be Skip Holtz, son of former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. 

How the Irish will handle Lynch's departure has now come to the forefront of spring practice. Chase Hounshell, Jarron Jones and Sheldon Day each are likely to be pushed into expanded roles along the defensive line.

Even with the contributions of those three, Lynch's absence will be more than noticeable. 

Brian Kelly's Interesting Comments About 8-Win Seasons

At a function in Chicago on Friday evening, Brian Kelly made a few interesting comments as it pertains to the overall goals of the program as it concerns winning. 

Here's what Kelly had to say: 

"

"What I said was that Notre Dame has not strung together three years in a row of eight wins or more. So if we win eight games next year, or more, it will be the first time in 16 years." 

"

A statement such as that likely will not sit well with the Notre Dame fanbase. The last thing that it wants to hear is its head coach speaking about 8-win seasons as if that is the ultimate goal of the program. However, Kelly went on to clarify. 

"

"When you shoot for 8 wins around here, you won't be around very long, believe me, trust me. My boss is up there (pointing to AD Jack Swarbrick), he already told me that. There are no 8-win seasons around here. Now, we can build toward that, and that's part of what we're doing, the building blocks of putting together a football program. We want consistency. The point of that whole statement was you need consistency, you need stability. Consistency is you can't have a 10-win season and then a three-win season (referring to the 10-3 record in 2006 and 3-9 in 2007). You've got to build consistency and that's what we're all shooting for." 

"

In the end, Kelly is working every day toward building a consistent program. Let's hope he's referring to contending for BCS invitations year in and year out, rather than Sun Bowl invitations. 

The Quarterback Race

As if the quarterback race could be any more intriguing, head coach Brian Kelly added more on Saturday afternoon. 

The third-year head coach gave his thoughts on the competition. 

"

“It’s like anything else. If you’re confident and you walk up there and you know what you want to do ... that goes a long way. That’s what we wanted to see today — who commands respect? As I told them, even if you’re wrong, go up there with a certainty that you know what you’re doing.”

"

Does that mean that Kelly favors Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix because of their experience in live action? At this point, anyone's guess is as good as mine. 

That comment, albeit short, speaks volumes. A quarterback doesn't develop the confidence Kelly speaks of overnight. If anything, it makes the race for starting duties even more murky than it was last week.