Ishaq Williams' Appeal Petition Denied by NCAA: Latest Details and Reaction

It has been a difficult offseason for the Notre Dame defensive line, and it took another blow Thursday.

Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune reported “coach Brian Kelly said Ishaq Williams' petition to the NCAA has been denied and will not compete for the Irish this year.”

BlueandGold.com provided more context by noting Williams is not allowed to practice, but Kelly said the defensive end has a locker and can work out.

According to Hansen, Williams and four others were suspended as part of Notre Dame’s academic dishonesty investigation that began last July. Williams re-enrolled at the school in search of his degree following his obligatory withdrawal last October, even though it was far from a guarantee that he would be allowed to play football again.

Kelly did not seem overly optimistic at the time, per Hansen:

"

I’ve looked at the data. I’ve looked at the hurdles he has. I will submit the paperwork to the NCAA. We’re hopeful, but we’ve seen others who have not been as effective.

I’ll go from pessimistic to cautiously optimistic, but I think we’re all on the same page, that he has some hurdles that he has to get over relative to being cleared for (football) eligibility.

"

Williams, who boasts 45 career tackles and a sack in 35 games for the Fighting Irish, apparently did not clear those hurdles in the eyes of the NCAA. It is just another setback for a defensive line that will not be particularly deep this year. 

Defensive end Kolin Hill transferred and did not report to fall camp. Defensive end Jhonny Williams also transferred, and recruit Bo Wallace elected to attend Arizona State instead of Notre Dame.

Mike Vorel of ND Insider pointed out the concern, and that was before the Williams news broke Wednesday:

The Fighting Irish still have their eyes on a College Football Playoff berth, especially since they checked in at No. 11 in the initial Amway Coaches Poll. However, the defense faltered down the stretch in 2014 and allowed at least 43 points in games against Northwestern, USC and Arizona State.

Notre Dame faces another difficult schedule in 2015 with showdowns against Texas, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Stanford and USC on the slate, and it will need the defense to perform at a higher level to reach the playoffs this season.

That task became more difficult Wednesday.