An injury will cost Notre Dame an experienced member of its secondary for the season opener this afternoon.
According to IrishIllustrated.com, starting safety Austin Collinsworth has a strained MCL and will not play in the game against Rice. The school would only confirm that Collinsworth would not play due to an unspecified injury.
Not only is the defensive back out for the opener, the website is reporting he could miss a couple of weeks. That would put the senior’s availability for the primetime matchup next Saturday with Michigan up in the air as well.
Last season, Collinsworth started 11 of the 13 games in which he played. Elijah Shumate and his five career starts will take over for Collinsworth.