As it turns out, Notre Dame won’t have Ishaq Williams on the field this season after all.
That much was confirmed by Brian Kelly, with the Irish head coach announcing Thursday that Williams’ appeal to the NCAA that would’ve allowed him to play in 2015 has been denied. Williams did not attend classes at ND or any other institution during the spring semester, leading in part to the NCAA issue.
That’s how Williams’ situation differed from KeiVarae Russell‘s. Russell attended classes during that same period, and, after re-enrolling in school in late May, was cleared by the NCAA earlier this month to play in 2015.
Williams had been formally readmitted to Notre Dame around the same time as Russell, and Kelly seemed mildly optimistic the player would be back on the field this year.
Williams and Russell were suspended for the entire 2014 season because of the findings rendered in an academic fraud investigation. Five players were initially suspended, with only safety Eilar Hardy playing at all in 2014. Bowling Green announced late last month that Hardy had transferred into its football program.
The defensive lineman had played in 24 games the two seasons prior to his suspension and was expected to be a starter in 2014. Had he been cleared by the NCAA, he would’ve been a significant contributor in the Irish’s line rotation.
As for Williams’ immediate future...
Williams will not be able to practice with the team. He is attending classes on track for his degree.
— Eric Hansen (@EHansenND) August 27, 2015