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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Notre Dame will have two of its banged-up starters available for Friday’s College Football Playoff first-round game against Indiana, as defensive lineman Howard Cross III and running back Jeremiyah Love both will play.
Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman on Sunday confirmed the return of Cross, who hasn’t played since Nov. 9 against Florida State, when he sustained a high ankle sprain. Cross, who earned All-America honors in 2023 and was a Bednarik Award semifinalist, has four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in nine games this season.
“Howard Cross is an excellent football player,” Freeman said. “When you don’t have him, he’s missed.”
Love, who leads Notre Dame with 949 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, sustained a right knee injury in the second half of the team’s regular-season finale Nov. 30 at USC. He had 99 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game, displaying an acrobatic hurdle over a Trojans defender, and has 336 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his past three contests.
Notre Dame also will have reserve running back Devyn Ford available, Freeman said, while linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (knee), who has 29 tackles and a sack, and several reserves will be out against Indiana.