We found out on Saturday afternoon that wide receiver Kevin Austin was not going to be able to play against Pitt as the Notre Dame Football PR team made the announcement on Twitter.
Along with Austin, starting corner back Tariq Bracy and reserve offensive lineman Josh Lugg were ruled out for Saturday’s fame as well.
As it would turn out, it’s brutal news for Notre Dame in regard to Austin, who was supposed to be the most complete receiver on the roster this season.
Austin missed the first two games of the year with a broken foot that he suffered in fall camp. Unfortunately this week, Austin suffered another injury to the foot and according to The Athletic, will be done for the year.
A source tells The Athletic that Kevin Austin re-injured his foot in practice this week and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) October 24, 2020
A major blow to Notre Dame’s attempt to make progress in the passing game.
Austin only had one reception for 18 yards on the season but his potential was a large reason for there be hope that Notre Dame’s passing issues would take off as they’ve struggled to get going over one-third of the way the through the season.
Other wide receivers Ben Skowronek, Lawrence Keys, III and Braden Lenzy have also dealt with injury issues this year that certainly not helped the cause. Perhaps the loss means a chance for the likes of freshmen Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts to see the field but don’t get it confused, this is a massive hit for a group that was already both battling injuries and struggling to produce.
