Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish are preparing for the 2024 college football season, which begins later this month. Despite Freeman’s efforts since taking over in 2021, Notre Dame has yet to reach its traditional high standards, though there is hope that this year could mark a turning point for the team.
However, the team’s optimism faced a setback earlier this week when a key reserve on the defensive line, redshirt junior Gabriel Rubio, suffered a fractured foot during Wednesday’s practice. Rubio has since undergone successful surgery performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Thomas Bemenderfer, according to the Notre Dame Football PR Team on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The positive news is that Rubio is expected to return at some point during the 2024 season. Standing 6’5″ and weighing 316 pounds, Rubio is the second heaviest player on the Notre Dame defense, as noted by Mike Beradino of the South Bend Tribune. He participated in nine games for the Fighting Irish last season.
Despite the challenging changes in the college football landscape for 2024 and beyond, which have led to tougher schedules for many teams, Notre Dame football has managed to navigate these adjustments relatively well.
Their opening game of the year will be a challenging road contest against Texas A&M in one of the toughest environments in the country. Beyond that, the Fighting Irish’s schedule lacks many major tests, with the exception of a game against Florida State, which was controversially left out of the playoffs last year despite an undefeated regular season.
