The No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to take on the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes in what could be a national championship preview. Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, the latest injury update reveals the defense will be without several key players.
Notre Dame has officially ruled Linebacker Drayk Bowen, safety Brauntae Johnson, and cornerback DJ McKinney out for the Week 10 matchup against Miami, according to Matt Fortuna of the Sports Business Journal. Two defensive linemen are also deemed questionable for what might be the biggest game of the regular season.
Notre Dame's latest injury report for game vs. Miami
DL Francis Brewu – Left Knee: Questionable
DL Jason Onye – Right Knee: Questionable
LB Drayk Bowen – Right Ankle: Out
DL Christopher Burgess Jr. – Left Tibia: Out
DL Tiki Hola – Right Knee: Out
OL Charles Jagusah – Left Humerus: Out
S Brauntae Johnson – Left Foot: Out
CB DJ McKinney – Right Ankle: Out
OL Chris Terek – Right Knee: Out
McKinney, who is a redshirt senior, may be the biggest loss for Notre Dame in Week 10. This will be his second straight missed game for the Fighting Irish, as he was unavailable for the program's 35-13 Week 9 win over the Navy Midshipmen. His numbers are way down in comparison to past seasons, but he's still recorded one interception that he turned into a touchdown this year.
As of now, Miami is the only remaining ranked opponent on Notre Dame's schedule. With four games left in the 2026-27 regular season, the Fighting Irish have a real chance at essentially punching their ticket to a College Football Playoff bid with a win over the Hurricanes. That's assuming there are no surprise losses after the Week 10 matchup.