Notre Dame Football: Alize Mack Suspended For Citrus Bowl
By Andrew Hall
The Notre Dame football team suffered another loss on Thursday.
Yesterday, Notre Dame suspended Sophomore Wide Receiver Kevin Stepherson and Freshman Running Back CJ Holmes. Unfortunately, today, Brian Kelly announced the suspension of another player, Alize Mack.
According to Kelly, Mack’s suspension is due to an internal violation of teams. Mack missed the entire 2016 season due to academic ineligibility. Kelly clarified that Mack’s suspension was not due to academics.
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Immediate Impact
Mack played little against Stanford. His role decreased significantly as the season progressed. Since a 6 reception game against North Carolina, he only caught 2 passes for 12 yards and a touchdown. Mack’s impact on the Citrus Bowl would have been minimal.
However, Notre Dame’s depth continues to become thinner on the offensive side. Currently, the Irish will miss four players due to suspension and injury in the Citrus Bowl.
End of the Road?
To Mack’s credit, he stayed with the program after his suspension in 2016. Many players of his pedigree could have decided to move on to a place that would not challenge him as much in the classroom. Many experts believed that 2017 would mark the triumphant return of Mack to the field.
Mack underperformed in the 2017 regular season. He snatched only 19 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.
Will this suspension mark the end of the road for Mack? At this point, it feels like it might be best if Notre Dame and Mack part. Mack needs a fresh start. The Irish cannot continue to invest in something that does not work.