Notre Dame football: What Joe Wilkins’ broken foot means for the Irish
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has lost Joe Wilkins for the spring, so what does that mean for the rest of the depth chart at WR?
The Notre Dame football team knew it would have to be a group effort at the wide receiver spot this season, as they lack at the position in terms of numbers. Sure, they have talented players, and they should have no problem getting production on the outside, but one injury could devastate this group.
This spring, the team is already without Avery Davis, who is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November. When you add to the fact that the team missed out on two commitments from their 2022 recruiting class, and lost two key wideouts from last year’s team, the cupboard is pretty bare this spring.
However, the group is not lacking in talent, as we saw Lorenzo Styles Jr. emerge as a possible star last season, dominating in the Fiesta Bowl. He is someone who is going to be counted on in a big way by whoever the starting quarterback is, and could find himself as the WR1 when all is said and done.
Notre Dame football loses Joe Wilkins for the spring
On Friday, Joe Wilkins had surgery on his foot and will miss the rest of the spring, further decimating the Irish’s depth at the wide receiver position. Wilkins missed most of last season due to a meniscus injury, and while he should be back in time to help the Irish during the regular season, most of his offseason is likely done.
For the five healthy wideouts remaining, this means more of a chance to prove that you can help this team in a big way in 2022. The Irish know what they have in Davis, as well as Braden Lenzy and Styles, but for other players, like Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas, this is an excellent opportunity.
Tobias Merriweather, the program’s only wide receiver in the 2022 recruiting class, will not be with the team until the summer as he finishes out his high school schedule. That means a lot of reps for guys looking to cement their spot on the depth chart, and for those, that is not a bad thing at all.