Notre Dame football: Irish lose safety to injury

One of my favorites to earn early playing time for Notre Dame football as a freshman, Adon Shuler, will miss most of spring ball recovering from surgery. I first saw it reported by Matt Freeman of Irish Sports Daily, and Tom Loy of Irish Illustrated confirmed the news.

After losing longtime commit Peyton Bowen to Oklahoma during the early signing period, Shuler became one of my favorites for early playing time as a freshman. Even with Bowen in the fold, I always believed Shuler could make an early impact. Unfortunately, that’s in jeopardy now as the first-year player will miss spring practice and football while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Tom Loy noted that it happened during his high school playoffs but wasn’t severe enough to keep him from playing. However, following the season and All-American game, the staff at Notre Dame had a closer look and decided it was best to get it fixed now.

At 6’0” and 200 pounds, Adon is the type of player who could be ready to play early for the Irish with enough reps. Though the injury might open the door for a late riser in the class of 2023, Brandyn Hillman to see some reps should depth be needed. Remember, Notre Dame football and the safeties unit will lose Brandon Joseph to the NFL.

They are bringing in Thomas Harper and have DJ Brown returning along with the up-and-coming duo of Xavier Watts and Ramon Henderson. However, one injury and the Irish are in a tricky situation for the two-deep.

Regardless, losing Adon Shuler is a blow for the team, but he’s expected to swiftly recover and join his teammates in the fall. I still expect Adon to have a fantastic career with Notre Dame football, and if it pans out, he could be looking at the NFL following.