Notre Dame Fighting Irish news: Nick Saban hypocrisy, injury optimism, more

Nick Saban was one of those coaches that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish never wanted to face because he absolutely had their number. A flawless 5-0 record between stints at Michigan State and Alabama, Saban showed time and time again that he was one of the better coaches in college football. Since retiring, however, he’s made one unforced error after another, constantly playing the scold who knows how to do things the right way while everyone else doesn’t have a clue. It’s annoying at best, and on Wednesday he crossed over into hypocrisy.

• “I actually think we should play 12 games against the Power 5. That's it. Because it's a business & people want to see those games,” Saban said at SEC Media Days kickoff. That’s certainly an interesting statement considering his final Crimson Tide team’s schedule included Middle Tennessee, South Florida and Chattanooga. The year before that, Alabama’s non-conference slate was Utah State, UL Monroe and Austin Peay. Nick didn’t practice what he’s now preaching.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish offer optimistic injury updates

• Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa suffered a knee injury in Notre Dame’s second-to-last game of the season last year and has been rehabbing ever since, missing spring practice. Earlier this week, head coach Marcus Freeman said the linebacker is coming along nicely, though he likely won’t be 100% for fall camp: “He won’t be full go. He’ll be return to play.”

• There’s even better news for freshman safety Joey O’Brien, who suffered an ankle injury during this year’s spring game. After initial worries were that he might miss the beginning of fall camp, Freeman said the safety will be “ready” when the Irish start officially preparing for the 2026 season.

More Notre Dame Fighting Irish and national news

• The Notre Dame women’s basketball team might have another freshman phenom on its hands. Jacy Abii is getting comparisons to South Bend legend Jackie Young during summer workouts: "She’s so gifted in so many different areas...She can do so many things well."

• Florida head coach Jon Sumrall set himself apart from his SEC coaching colleagues on Wednesday when he made it clear he would not complain about the 9-game conference schedule or the strength of schedule in his first season with the Gators. “We're going to play anybody anywhere anytime. I'm not going to whine and complain about being an SEC head football coach.”

• Tom Osborne, who coached Nebraska to three national championships in the 1990s and ended his career with one of the highest winning percentages in college football history, on Wednesday became the first living person voted into the state historical society's Nebraska Hall of Fame.

• During that session with local media, Marcus Freeman also singled out Notre Dame Fighting Irish freshman tight end Ian Premer as someone who could make an immediate impact on offense. "He looks ready right now,” Freeman told the media members. “I haven't seen him with pads on; I haven't seen him put his face in [someone else's], but he's smart. He looks ready."

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