The 2025 Notre Dame football season started slowly, but it has since regained its momentum. The Fighting Irish have won eight straight games since starting 0-2, and they need all hands on deck for a potential College Football Playoff run. One key player, Jaden Greathouse, has been missing due to injury, and the Fighting Irish are being careful with his return.
According to Notre Dame reporter Tyler Horka, Marcus Freeman stated at his Monday press conference that it has taken Greathouse longer than expected to recover. They are being cautious and don’t want to play him unless necessary. However, he did say that if the Fighting Irish make the College Football Playoff, he will be ready.
“It’s taken him longer than we thought to get healthy, but he’s probably as close to being healthy right now as he’s been,” Freeman said. “Is it right for him, is it right for us to make him play these last two games and cost him a year (of eligibility) if we can get away with saving him a whole year by not playing him?”
“Right now, that’s our mindset: If we don’t have to play him this week, let’s try not to,” Freeman said. “He’ll be ready, but we’re going to try to hold off on playing him. If we play beyond Stanford, then he’ll be ready to go.”
Greathouse was a big key behind Notre Dame’s emergence into the College Football Playoff. He was supposed to be a big key for this offense this year, but he’s only played two games due to injury. He was officially ruled out against Pitt last week, and the timetable is now more unclear.
He’s been limited to just four catches for 73 yards in two games against Texas A&M and Arkansas this season. Getting him back for the College Football Playoff could be a significant addition for Notre Dame’s hopes of another title run.
Against Penn State in the College Football Playoff, Greathouse had the game-tying, 54-yard touchdown with 4:38 to play. In a 27-24 victory over the Nittany Lions that sent the Irish to the national championship, he led the team with seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Then, Greathouse made big plays to spark the comeback against Ohio State in the national championship. He caught a 34-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, and then hauled in a 30-yard score in the fourth quarter to make it a one-possession game. He was a difference maker even with the Buckeyes winning the game.
