Notre Dame faces Stanford with key absences putting fresh faces in the spotlight.
Notre Dame faces Stanford with key absences putting fresh faces in the spotlight. With Leonard Moore sidelined by a concussion and Kingston Villiamo-Asa out due to a finger injury, the pressure shifts to Jonas Walton and Jordan Faison on offense. Walton looks to keep the Irish ground game rolling after a 120-yard performance against North Carolina, while Faison—already tallying 371 receiving yards and four touchdowns—looms as CJ Carr’s top target, demanding constant attention from the Stanford defense.
On the other side of the ball, Drake Bowen emerges as a tackling force in the middle, tasked with anchoring the defense amid mounting injuries. DJ McKinney steps into a pivotal role in the secondary, where his coverage skills and playmaking could disrupt Stanford’s passing attack. Can these four emerging stars on both sides of the ball steady the Irish and deliver a statement win against their Pac-12 rivals?