The Irish wide receiving corps continues to be plagued by the injury bug, as fifth-year receiver Avery Davis suffered a torn ACL on Saturday, ending his season, head coach Brian Kelly told the media on Saturday. The Irish have already lost senior receiver Joe Wilkins to injury, as well as fellow senior Lawrence Keys to the transfer portal this season.
Avery Davis cemented himself as the clear WR #2 in this offense, with 386 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions. Only senior receiver Kevin Austin and sophomore tight end Michael Mayer had more receiving yards through nine games. With Davis out, the void must be filled by senior Braden Lenzy and freshman Lorenzo Styles stepping up in increased roles. The duo has 209 and 160 yards, respectively. After that, the depth becomes a serious question mark. Freshman wide receiver Deion Colzie has three receptions, and backup senior tight end George Takacs has notched one. They are the only other non-running backs to have recorded catches on the season. Likely, running backs Kyren Williams, Chris Tyree and Logan Diggs will see increased roles in the passing game to supplement the lost production.
Avery Davis is eligible for a sixth year with Notre Dame, and Kelly noted the veteran receiver is more than welcome back with the Fighting Irish. Davis will likely make that decision in the offseason. Meanwhile, Notre Dame sits at 8-1 and continues their pursuit for a major bowl game — or an outside shot at a College Football Playoff berth — without one of their top offensive weapons.
