WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Notre Dame football will forge ahead Saturday without junior defensive end Joshua Burnham. The program announced prior to kickoff in Ross-Ade Stadium that Burnham will not be available to play for No. 18 Notre Dame (1-1) against Purdue (1-0).
The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Burnham hurt his ankle on Notre Dame's final defensive series in last Saturday's 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois. He played more than any of Notre Dame's defensive ends in the game and recorded four tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.
Notre Dame will need 6-3, 265-pound graduate senior RJ Oben, who has started both games at defensive end, to step up in Burnham's absence. He's tallied just two tackles in the first two games and was limited to 11 defensive snaps against Northern Illinois.
Freshman Bryce Young (6-7, 258) should move up the depth chart as well. He played mostly on special teams in the first two games of the season, but he did play two defensive snaps against Texas A&M.
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All other players listed on Notre Dame's depth chart are available. That includes starting wide receiver Jordan Faison, who missed the Northern Illinois game with an ankle injury, and starting quarterback Riley Leonard, who is reportedly dealing with a shoulder issue but has been deemed available by Notre Dame's coaching staff throughout the week.
Players who were deemed out for the game game by Notre Dame earlier in the week: backup offensive tackle Tosh Baker (shoulder), reserve safety Tae Johnson (foot), backup defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio (foot).
Notre Dame has several players listed out for the season: walk-on CB Marty Auer (knee), walk-on DL Quentin Autry (shoulder), S Taebron Bennie-Powell (shoulder), walk-on CB Charles Du (shoulder), OL Charles Jagusah, LB Kahanu Kia (knee), RB Gi'Bran Payne (knee), OL Styles Prescod (shoulder) and CB Chance Tucker (knee).
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