Notre Dame junior defensive linemen Aiden Gobaira and Tyson Ford are on medical scholarship, a team spokesperson confirmed to Blue & Gold on Friday. Their careers with the Fighting Irish are over.
Gobiara missed all of spring practice while recovering from a torn ACL, suffered in practice during 2023 fall camp. Ford was away from the team for the later part of spring ball as he worked through his options going forward.
Near the beginning of full-team action in practice Aug. 8, Gobaira broke into the backfield for what would have been a tackle for loss. Just before the play finished, he started hopping around awkwardly, holding his right knee before going down. Gobaira was helped off the field and went into the medical tent behind the east end zone, where trainers checked him out.
He did not return to practice, but he was seen toward the end of it with his pads off and an ice pack on his knee. Two days later, Gobaira attended practice in street clothes, on crutches and wearing an immobilizing brace on his right knee.
Freeman clarified the extent of Gobaira’s injury on Aug. 12, officially confirming Notre Dame’s worst fears. He played one snap in his Fighting Irish career, which came in 2022 against Boston College.
Gobaira was a consensus four-star recruit in the class of 2022, coming in as the No. 177 player and No. 20 edge rusher in the On3 Industry Ranking. He committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 6, 2021, over offers from Penn State, Michigan State and Kentucky, among 13 others.
A product of the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Ford was the No. 98 overall player and No. 13 defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Ford had limited opportunity to showcase his potential in his two seasons at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-4⅞, 274-pounder only played 14 snaps and logged an assisted tackle.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ford debuted in Notre Dame’s 2022 home season-finale against Boston College on Nov. 19. He appeared in the Tennessee State, Wake Forest and Stanford games this season. His tackle came against Tennessee State in the 2023 home opener.
The Irish needed to subtract three scholarships entering the 2024 season in order to reach the 85-man limit. Blue & Gold is working to determine the third player who is no longer with the program or no longer on scholarship.
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