Marcus Freeman finally confirmed what Notre Dame fans suspected. An injury against Arkansas sidelined WR Jaden Greathouse in late September. Though Freeman earlier said that Greathouse is “closer to playing than he’s ever been,” nothing has changed on the availability front.

In his Thursday press conference ahead of their Syracuse game, the Irish head coach gave the good news regarding Greathouse. Freeman said that his WR is “healthy and available now.” However, that hasn’t changed the program’s plan. “If something happens where he’s needed in Saturday’s game, Greathouse is willing to play. Ideally, his redshirt will be preserved over the final 2 games,” Freeman said. The HC plans to hold him out against Syracuse and Stanford. The logic is simple.

Greathouse has played only four games and averaged 18.3 yards per catch, which lets him preserve his eligibility while he gets fully healthy for a potential College Football Playoff run. And under NCAA rules, a player can appear in up to four regular-season games and still qualify for a redshirt, plus play fully in postseason without losing eligibility. It’s a win-win. Notre Dame saves a year of eligibility for one of last season’s playoff stars (105 yards in the Orange Bowl). It means Notre Dame gets a rested, healthy Greathouse returning in 2026 and 2027, giving them a dynamic offensive weapon for another national title push.

Think back to last season’s playoff heroics. Greathouse torched Penn State with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in the semifinal. He even sparked a comeback against Ohio State with six receptions for 128 yards and two scores. Those highlight reels are exactly what the Irish want for the next two years, and preserving his eligibility now ensures they get exactly that. “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.”

Marcus Freeman’s playoff rollercoaster ride

This time, Notre Dame’s CFP placement might get a little difficult. The committee isn’t giving the Irish an easy pass. Heading into the final stretch, Notre Dame sits at No. 9, with Miami lurking at No. 13, and the door. The CFP chair, Hunter Yurachek, dropped a bombshell that’s enough to make any coach sweat: despite Miami’s two unranked losses and Notre Dame’s two losses to top-13 teams, Miami is “creeping up” and could challenge ND’s playoff spot.

Earlier in the season, the committee had pretty much crowned Notre Dame the superior squad. But now, if Miami gets within two spots of ND, that head-to-head win Miami snagged months ago suddenly becomes a massive tiebreaker. Remember, Miami beat ND earlier in the season. It’s a fact that now feels like a ticking time bomb under Marcus Freeman’s playoff hopes.

Marcus Freeman’s team is cruising to a likely 10-2 finish. Meanwhile, Miami’s season is a mixed bag with an overtime loss to SMU and a narrow defeat against Louisville. Their resume lacks a signature win and a conference title shot. Yet, if Miami ends up close enough in rankings, that early-season win over Notre Dame could be the ace they play.