Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame gets another hit during its 2026 spring practice. Following a double injury setback with CB Nick Reddish, who suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder, and DL Jason Onye, who suffered a fractured right hand, an Irish DB, who emerged as a key contributor to the Notre Dame secondary last season, is now sidelined because of injury.

“DB Dallas Golden will be out for the rest of spring with a lower back injury,” said Freeman during his Saturday appearance.

The team has not yet revealed the exact timeline or severity of his injury, but it’s not expected to affect his availability for fall camp in August. Before the injury, Golden had “three good weeks of spring.” He was a standout in the secondary, primarily competing at the nickelback position, where he started three games as a true freshman last season.

In 2025, due to an injury to Devonte Smith, Golden made his first collegiate start against Purdue, just five days after learning the nickelback position. He quickly proved his value, recording his first career interception and five tackles in his debut win against Purdue. Golden followed that performance with a career-high feat of six tackles against Boise State.

The injury is a concern, but the Irish secondary has depth. Junior CB Leonard Moore, who is returning from a minor ankle tweak, was named a unanimous All-American last season. Then senior CB Christian Gray, who tallied 17 tackles and 2 interceptions in the 2025 regular season, is taking on a heavier workload to develop into a more versatile DB.

Gray moved to the nickel position to replace DeVonta Smith, citing his desire to be more involved in both the run and pass games. Moreover, Marcus Freeman’s team added proven veteran experience with DJ McKinney, an All-Big 12 performer who started 22 games at Colorado, and Jayden Sanders, a Michigan transfer. Freshman DB Joey O’Brien has drawn comparisons to Irish alum Kyle Hamilton for his range and athleticism.

With Golden out, younger players are getting more reps to build depth in the secondary. The coaching staff is using the remaining spring sessions to evaluate freshman Ethan Long. Despite the injury blow, Freeman is hopeful for a breakout season because the team has a high “foundation” of returning talent, and they showed enough growth this spring.

Marcus Freeman is optimistic about 2026 success

During the 2026 spring practice, coach Marcus Freeman highlighted that Notre Dame is “ahead of schedule” compared to previous seasons. The head coach noted the first-team unit (O-line) is gelling quickly, specifically praising Will Black’s growth at left tackle and Anthonie Knapp’s smooth transition from tackle to guard.

Marcus Freeman has publicly credited WRs coach Mike Brown for developing a room that is “practicing and playing at a high level,” specifically naming Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert, and Mylan Graham as standout improvers.

“For some of those guys that just got here in January, I mean, I remember, shoot, at the end of practice, Larry—not Larry, Devin Fitzgerald,” said Freeman. “They started screaming, ‘Larry’—that’s what I said. But Devin made a heck of a catch right there on the sideline. And Bettis and Burris, they’re all getting better, and they’re all making plays when opportunities come to them in practice.”

For the first time in his tenure, Freeman is working with two returning captains, all three coordinators back, and an established starting QB in CJ Carr. This continuity has allowed the team to “challenge everything.” Now, we will see how the Notre Dame head coach handles the Irish injury blow.