Donovan Hinish has played his final snap in a Notre Dame uniform. And the news hits harder than you’d expect for a player who wasn’t always a household name. The 2025 Fighting Irish captain announced his retirement from football just days after Notre Dame’s season ended. 

So why is Hinish walking away now, especially after finally establishing himself as a key contributor? The answer comes down to a left shoulder injury that has plagued him throughout the 2025 season and ultimately made it impossible to continue. The injury first appeared on Notre Dame’s availability report ahead of the Boise State game back in September. Hinish was listed as questionable with a left shoulder issue. He gutted through it and played in multiple games down the stretch. 

But the damage was clearly worse than anyone outside the program realized. A defensive lineman’s job requires constant hand fighting, bull rushes, and violent collisions. So, a compromised shoulder is a career-ender if it can’t heal properly. Back in November, head coach Marcus Freeman acknowledged Hinish’s presence, calling him a “high achiever.”

“And high achievers are consistent, right?” Freeman said. “He consistently chooses hard. When I think of Donovan Hinish, I think of a guy that just from where he’s from, how he was raised from his parents, his brother and sister, he is a guy that that’s who he is. He’s a guy that consistently chooses hard. And when you do that enough in practice, then all of a sudden it happens in a game that becomes who you are. And he’s a tough, tough guy battling through injuries and continuing to put team first.”

The severity of Hinish’s shoulder injury becomes even more apparent when you consider his production dropped off in 2025. Last year, Hinish posted career-best numbers with 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He saved his best moment for last. He recorded the game-sealing sack on fourth down in the final minute of the fourth quarter against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 

But in 2025, even while serving as a team captain, Hinish’s numbers didn’t match that production. He had 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack. It was likely because he was playing through an injury that was progressively worsening. The fact that he still suited up and competed despite the pain shows toughness and selflessness that made him a captain in the first place. But there’s only so long you can play through structural damage before your body can’t handle it anymore.​

The Hinish family legacy at Notre Dame

For anyone who knows the Hinish family, it’s a name synonymous with Notre Dame football and blue-collar grit. So, this decision speaks volumes about just how severe the injury must be. The Pittsburgh native finishes his career having played in 37 games, recording 57 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Those numbers don’t jump off the page. But they don’t tell the full story of what Hinish meant to this program and how hard he fought to earn every single one of those reps.​ Coming in as the younger brother of Kurt Hinish, who played for the Irish from 2017 to 2021 and set the record for most games played in Notre Dame history, Donovan had a blueprint to follow.

“Coming in, I was thinking I was going to follow my brother’s path,” Hinish said during fall camp earlier this year. “He played here for five years, set the record for the most games played in Notre Dame history. I was thinking, he did it in his freshman year, I’ll be able to do it mine. Obviously, that didn’t happen. I was on scout, my freshman year. Played one snap all season against Boston College in the worst game ever. Couldn’t feel my hands. Sophomore year, had a limited role. In my junior year, I started to pick it up.” That grind, from scout team afterthought to team captain, is what defined Hinish’s career. He became the second Hinish brother to be named captain at Notre Dame. 

Top Stories

Frustrated Aaron Rodgers Clears Retirement Stance, Addresses Absence From Steelers Final Drive vs. Texans

Cowboys’ Rookie Sensation Donovan Ezeiruaku Arrested on Reckless Driving Charge

Chiefs Officially Cut Ties With 7 Players as Patrick Mahomes Pays the Price for Offensive Failures

Jerry Jones Announces Retirement Plans as Dallas Cowboys Owner Makes Triple Decision on Coaching Hiring

Mike Tomlin Announces Stance on Steelers Exit, Confirms Reason for Ditching Aaron Rodgers & Cam Heyward

Jordan Spieth Intervenes as Brooks Koepka Upsets PGA Tour Pros With ‘Return’ Announcement

Hinish might not get to play a fifth year at Notre Dame. But his legacy has already been cemented. He embodied everything the Hinish family stands for. “The truth lies in the work,” Hinish said. “There’s never a time when you’re like, ‘Hey, I’m ready.’ At that point, you’re being selfish because you’re looking only out for you and not for the team. You have to put your head down and go to work day in, day out and wait for upper management or bosses to give you a call.” 

That mentality is exactly why Notre Dame’s coaches and players respected him enough to make him a captain. That’s a career worth celebrating, shoulder injury or not. The Fighting Irish will miss Donovan Hinish for the culture of hard work and perseverance he helped build in South Bend.​