Notre Dame injury report: WR Jaden Greathouse downgraded to OUT vs. NC State

Notre Dame wide receiver Jaden Greathouse will miss his second-straight game with a right hamstring injury, the Irish announced Thursday.

He was initially listed as questionable, but the junior was downgraded to out on Thursday’s injury report. Greathouse suffered the injury during practice ahead of Notre Dame’s 28-7 win over Boise State.

Greathouse has 4 receptions for 73 yards so far in 2025, a far cry from the way he finished his 2024 campaign. The Austin, Texas native caught 13 passes for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns across the Orange Bowl and national championship game, leading a victory over Penn State and a comeback that fell just short against Ohio State.

Without Greathouse in the lineup, redshirt senior Will Pauling should be in for a big day from the slot. NC State is down to its fifth nickel back this season; the first three went down and the Wolfpack had to move the fourth one to safety because too many safeties went down.

Pauling, a transfer from Wisconsin, has 9 receptions for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns in a Notre Dame uniform so far. With Greathouse sidelined in Week 6 against Boise State, Pauling caught 2 passes for 43 yards, including a 19-yard score.

Freeman: Noah Burnette should be available for Week 4

Elsewhere on Notre Dame’s injury report, junior tight end Cooper Flanagan (Achilles) and redshirt senior kicker Noah Burnette (right hip) remain questionable.

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, however, said Burnette should play.

“Right now, Noah will be ready to go,” Freeman said Thursday. “He will kick today, and we plan on Noah being our kicker.”

If Burnette suffers a setback, Freeman said Notre Dame’s second option will be true freshman Erik Schmidt over junior walk-on Marcello Diomede. Even if Burnette plays, Irish fans could see Schmidt in some capacity, too.

“Right now, we already plan on Erik probably being a longer-distance [kicker], depending on where Noah’s line will be,” Freeman said. “But Noah will be our kicker.”

Others listed as out for the game on Notre Dame’s availability update include redshirt senior nickel back DeVonta Smith (right calf), redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Charles Jagusah (left arm), redshirt freshman offensive lineman Peter Jones (left ankle) and true freshman offensive lineman Will Black (concussion).

The only new addition to that group is Black, a five-star recruit who plays with the third-team offensive line this season.

Additionally, redshirt sophomore defensive end Preston Zinter (concussion) has been taken off the injury report and will play Saturday against NC State. He missed both the Arkansas and Boise State games.

Zinter is a key special teamer, leading Notre Dame in third-phase snaps through three games with 76.