Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver Kevin Austin will not play for the Fighting Irish in 2019.

Irish Illustrated has learned that the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder -- who caught five passes for 90 yards in 2018 and was expected to get additional playing time this season as the top backup to Chase Claypool and Michael Young -- will miss his sophomore season.

Austin did not make trips to New York for the Syracuse game and Los Angeles for the USC game to end the ’18 regular season. It was head coach Brian Kelly’s decision to leave Austin back on campus for the final road trips. Austin returned for spot duty in the Cotton Bowl against Clemson.

Irish Illustrated reported earlier this summer that Austin would be sidelined for the first four games of the 2019 season due to a University-imposed suspension. His participation during spring ball was limited at times. Now Irish Illustrated has been made aware that Austin will not participate in games this year.

It’s a significant blow to the Irish receiving corps after starting tight end Cole Kmet and starting X receiver Young both suffered broken collarbones in August. The earliest Kmet will be back is the second game of the season against New Mexico while Young – who suffered his injury 13 days after Kmet – might not be back in action until game seven on Oct. 26 at Michigan following a bye week.

The news on Austin is another blow in what was considered a promising career for the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. product. Austin caught two passes for 35 yards at Wake Forest in game four last year after making his first collegiate catch for four yards a week earlier in Notre Dame Stadium against Vanderbilt.

After participating in the Stanford and Virginia Tech games without a catch, Austin had a 13-yard grab in a home victory over Pittsburgh and a 38-yarder against Navy in San Diego. It would prove to be Austin’s last catch of the season and final regular-season road trip when Kelly said it was a coach’s decision to leave Austin in South Bend for the trips to New York and Los Angeles.

Austin, who reportedly turned in a strong spring semester in the classroom, is expected to remain enrolled at Notre Dame.

Among pass-catchers expected to step up in the absence of Kmet, Young and Austin are senior Javon McKinley, sophomores Lawrence Keys III, Joe Wilkins, Tommy Tremble and Braden Lenzy, and perhaps freshman Cam Hart. Keys is the projected starter at Z receiver with Chris Finke sliding to the X. The Irish also will use running backs Jafar Armstrong, Tony Jones Jr. and Kyren Williams as slot receivers.