With Sheldon Day and Daniel Cage sidelined with knee injuries, Notre Dame is turning to an unlikely and unproven source for defensive line depth: freshman Jay Hayes. Hayes appeared on track for a redshirt season, having yet to take a snap, but that will change and then some against Louisville.

Notre Dame's Brian Kelly - 11/20/14 - Loui...

“It was a difficult decision for me to make,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “We’re going to play him a minimum of 30 plays, and then we’ll up him to 40. We want him to get 100 reps.”

Four freshmen have already appeared on the Notre Dame defensive line this season, led by Cage and Andrew Trumbetti. Kelly said Kolin Hill has taken 94 snaps in six games, Grant Blankenship has seen 103 in nine games and Cage, appearing in all 10 contests thus far, has played 113 snaps. It will obviously take a concerted effort to get Hayes up to triple digits in only three games, counting the bowl game.

“If we can get [Hayes] up to 100 reps and a couple weeks of practices, we’ll feel we did the right thing, getting him enough reps and work to make it worthwhile,” Kelly said “We brought him up on Tuesday and he made an impact, so we’re a better football team by playing him.”

Hayes will line up in the middle of the Irish front, along with junior Jarron Jones and even sophomore Isaac Rochell at points. Fifth-year senior Justin Utupo will get a start at tackle for the Irish.

Kelly said Hayes has been ready to play every week this season, but the Notre Dame coaching staff clung to hopes of preserving a year of eligibility. Two factors — along with the desperate need for bodies in the face of absences (add senior Ishaq Williams to Day and Cage, out for the season due to the academic dishonesty investigation) — convinced Kelly to play Hayes.

“The first thing I want to do is I want to hear from my defensive coaches. What do you think? Can he impact the game? Can he make us a better football team? Can he help us win? If I get an affirmative on that, then I have to make a decision.”

Kelly continued, implicitly referencing former Irish defensive lineman Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt, both of whom went to the NFL this spring with a year of NCAA eligibility remaining.

“We think Jay Hayes can play at the next level. We think he’s that good of a player. We haven’t had a lot of NFL defensive linemen hang around here for five years.”

Senior quarterback Everett Golson's injured throwing shoulder should not affect him against Louisville, per Irish head coach Brian Kelly.

Injury Report

In addition to Day’s MCL strain and Cage’s knee sprain, senior quarterback Everett Golson suffered an AC strain (shoulder) against Northwestern. Kelly does not expect the injury to limit Golson on Saturday.

“His shoulder is, I would say, not in a position where it’s going to affect the way he plays,” Kelly said. “He was a little sore, but I don’t think it’s a situation where he goes into the game and it affects the way he throws or plays the game.

“We were careful with him. We didn’t have him take every single rep.”

Kelly added that typically, such an injury requires a cortisone shot, but Notre Dame’s trainers did not feel Golson’s warranted or needed as much.

Fifth-year senior and Florida-transfer Cody Riggs missed the Arizona State loss with a stress reaction in his foot, and it limited him against Northwestern. Kelly said Riggs “looks better” and will likely play more, though still not the entire game, than he did last weekend.

‘Awesome news’

Notre Dame graduate assistant Kyle McCarthy announced on Twitter earlier this week that he is “Cancer free.” Up until a recent surgery, McCarthy had not missed a single Irish practice, often coming from chemotherapy treatments.

“He was able to tell our football team that, probably the best news we got all week,” Kelly said. “We were pretty excited to hear it. A former captain and a Notre Dame kid that’s just had an unbelievable year. If you think of what he’s gone through, it’s been absolutely amazing.”

Pat Eilers will continue to assist the Irish this season. He joined the staff to supplement McCarthy’s contributions whenever McCarthy was unable to fulfill his graduate assistant duties due to the cancer battle.

Graduate assistant Kyle McCarthy routinely went to Notre Dame practices in the afternoon even when he had undergone chemotherapy treatment in the morning.

“[Eilers] has been incredible in terms of his ability to come in and help us and do a lot of the work Kyle wasn’t able to do,” Kelly said.

Subs to Starters

Freshman Drue Tranquill will start over sophomore Max Redfield at safety for the second week in a row, and fifth-year senior Austin Collinsworth will join him in the defensive backfield. Kelly said senior Eilar Hardy — cleared to play following the academic dishonesty investigation — will be in the mix as well.

Kelly to Florida — For Sun

Some have linked Kelly’s name with the University of Florida head coach opening. He laughed his way around that notion when asked about it Thursday.

“I’m going to Florida in about two weeks to get some sun,” Kelly said. “I’m getting out of here and this weather in two weeks.

“What else am I up for? Anything else? Can I be up for the Notre Dame job? Because we’re 7-3 right now. I’m hoping to hold onto this job. That would be good for me.”