Notre Dame football WR Jaden Greathouse in a 'good place' despite prolonged absence
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SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, who lasted played on Sept. 27 at Arkansas, continues to be listed as “questionable” with a right thigh injury.
Irish coach Marcus Freeman, more specifically referring to that as a hamstring issue, said Monday, Nov. 10, that Greathouse is still trying to get back on the field.
“JG is putting in so much work on trying to get that hamstring to where it needs to go, where it needs to be,” Freeman said. “Last week, we had to extract some blood from his hamstring just because it’s part of the healing process. Blood buildup, you have to extract it and continue to get that muscle stronger.”
After a breakout showing in Notre Dame’s final two playoff games in 2024, Greathouse was limited to just four catches (on eight targets) for 73 yards through September for this year’s Irish.
Transfer Will Pauling, formerly of Wisconsin and Cincinnati, has taken Greathouse’s place as the starting slot receiver.
“Mentally, he’s been in a good place,” Freeman said of Greathouse. “He’s as frustrated as anybody. He wants to be out there. We have just to keep working and then we’ll see what happens here in the next days, weeks, depending on how he heals.”
Greathouse, a junior from Austin, Texas, went through early warmups with his fellow receivers before the last game against Navy, but he switched to street clothes once the team returned for formal preparations.
Should Greathouse wait until after the regular season to return, he would retain two years of eligibility, whether he decides to transfer or not. He also struggled with a lingering hamstring as a freshman in 2023.
Considering the Irish will be heavy favorites against Syracuse and Stanford to close out November, it seems likely Greathouse will keep sitting if he isn’t cleared in time for this Saturday’s noon showdown at No. 23 Pittsburgh (7-2).
Alabama grad transfer DeVonta Smith, a defensive back who has battled a calf injury for much of the year, spoke after the Navy game about the counsel he’s shared with Greathouse in terms of being patient.
“My journey here, I definitely didn’t expect it to go like this,” Smith said. “I’ve definitely talked to him a lot about not going out there until you’re fully healthy because I was eager to get out there and that caused it to make my injury worse.”
Smith was pulled after just seven snaps against Boise State on Oct. 4 and didn’t return to the lineup until Nov. 1 against Boston College.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football wideout Jaden Greathouse injury update
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