Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman met with the local media on Monday to recap the 37-26 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. He also looked ahead to the next matchup, with the Fighting Irish set to take on a struggling Stanford Cardinal team.

A big part of that conversation centered on the Notre Dame injury report.

Three players are listed as questionable for the upcoming game against Stanford. One of those names could have a major impact on the Notre Dame offensive line over the next couple of weeks.

Notre Dame injury update ahead of Stanford

The first name on the list is All-American cornerback Leonard Moore, who is dealing with a concussion. He suffered the injury against North Carolina while making a tackle on Tar Heels tight end Jelani Thurman.

Star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is also questionable with a thumb injury. That comes after he was limited to begin the year while recovering from an ACL injury he suffered down the stretch of the 2025 season.

The third name is the one that stands out. For the first time all season, sophomore offensive lineman Matty Augustine is listed as questionable. The 6-8, 310-pound lineman broke his foot during fall camp, and the injury required several weeks of a recovery.

How Matty Augustine’s return could shake up the right guard spot

Before the injury, Augustine was expected to compete with Sullivan Absher to be the starting right guard for the Irish and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. Unfortunately, the broken foot was a setback. The competition eventually shifted to Absher against Styles Prescod.

We all know how the Prescod situation played out. Most people forget that Prescod actually started the opener against the Wisconsin Badgers at right guard. After a good second half in that game, Absher took over the job and has been the starter for the last four contests.

Now that Augustine appears to be back to full health, at least in a practice capacity, it will be worth watching whether his return causes a shuffle up front.

Here’s the thing about Absher. He has done a solid job at right guard for Notre Dame, but he is, by all accounts, the weak link up front. Whether you believe that is fair or not, there seems to be a lack of confidence at times in Absher as a starting offensive lineman. That is why the Augustine injury was such a big storyline when it happened.

The staff’s actions after the injury were telling. Instead of simply handing Absher the starting right guard job, the Irish created another competition for him. That clearly indicated they were not settled on Absher as the answer.

What comes next for Augustine

If Augustine is back to full health and can get his feet back under him over the next couple of weeks, I do believe he will have an opportunity to unseat Absher as the starting right guard. That is speculation on my part, but the path is there.

Regardless of how that battle plays out, his return is a great step for depth on the offensive line. Depth has been an issue up front, with this team already sustaining a couple of injuries along the line.

Will Augustine eventually take the right guard spot? I believe it is very possible. How practice goes over the next couple of weeks, and how Absher performs on game days in the immediate future, will determine just how likely or unlikely that outcome is.

For now, keep a close eye on the sophomore from the state of Connecticut. The Notre Dame staff is very high on his talent, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.