Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison Sidelined with Shoulder Surgery

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s spring will end about three weeks earlier than expected, as the program announced he underwent arthroscopic surgery on Monday. 

Dr. Brian Ratigan performed the surgery, and the Notre Dame program expected the All-American junior to return for the 2024 season. 

What does this mean for the Notre Dame secondary? 

It’s similar to the quarterback room with Riley Leonard out for the foreseeable future. The young cornerbacks will be able to get more reps, which is a positive in a negative situation. Morrison’s workload was likely going to be dialed back regardless, as he leads all Power Four cornerbacks in interceptions over the last two seasons. 

The most significant opportunity will be for soon-to-be sophomores Christian Gray and Micah Bell. Gray played in 12 games as a freshman and entered the spring in a competition with Jaden Mickey to start opposite Morrison. 

Notre Dame could move Gray to the boundary to give him more practice reps and see what he can do there. The St. Louis native is 6-foot, 188 pounds and coaches covet the length at the boundary position, so a strong look at Gray there could benefit the Irish long-term. 

As it stands, Notre Dame’s cornerback room will still have a veteran presence this spring as Clarence Lewis has played in 50 games and Jaden Mickey has 24 games under his belt. Redshirt junior Chance Tucker has appeared in 10 games in his career, but mainly in a reserve role. 

Notre Dame Cornerback Scholarship Chart 

*Notre Dame also has Jordan Clark on the roster as a nickelback. 

Looking to join a Fighting Irish community and get the latest scoop? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD

Under Armour White Notre Dame Fighting Irish Motivate Half-Zip Top