The NCAA ruled in Notre Dame’s favor this week. Yes, you read that correctly. Cornerback Shaun Crawford’s appeal for a sixth year of eligibility was granted, opening the way for him to return and lead the Irish secondary in 2020.
Crawford’s appeal was an open-and-shut case, frankly. An ACL injury cost him all of his freshman season, back in 2015, when he would have been a day-one starter at nickel back. Another preseason torn ACL cost Crawford all of 2018. Those two injuries alone set him up for a sixth season, but he also missed 10 games in 2016 thanks to a torn Achilles and then two in 2019 with a dislocated elbow.