An already shaky Notre Dame special teams unit took another hit last week. Punter James Rendell, who had petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility, was turned down. He's now done playing in South Bend. And the Irish, already having problems with the kicking game, need to find another top-notch punter. Could Erik Schmidt step into the breach?
During his ND career, the 25-year-old Australian punted 75 times for a 42.7-yard average, with just 25 of those efforts coming in 2025. Marcus Freeman's offense didn't call for Rendell getting on the field all that much.