The secondary was already going to be the biggest question mark on the Notre Dame defense going into the 2012 season, and now that unit has gotten thinner.The school announced on Wednesday that safety Austin Collinsworth would miss four to six months after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Which means that it may be December before Collinsworth is able to return to the field.
Collinsworth, the son of NFL analyst and former Cincinnati Bengal Cris Collinsworth, wasn't expected to start this season for the Irish, but he was expected to get some playing time behind both Zeke Motta and Jamoris Slaughter at safety.
Notre Dame will also have two new starters at cornerback in Lo Wood and Bennett Jackson.
Collinsworth's absence will be felt the most on special teams. Collinsworth was named Notre Dame's special teams player of the year in 2011. He played in all 26 games during his first two seasons in South Bend, with the majority of that time coming on special teams.
