Notre Dame Football Faces Shocking Setback: Two Star Players Sidelined in Unexpected Blow

As the 2025 college football season looms on the horizon, Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish find themselves at a familiar crossroads — teetering between promise and setback. Last year’s near-miss in the College Football Playoff championship still stings like a fresh bruise, and now, as preseason camp heats up, the team faces an unexpected jolt: the loss of running back Kedren Young and tight end Kevin Bauman for the entire season due to serious knee injuries. It’s a bitter pill for a squad hungry to reclaim national glory, especially when Bauman was poised to finally step into a starring offensive role. So, here’s the question hanging over South Bend — can the rest of the roster rise, fill the void, and turn pain into purpose? Or will this setback derail a campaign that was already set against the towering ambitions of a championship chase? One thing’s sure — in college football, it’s never how hard you fall, but how fiercely you get back up. LEARN MORE.

With the 2025 regular season quickly approaching, the Notre Dame football team are in the midst of preseason camp. 2024 was pretty successful, but ultimately a failure. The Fighting Irish are focused on competing for national championships each season. While they came close, the Notre Dame football program fell short in the College Football Playoff national championship game, losing to Ohio State 34-23. The goal is to return to that stage, but they will have to do it without running back Kedren Young and tight end Kevin Bauman. According to the Notre Dame Football PR account on X (formerly Twitter), both players will miss the entire 2025 campaign.

“Kedren Young (right knee, anterior cruciate ligament tear) and Kevin Bauman (left knee, articular cartilage injury) sustained injuries during preseason practice,” posted the program’s PR page on Saturday morning. “The injuries will subsequently require surgery and force them to miss the remainder of the 2025 season.”

Bauman was finally slated to have a bigger role in the Fighting Irish offense under offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. The graduate player was about to start his fifth season with the Notre Dame football program. Meanwhile, Young was deeper on the projected depth chart. The redshirt freshman was undoubtedly hoping to improve on the limited touches last season. Now, both will have to support their teammates from the sidelines in 2025.

Notre Dame football looks to return to CFP title game in 2025

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrates with tight end Kevin Bauman (84) after scoring a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. — Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While last year’s team was led by a host of upper classmen, there is still plenty of talent in the Notre Dame football program. Head coach Marcus Freeman, Denbrock and the rest of the staff have once again made plenty of waves on the recruiting trail. While Bauman and Young are losses that the Fighting Irish can withstand, their absence will still sting.

Both players were counted on by Freeman and the rest of the staff to contribute even more in 2025. For a team trying to get back to the top of the mountain, losing any potential contributors is something they will need to address. Will players elsewhere on the depth chart have a chance to stand out while Bauman and Young recover? If the Notre Dame football team hopes to make this season even better than 2024, their replacements will need to stand out on the field.

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