Notre Dame wide receiver Quincy Porter underwent a “minor procedure” on Friday, August 21, a move Irish coach Marcus Freeman hopes will speed up his agonizingly slow return from offseason surgery on his left patellar tendon. This is 7½ months since that initial early January surgery, and the team is still in a holding pattern.
Quincy Porter’s Comeback Continues to Fizzle
It’s been a brutal road for Porter, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound transfer from Ohio State. He clocked only four receptions and 81 snaps as a Buckeyes freshman last season, with 24 of those coming on special teams. The Irish were hoping for a quick turnaround after that January patellar tendon repair, but it’s proving way more complicated. We saw a glimmer of hope on Thursday when Porter was spotted on the sidelines with his helmet in hand, without the compression sleeve he’d been rocking on his left leg. He even moved “well enough” in drills back on August 6 when fall camp kicked off.
But then, the hard truth dropped: he was working on the side again on August 12 and 16 during those partially open media sessions. And now, this “minor procedure” on Friday? Coach Freeman is still telling us, “He’s still a couple weeks out. He’s getting better. … He’s still got a little bit of time to be in a position where we feel like he can help this team, but it will happen. It’s going to happen here soon. I just don’t know when it’s going to be.” Talk about uncertainty, right? They did this procedure “just to try to get him a little bit quicker to hopefully being able to help us,” Freeman said. That phrase “hopefully being able to help us” tells you everything.
Micah Gilbert Seizes the Moment
With Porter’s timeline still so fuzzy, it’s not all doom and gloom for the #5 ranked Irish, thanks to third-year wideout Micah Gilbert. He’s completely locked down the starting role at boundary receiver, and man, has he earned it. Coach Freeman couldn’t be more clear, saying, “Micah’s done a heck of a job. He’s stepped up tremendously. Micah is who we thought Micah was going to be, who we expected Micah to be. He’s been having a really good camp, and has made some big catches.” That’s the kind of performance a team needs when a critical player is stuck in rehab limbo. Gilbert is stepping up big, and it’s making a huge difference as the Irish get ready to roll.
The season opener against unranked Wisconsin in Green Bay is set for September 6. With Micah Gilbert looking sharp, the Irish offense might just be fine, but you know everyone in South Bend will be watching for any sign of Quincy Porter. His return is critical for that #5 ranking to really mean something deep into the schedule.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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