Notre Dame will be without CB DJ McKinney for an extended stretch

Notre Dame cornerback DJ McKinney will miss "an extended period of football" with the right ankle injury he suffered Oct. 17 at BYU, coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday.

Freeman did not rule McKinney out for the year. "We expect to get him back at some point this year, but he'll be out for quite a while," he said.

That is a real hit for the No. 5 Irish. McKinney, a transfer from Colorado, had started all seven games and was one of the defense's playmakers. He made nine tackles, broke up two passes and returned an interception for a touchdown in the opener against Wisconsin in Green Bay. He went down midway through the fourth quarter of the 28-24 loss at BYU and had to be helped to the locker room.

Jayden Sanders gets the job. The Michigan transfer has been the backup at nickel corner, and he already has a résumé this season. He intercepted a pass at BYU after replacing McKinney, and he started earlier when All-America cornerback Leonard Moore was out with a concussion.

"He's been terrific for us, and been able to play multiple positions for us," Freeman said. "His role has increased with the injury of DJ."

The schedule is the problem. Notre Dame plays Navy in Foxborough, Mass., this week, and Jack Soble wrote on X that Freeman's timeline means McKinney will also miss the Nov. 7 game against Miami. The Irish will have to get through both games with a secondary that just lost a starter and has to replace Sanders in the nickel role he had been playing.

Moore's health matters more now, too. If the Irish lose another corner, the depth chart gets thin in a hurry.

What to watch: Who plays nickel against Navy with Sanders moving into McKinney's spot, and whether Freeman offers a firmer return window once the ankle is reevaluated. Freeman's best case, as he put it Thursday, is getting McKinney back at some point this season.