Notre Dame vs Penn State Injury Report – Latest Updates on Jeremiyah Love, Abdul Carter

• In the Notre Dame vs Penn State injury report, the status of Nittany Lions star DE Abdul Carter (shoulder) looms large
• Irish RB Jeremiyah Love (knee) is expected to play after tweaking injury last game
• See below for the full injury reports and betting impact for this Orange Bowl matchup

The #6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-1) and #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1) square off in the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal on Thursday, January 9 at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm ET on ESPN.

Both squads are relatively healthy entering this clash, but the Nittany Lions do have one big question mark – the status of superstar defensive end Abdul Carter. Meanwhile, Irish fans are concerned about the status of dynamic running back Jeremiyah Love.

Here are the latest injury updates for the Orange Bowl, along with full Notre Dame and Penn State injury reports further below.

Latest Updates on Abdul Carter, Jeremiyah Love

Abdul Carter, the projected top 2025 NFL Draft pick, suffered a shoulder injury in the CFP quarterfinal win over Boise State. Carter’s availability could be a game-time decision, according to his NIL representative, prominent NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus.

“Abdul Carter is an NIL client of ours, and if he can play tonight, he will do it,” Rosenhaus said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’s one of the toughest human beings that I’ve ever been affiliated with. If he can go, he will go, but he has a legitimate shoulder injury.”

"Abdul Carter is an NIL client of ours and if he can play tonight he will do it..

He's one of the toughest human beings that I've ever been affiliated with..

If he can go he will go but he has a legitimate shoulder injury" ~ @DrewJRosenhaus #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Adko4giVvK

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 9, 2025

As for the Irish, they expect to have leading rusher Jeremiyah Love ready to roll. Love tweaked a knee injury in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia. But head coach Marcus Freeman said the star back has practiced well this week.

“Jeremiyah has had a good week of practice,” Freeman said. “J-Love will be good to go.”

The Irish are currently 1.5-point favorites on ESPN Bet in this one, with the total priced at 45.5 in the college football odds.

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injury Report

Love leads Notre Dame with 1,076 rushing yards and has found the end zone 16 times on the ground this season. His availability is crucial for an Irish offense that ranks 11th in rushing but just 101st in passing.

The Irish will be without a few key contributors on Thursday, though. Tight end Cooper Flanagan (foot) is out after getting hurt against Georgia. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills (knee) and cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hip) have already been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Adding to the Irish’s concerns, On3’s Tyler Horka reported Thursday morning that a flu outbreak has hit the Notre Dame locker room. While the illness is primarily affecting backup and special teams players, it’s another variable for Marcus Freeman’s squad to manage.

NEW: The Notre Dame locker room is battling a flu outbreak ahead of the Orange Bowl vs. Penn State tonight, @tbhorka reports😷

"Those who have it have it bad, but it sounds like that’s mostly backups and special teams players."https://t.co/m8hlB4BdLz pic.twitter.com/sn4yumxLZd

— On3 (@On3sports) January 9, 2025

“Those who have it have it bad, but it sounds like that’s mostly backups and special teams players,” Horka reported. “Still something to monitor for the Fighting Irish going into the Orange Bowl vs. Penn State tonight.”

Penn State Nittany Lions Injury Report

All eyes will be on Carter and that left shoulder during warmups. The Butkus–Fitzgerald Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker has been a one-man wrecking crew, racking up 11 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. If Carter is limited or can’t go, it’s a huge break for the Irish offense.

Safety Kevin Winston (undisclosed) is questionable, while DL Alonzo Ford (lower body) and DE Zuriah Fisher (undisclosed) have been ruled out. But overall, the Nittany Lions defense is in good shape compared to the unit that shut down Boise State a few weeks ago.

How Could Injuries Affect Notre Dame vs Penn State Betting Lines?

Carter’s status is the biggest injury storyline heading into this playoff clash. If the Nittany Lions’ defensive superstar is ruled out or limited, it would likely lead to more points for the Irish and potentially a closing line move towards Notre Dame.

Love’s knee issue is also worth monitoring for Irish backers. Notre Dame relies heavily on the run game and Love has been their workhorse. Any limitations for him would put more pressure on an average Irish aerial attack.

The late-breaking news of a flu outbreak in the Notre Dame locker room adds another layer of uncertainty. While the illness is reportedly primarily affecting backup and special teams players, any spread to key contributors could impact the Irish’s depth and overall performance.

Still, with both star players seemingly trending towards suiting up, the current 1.5-point spread and 45.5 over/under total may not budge much before kickoff. Be sure to check reports during pregame warmups for any last-minute developments, though.

In terms of the best bet given these Orange Bowl injury updates, our expert is on the UNDER in his Notre Dame vs Penn State prediction.