The University of Notre Dame (UND) has suspended its fifth football player this season for undisclosed academic violations.
According to ESPN, Eilar Hardy, a senior safety, will be held out of all team activities pending the results of UND's internal investigation. Hardy joins receiver DaVaris Daniels, cornerback KeiVarae Russell, defensive end Ishaq Williams and linebacker Kendall Moore, who were presumably suspended for the same reason.
The first four were suspended Aug. 15, the day the UND announced its investigation. Hardy is now the fourth defender who will miss the Fighting Irish's opener Saturday against the Rice Owls. Head coach Brian Kelly told ESPN the school's probe is over and that the five players will know their fate soon.
"As Notre Dame's internal investigation relating to potential NCAA violations reaches its conclusion, a decision has been made to hold a fifth football player out from practice and competition," John Heisler, UND's associate athletic director, said in a statement. "As with all cases of suspected academic dishonesty, the matter will now be subject to the University's honor code process."
Everett Golson was suspended from the school before the start of last season, causing him to miss the entire football season. Rather than transferring elsewhere, Golson reenrolled at UND and reclaimed his starting QB position for the upcoming season.
"For our football team, we feel like this brings a big part of closure for us so now we can really just focus the next 48 hours on preparation for Rice," Kelly told the Chicago Tribune.
One of four Football Subdivision independent teams in NCAA Division I football, Notre Dame is coming into the season ranked 17th overall in the Associated Press' preseason poll. Golson helped lead the 2012-2013 team to the BCS National Championship game and the offense noticeably missed him last season.
