Notre Dame RB Tarean Folston lost for season with torn ACL

Notre Dame running back Tarean Folston will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the first half of a win against Texas.

Coach Brian Kelly made the announcement in a media conference call Sunday, initially reporting it was a torn MCL.

Folston, a junior, was the Fighting Irish’s leading returning rusher and a key piece in the team’s projected push for the College Football Playoff. He is expected to have surgery within the next two weeks, Kelly said.

The injury came at the end of a 15-yard gain in the first quarter, and didn’t seem immediately serious.

Folston walked back toward the huddle under his own power before checking himself out of the game, though he later left for the locker room before returning on crutches during the second half.

With Folston sidelined, Notre Dame turned its running game over to C.J. Prosise, a former wide receiver moved to the backfield during the regular season, and true freshman Josh Adams. Prosise finished with 98 yards on 20 carries, and Adams added 49 yards and two touchdowns in his college debut.

While Prosise and Adams were impressive against Texas, the Fighting Irish were relying heavily on Folston’s reliability as a way to lessen the load placed on first-year starting quarterback Malik Zaire, a sophomore.

Zaire completed 19 of 22 attempts for 313 yards and three touchdowns against the Longhorns. Notre Dame also lost backup running back Greg Bryant to a transfer during the offseason.

And Folston’s absence may mean a larger role for Zaire within Notre Dame’s running game. While sacks by the Texas defense limited his rushing output to just 16 yards, Zaire’s running ability added a different dimension to the Irish offense.

Safety Avery Sebastian, a transfer from California, broke a bone in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Kelly said.

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