Notre Dame will have to face Georgia in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl shorthanded. The team confirmed on Monday that defensive tackle Rylie Mills will not play for the remainder of the season, per Pete Sampson of The Athletic.

Mills is currently dealing with an unspecified knee injury. Head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that he suffered the injury during the team's opening-round win over Indiana.

While defensive tackle can be a replaceable position on some teams, the role is integral to Freeman's 3-4 defense. As a fifth-year senior, Mills led Notre Dame's defense with 7.5 sacks in 2024. The defensive captain started all 13 games until his injury and led the defensive line with 37 tackles.

Without Mills, Notre Dame will likely start redshirt sophomore Donovan Hinish in the CFP Sugar Bowl. Despite playing behind Mills and Howard Cross on the depth chart, Hinish recorded 3.5 sacks in 2024, the third-most on the team.

With his season now over, Mills' collegiate career also comes to a close. He is projected to be a mid to late-round prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Injuries hurt both Notre Dame and Georgia in College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl

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While Notre Dame prepares to play without Rylie Moss in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia will also enter the game down a man. The Bulldogs will play without quarterback Carson Beck, forcing sophomore Gunner Stockton to make his first career start.

Beck injured his elbow in the SEC Championship Game against Texas on the final play of the first half. He did not return to the game, causing Stockton to close out the team's conference title. While the performance was impressive, Stockton will now have to face Notre Dame's top-ranked defense in the Sugar Bowl.

However, Georgia received an additional week to prepare for the matchup. As the No. 2 seed in the CFP bracket, the Bulldogs did not play in the first round, allotting extra time for Kirby Smart to work with his young quarterback.