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Liberty football head coach Hugh Freeze suffered a potentially life-threatening staph infection and underwent emergency surgery at the University of Virginia Medical Center on Friday, according to ESPN's Chris Low. 

Per Low, the infection "entered his bloodstream and complicated what was already severe pain he was experiencing from a herniated disk in his back."

"The doctors told me if it had been another 24 hours, that strand of bacteria could have gotten to my heart and that I would have been fighting for my life," Freeze told Low. "It's the way God works because there's no doubt that bacteria would have killed me if President Falwell wasn't so quick to make sure we got the right people involved."

Liberty originally said Tuesday (via Chris Vannini of The Athletic) that Freeze had "severe back spasms" that had forced him off the practice field since Sunday, Aug. 11. The school stated that "Freeze is currently undergoing medical treatment to relieve the spasms and will return to practice when they subside."

Freeze gave some background information on what led to him sitting out practice, per Low:

"I pushed through the day and watched film with the staff and players and walked through that night, and it was getting tighter and tighter. By the time I got home, I could barely get up the stairs. And by mid-morning the next day, I couldn't walk or do anything, and we had to call the ambulance to come get me."

Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. called U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and neurosurgeon Ben Carson to seek his opinion.

Carson then discussed the matter with Liberty professor Anthony Nobles, who the Liberty website lists as having "invented and developed more than 155 medical devices, as well as leading electronic technologies, including the portable electronic book and endoscopic imaging systems."

Eventually, Freeze was moved from a Lynchburg, Virginia hospital to the University of Virginia Medical Center. Dr. Falwell flew in Dr. Dilan Ellegala on the Liberty plane from Scottsdale, Arizona to perform the surgery.

Freeze will coach from a golf cart when he returns to practice and may lead the team from a booth when the Flames open their season against Syracuse on Aug. 31.

Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet broke his collarbone during the team's practice Thursday and is facing three to six weeks on the sidelines, according to Tom Loy of Irish Illustrated.

Kmet is expected to be an important part of Notre Dame's offense this season and got a shoutout from head coach Brian Kelly on Friday when asked about the players who could have the biggest impact on the offense during the 2019 season, per Loy:

"I hope there are 10 guys that can impact our football team. There are certainly a number of players, but I think you always look toward your veterans. Chase Claypool is going to be a guy that I think will make a huge impact on our football team. Cole Kmet, Brock Wright, I think there are a number of guys who are poised to have an impactful season. Like you guys, I'm excited to watch those guys get after it."

The junior tight end had a limited impact in 2018, catching 15 passes for 162 yards in 11 games. But offensive coordinator Chip Long said in the spring that getting the team's tight ends more involved this season was a major priority, per Loy:

"We have to work on (Kmet’s) fundamentals, but with his speed and size, he should absolutely dominate in the middle of the field...None of (the tight ends) broke any tackles last year, so I kind of got away from (throwing to them). That's been our No. 1 emphasis (this spring). The amount of yards we left out there is absolutely embarrassing.

"Being able to get yards after contact is a major emphasis as an offense. We have to be explosive. We had two plays over 50 yards last year and we went to the college football playoffs. That's very rare. I don't think last year we really scared anybody... and that caught up to us."

Namely, it caught up to them in the College Football Playoff, when they were blown out by Clemson 30-3 and managed just 248 yards of total offense and 160 yards through the air. It was a tough end to an otherwise excellent season for the 12-1 Fighting Irish, and expectations are high for 2019.

Expectations were high for Kmet too, though this injury will slow down that hype, at least temporarily. It's a disappointment for the junior, who has battled through injuries his first two seasons.

If he indeed misses any regular-season games, look for Brock Wright—who mostly served as a blocking H-back last season—to handle the tight end duties. Tommy Tremble and George Takacs could also see playing time, though Wright will be the clear favorite for the starting position while Kmet is sidelined.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish recruiting class for 2020 received a major boost Thursday with a commitment from coveted running back Chris Tyree. 

CBS Sports HQ shared his decision between Notre Dame, Alabama and Oklahoma:

The No. 1 all-purpose RB in the country @chris_tyree4 officially commits to Notre Dame.

Tyree also held offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, among a handful of others.#GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/xYDhgyfnwC

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 23, 2019

Tyree is a 4-star prospect and the No. 29 overall player in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also rated as the top all-purpose back in the group and the best recruit from the state of Virginia.

While the 5'9'', 178-pound rusher lacks prototypical size, he makes up for it with terrific acceleration and blazing speed. Those traits were on full display at The Opening Finals in July 2018:

They give the fastest man to 2020 RB Chris Tyree pic.twitter.com/qpdmNfIaDD

— Luke Stampini (@LukeStampini) July 2, 2018

The Thomas Dale High School standout hasn't shied away from attending national events in order to put his skill set on display against other top prospects. He explained his mindset in those situations to Brian Dohn of 247Sports after accepting an invitation to the 2020 Polynesian Bowl.

"I think it is important for me to showcase my talents, just to see where I am as an individual and compare it (to talent) around the country," Tryee said. "Once again, it is the opportunity to travel again and see new places."

It also helped him show few players in the 2020 class can match his game-breaking potential.

Tyree's first impact for the Irish figures to come on special teams. He owns experience as both a kick and punt returner, giving him the potential to make an instant impact while trying to carve out a niche for himself offensively.

Whether he'll ever become a three-down weapon in the backfield is still a mystery at this stage. His frame could make that difficult. But at minimum, he'll eventually become a valuable third-down asset for head coach Brian Kelly and Notre Dame in the coming years.

President Donald Trump wants athletes at service academies to have the opportunity to play professional sports before their active-duty service requirements start. 

According to Tom Schad of USA Today, Trump said as much Monday while the Army football team was visiting the White House to celebrate its 2018 Commander-in-Chief Trophy win. He called it "a great idea" and suggested it would help Army coach Jeff Monken on the recruiting trail.

However, Schad noted the Pentagon announced it will maintain its policy that requires graduating athletes from military service academies to serve at least two years of active-duty military service.

That Trump came out in favor of allowing service-academy athletes the chance to go pro and delay their active duty is ironic because the current policy was implemented during his presidency.

The Department of Defense instituted a rule under President Barack Obama in 2016 that allowed service-academy athletes to do exactly what Trump advocated for on Monday. However, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reversed that policy a mere four months after Trump's inauguration.

Army may not need much help on the recruiting trail after a 2018 campaign that saw it finish 11-2 with a convincing victory over Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.

It won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy with victories over Air Force and Navy and has won a bowl game three straight years for the first time in program history.

The 90th annual Blue-Gold game on Saturday offered Ian Book and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish a chance to put a disappointing Cotton Bowl showing behind them and move on to the 2019 season.

Notre Dame ran the table in the regular season last year en route to capturing its first College Football Playoff berth. However, a 30-3 thrashing in the semifinals at the hands of eventual champion Clemson put an end to a promising season for Brian Kelly and Co.

There are still nearly five months until the regular season kicks off, but the spring game gave Fighting Irish players a chance to show the coaching staff and fans what they could do.

Book put together a solid season in his first year as starter, completing 68.2 percent of his passes for 2,628 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a junior in 2018. On Saturday, he looked as sharp as the signal-caller who led the Fighting Irish to a 12-0 regular season last year.

The senior led the Blue squad right down the field on the opening drive, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Michael Young:

🔴SIDELINE CAM

Take another look at the first TD of the game from the end zone.

📺 NBCSN#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/taoo9QGOCy

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 13, 2019

Ian Book completes all five pass attempts on the opening drive of the #BlueGoldGame , hitting Michael Young for a 12-yard TD.

— Pete Byrne WSBT (@PeteByrneSports) April 13, 2019

The second drive was just as efficient, though Book put his mobility on display this time around:

BOOK IT.

This first quarter TD from Ian Book helped put the Blue Team ahead. They lead 21-13, LIVE on NBCSN.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/FYmLFtknoX

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 13, 2019

He wasn't done, though. The 6'0", 208-pound quarterback put his arm on display with a deep ball to receiver Chase Claypool in the first half.

Counting our blessings that we didn’t have to wait until September to see that again.

Book connects on a sweet pass to Claypool for a huge gain in the Blue-Gold Game.

📺 NBCSN#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/bDC7QLqOps

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 13, 2019

He finished the day having gone 16 of 21 on his pass attempts for 220 yards and two total touchdowns.

Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Chip Long let it be known he had lofty expectations for his senior signal-caller.

"I expected a lot from Ian this spring," Long said, per the Associated Press' John Fineran. "I told him, 'Hey, challenge it. Challenge the offense. Test your arm.' Ian has been challenging himself with all of his throws. There hasn't been a fear to turn it loose. You’ve got to push yourself to do that if you want to be considered an elite quarterback."

So far, so good.

Long previously downplayed any notion of a quarterback competition by saying, "One's on advanced calculus, the other one is still getting past algebra right now," in reference to Book and Phil Jurkovec. And Saturday did nothing to change that.

Jurkovec showed some flashes at times during the day, completing 14 of 20 passes for 122 yards in the first half while splitting time with the first and second units. However, he was also subject to 11 "sacks" on the day, according to Mike Berardino of the Indianapolis Star.

Jonathan Jones sacks Jurkovec.

11 of 14 sacks today have come at the redshirt freshman's expense.

In fairness, he's getting a lot more snaps than Book.

— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) April 13, 2019

Also of note, Claypool hauled in four catches for 92 yards in the first half, while running back Jahmir Smith found the end zone twice. Running back Jafar Armstrong also had himself an impressive performance, piling up 156 total yards and a score.

While the defense was not allowed to actually sack the quarterbacks, it was a promising showing for the Notre Dame pass rush:

Make waaaay, make waaaay, Moala. 🌀#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/CgfNupAdIq

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 13, 2019

TFW you’re making some 💪 defensive plays.

The Blue Team leads the White Team, 28-18, LIVE on NBCSN.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/Zng6ItdpZK

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 13, 2019

In the end, the Gold prevailed, 58-45.

With the spring game in the books, Notre Dame fans will start the countdown to Sept. 2, when the Fighting Irish will hit the road for a showdown with the Louisville Cardinals.

Per Vegas Insider, the Fighting Irish own 33-1 national title odds, which is tied for the eighth-best preseason line in the nation.

Notre Dame took another step forward during the 2018 season by qualifying for the College Football Playoff with an undefeated regular season, but it all ended on a sour note after falling to Clemson 30-3 in the Cotton Bowl. 

Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish will try to build on last year's campaign, and the three 10-win seasons in the last four years, starting with Saturday's spring game at Notre Dame Stadium. 

Quarterback Ian Book is one of the top returners for the Fighting Irish, and unlike last season, he will have the reigns of the offense at the start of the regular season.

While the offense appears to be in good shape, the team has plenty of work to do defensively after losing a handful of key pieces to the NFL. 

                        

2019 Notre Dame Spring Game Information

Date: Saturday, April 13

Start Time: 12:30 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBC Live app 

                  

While the high standard for Notre Dame football remains in place, the Fighting Irish aren't seen as a favorite for the national championship at +3,300 (bet $100 to win $3,300), per Oddschecker.

Book's play will be one of the main reasons why Notre Dame could be in the mix for a College Football Playoff position again. 

By all accounts, the 21-year-old is improving on the play that earned him the starting position over Brandon Wimbush during the 2018 season. 

Book has one of his top targets back in wide receiver Chase Claypool, and a few other offensive weapons are expected to shine Saturday. 

Jafar Armstrong, Chris Finke and Tommy Tremble are among the other stars the quarterback will rely on to keep Notre Dame's offensive production high. 

With confidence in himself and his offensive teammates, Book is aiming for a return to the College Football Playoff, per ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg.

"Last year, we set the standard for what it's got to be, but obviously not enough," Book said. "You can tell the guys are motivated ... just getting back there and feeling like we truly belonged in the playoffs, no matter what people say."

While the offense appears to be in good shape, the Notre Dame defense is a work in progress after losing Jerry Tillery, Drue Tranquill and Te'von Coney among others. 

The biggest hole comes at linebacker, where progress is slowly being made in spring practice. 

Since more improvements still have to be made at the position, it will likely look like the team's weakest position Saturday. 

Defensive coordinator Clark Lea knows there is potential at linebacker, but that unit is far from a finished product, per Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune.

"Am I pleased with our level of execution right now? No," Lea said. "We have a long way to go, but the potential's there. We've got to keep working at it." 

Notre Dame wide receiver Javon McKinley, 20, is reportedly facing two charges of misdemeanor battery and one count of misdemeanor underage drinking.

TMZ Sports reported the news, noting the charges stem from a Sunday morning arrest. According to the report, Notre Dame University Police officers tried to help McKinley to his dorm after he passed out in the back of a car, but he allegedly punched the two officers—one male and one female—during the walk.

He was taken into custody after attempting to flee and is due to be arraigned in court Tuesday.

WNDU in South Bend, Indiana, shared his mugshot:

Notre Dame football player Javon McKinley was arrested early Sunday morning for battery and resisting law enforcement. https://t.co/PxrHv17y1W

— WNDU (@16NewsNow) February 11, 2019

"The incident is being handled by the criminal justice system," Notre Dame spokesperson Dennis Brown said, per Mike Berardino of the Indianapolis Star. "As for internal discipline, we do not publicly discuss specific cases and impose sanctions as warranted."

McKinley arrived at Notre Dame as a highly regarded recruit and 4-star prospect in the 2016 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. However, he has not lived up to expectations on the field.

He played six games as a freshman before suffering a broken fibula, missed the 2017 season and played just four games with zero catches in 2018.