Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio (97) celebrates after a win against the Army Black Knights at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 8-2 and looking to make their second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. While a lot still has to happen before then, they could be getting a key piece of the defense back for the postseason.

Head coach Marcus Freeman revealed on Monday that defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio is expected to be available for the postseason.

Rubio is battling an elbow injury and has not played since their Week 7 game against NC State, when he played a season-low 20 snaps. He played in their first six games, making five starts and recording 13 tackles, six pressures, 1.0 sacks, and one pass breakup.

The senior has been effective when on the field, but has battled injuries throughout his career. He missed the first five games of the season last year and multiple games during 2023. He has played in 39 games over five seasons, making eight starts.

Getting Rubio back for a potential playoff run, or even a bowl game, could provide a nice boost to Notre Dame's defense, especially against the run. They already have one of the best running defenses in the country, holding opponents to 3.1 yards per carry, the 15th-best mark in the country.

Notre Dame has two more games remaining in the regular season before it finds out their postseason fate. They will host the Syracuse Orange on Saturday in their final home game of the season before playing the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, Nov. 29, to end the regular season.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Notre Dame expecting to get DT Gabriel Rubio back for postseason

Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire

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