NOTRE DAME, Ind. --- The Notre Dame football team's spring practice is picking up but there might be one less player on the field in the fall.

Notre Dame Linebacker Jarrett Grace had surgery to insert a rod into his right leg.  He broke his leg in four places last season.

On Saturday, Head Coach Brian Kelly said that Grace underwent the surgery Friday.  The surgery was to try and stabilize the leg and help the healing process.

"The indication is that he had great growth there.  The rod is for stabilization.  We'll know in six weeks if he heals the way he did prior. There's great optimism that in six weeks we'll see on the x-rays and the scans that he'll be ready for the fall," Head Coach Brian Kelly said.

Grace was the starting Middle Linebacker for the Irish.