Notre Dame DL Alexander Ehrensberger announces retirement, return to Germany

Notre Dame senior defensive lineman Alexander Ehrensberger has retired from football to return to his home country of Germany, he announced Thursday afternoon. After three seasons and appearances in 23 games, Ehrensberger will now head to medical school. Per Irish Sports Daily ’s Matt Freeman , Ehrensberger earned two degrees during his seven semesters, plus three summers, in South Bend.

“Along with getting my degree, I have made friendships and memories that will last FOREVER,” Ehrensberger wrote on Instagram . “With a heavy heart, I have made the decision to go back to Germany to start the next chapter of my life.”

Ehrensberger was penciled to be no higher than third string at any position along the Irish defensive line in 2023, always considered a development project but one that never quite caught an on-field groove.

With Ehrensberger’s departure, Notre Dame now has only 81 scholarship players expected in the 2023 season. For years, this had been a common Irish problem, failing to stay within range of the NCAA maximum of 85 scholarship players. Regular roster attrition of transfers, academic eligibility issues and medical retirements would keep Notre Dame from having the depth allowed, depth the Irish often found themselves wanting by season’s end.

Former head coach Brian Kelly began signing noticeably more than 85 players in four-year cycles in the mid-2010s, pulling in 94 players in the recruiting classes between 2013 and 2016, a six-player jump from the overlapping stretch between 2012 and 2015. That would not fall below 91 until the four years leading into 2020, when it dropped to 87 players and somewhat stood out in the chaotic season to follow. But again, that cyclical number rose to 93, 89 and