What We Know About The Notre Dame Defense
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According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman return the most production of any team in college football. The defensive side of the ball carries the brunt of that weight. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash returns a host of talent with impact and experienced players coming back at every level of the defense. There's a lot of things we know about this talented defensive group and if they live up to expectations, they have the opportunity to be the best unit in the country.
1. We Know What The Floor Of The Chris Ash Defense Is
The start of the 2025 season was rough for the year-one defensive coordinator, there's no hiding that fact. But we also saw what this defense looked like the final seven to eight games of the regular season and they were lights out. The floor of this defense is exceptionally high and it gives us a lot of faith in what we'll be seeing moving forward. If the bare minimum performance we see from this defense is what we saw in 2025 down in Fayetteville, this unit is going to have a dominant fall.
2. We Know They Have Big Time Star Power On The Back End
There's a debate, with some, around who has the best secondary in college football. Many believe, myself included, that title belongs to Notre Dame and that's not just conjecture. The Irish return four key starters from last season including the nation's No. 1 overall defensive player in junior Leonard Moore. But he's not alone in the 'star power' conversation in the secondary. Junior safety Brauntae Johnson returns along with senior safety and captain Adon Shuler. Senior Christian Gray is also back and playing a new position. The star power and star power potential of this secondary is outstanding.
3. We Know The Linebackers Will Be Stout
Along with returning the best secondary in the country, Notre Dame also brings back the No. 1 linebacking corps in the nation. No other school in the FBS returns all five players from last season's team. They'll be led by senior captain Drayk Bowen, junior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and senior Jaiden Ausberry. Sophomore Madden Faraimo and 5th-year senior Jaylen Sneed are also back in the mix and will be looking to make significant contributions to this deep, talented and experienced unit.
4. We Know The Depth On The Defensive Line Is Outstanding
Prior to camp when looking at this unit on paper, we believed this defensive line would be able to come at you in waves. That has been confirmed after seeing this massive and deep group on the practice field. Across the board, they have the opportunity to dip into their two deep at defensive end and defensive tackle and not skip a beat from a talent and size perspective. There's still things we need to see consistently from this unit in the big moments, but the amount of depth they bring to the table is undeniable.
5. We Know The Leadership On Defense Is As Good As It's Been In Years
Notre Dame has at least one player at every level of the defense that has either started or played in a College Football Playoff game. That experience will pay major dividends in the big moments of the season. The level of experience they bring to the table also elevates the overall player-led leadership we will see throughout the season and backs up what we've seen in fall camp. There's leaders at every level of this defense and they've taken on that role with open arms.
Lofty expectations have been placed on the Fighting Irish, but with a defense with this high of a floor and an exceptionally high ceiling, it gives a lot of us faith that they'll be able to live up to those expectations. With a defensive coordinator heading into year two and a host of talented players at all three levels coming back, the potential for this unit is that of the No. 1 defense in the country.
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