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Earlier this week, we compiled and ranked our Top 10 defensive players at Notre Dame from 2000 to 2025. Our criteria was relatively simple; we didn't rank any players from the current team and based our rankings based on talent, production, impact on the team and program and post season honors and accolades. Bryan and I came up with separate lists so the one you're about to dive into is my own ranking. 

There are two players who you won't find on my list, Shane Walton and Courtney Watson from the early 2000. Based on stats and accolades alone, they should be on this list, I just don't have any memory of them playing because I was very young and wouldn't be able to speak to their impact on the teams because I didn't watch it. With that being said, here are my Top 10 defensive players from Notre Dame of the last 25 years. 

1. Manti Te'o – Linebacker

Te'o had the biggest impact of any player on this list and when you talk about impact on the program, he's in the same conversation as quarterback Brady Quinn. The Hawaii native ended his Notre Dame career as the most decorated defensive player in program history and arguably the most decorated linebacker in college football history. Te'o won the Maxwell Award, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, LOTT Impact Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Award, was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year in 2012 and was named a Unanimous All-American in 2012. 

His magical season embodied Notre Dame's in 2012; Te'o was the heart and soul of Brian Kelly's team that year. He played the biggest role in them going on to be undefeated and play for the national championship against Alabama. The lore of that season for Te'o adds to the mystique of Notre Dame football and gets referenced along with the 'Chicken Noodle Soup' game that Joe Montana played in and the 'Win One For The Gipper' speech. Te'o was one of the most special players I've seen come through Notre Dame, offense or defense. 

2. Xavier Watts – Safety

Watts was the best safety I had seen come through South Bend in my lifetime. I would put his 2023 and 2024 seasons up against any safety in the country at that time. In 2023, Watts was named a Unanimous All-American and won the Bronko Nagurski Award. In 2024, he led Notre Dame's defense on the memorable playoff run in the first 12-team College Football Playoffs and went on to be a Consensus All-American. Whenever the Irish needed a play on defense to swing the momentum of the game, 'X' was there to make the stop and turn the tide. 

3. Jaylon Smith – Linebacker

When you talk about pure talent on the defensive side of the ball, Smith has to be atop of the list. Unfortunately, Smith's overall career was overshadowed by the abysmal performance of his defensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015. Having said that, it still didn't stop Smith from being named the Butkus Award winner in 2015 and a Consensus All-American in 2015. He's one of the most physically gifted players I've seen come through South Bend. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native made plays other notable players weren't physically capable of making. I just wish we could have seen him in any other defensive scheme. 

4. Justin Tuck – Defensive End

Tuck is the exception to my rule that I had for Walton and Watson. I don't really remember Tuck playing at Notre Dame, but I have some recollection of his 2004 season, but can't speak on it that well. The reason he's on this list, for me, is for the standard he set at Notre Dame and the last impact he made on the program. To this day, we still get questions stating 'Can so and so defensive end be the next Justin Tuck?'. When you have that level of an impact, you have to be on this list and Tuck is one of the best defensive ends to have come through this program. 

5. Harrison Smith – Safety

The debate between Smith at No. 5 and my No. 6 player is very, very close. Smith was one of the most productive safeties to come through South Bend in the last 25 years. He finished his career with 286 tackles, 18.5 TFL and seven interceptions. He was named a team captain for the 2011 season. Unfortunately, he never received All-America honors, but that doesn't have a say on his overall impact on the program. Smith was the catalyst in safety recruiting at Notre Dame with several highly touted recruits wanting to come to Notre Dame to follow in his impact. 

6. Julian Love – Cornerback

The argument to have Love higher on this list is a strong one, and one that I wouldn't push back too hard on. He was a Consensus All-American in 2018 and is Notre Dame's all-time leader in pass breakups (44). Love was also a Jim Thorpe Award finalist in 2018 as well. If you need any idea of the impact he had on Kelly's second undefeated team, look at what happened in the College Football Playoffs against Clemson in 2018 when he was off the field for a portion of the game. 

7. Isaiah Foskey – Defensive End

Tuck held the Notre Dame sack record for nearly 18 seasons until Foskey broke his record in 2022. Due to his strong season, Foskey was named a Consensus All-American in 2022 in Marcus Freeman's first year at the helm. He was one of the star players that helped kick off Freeman's career in South Bend. Foskey was a force in 2021 and 2022 and many defensive ends on future teams have looked to duplicate his production, success and impact on the field. There's a couple of players on the current roster who have the potential to have Foskey's impact, the standard he set in the Freeman Era goes undaunted. 

8. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – Linebacker

Despite his shorter stint with the Irish, 'JOK' ended his career as one of the most decorated linebackers of the last 25 years. He was named the Butkus Award winner in 2020, a Unanimous All-American in 2020 and was named the ACC defensive player of the year in 2020 (the only year Notre Dame was a member of the conference due to COVID). He ended his career with 142 tackles, 24.5 TFL, 7.0 sacks and 1 INT. If we were only looking at accolades and stats, Owusu-Koramoah would be higher on this list. But longevity plays a factor in this one, but he's still a Top 10 player of the last 25 years. 

9. Victor Abiamiri – Defensive End

Abiamiri is one of the more forgotten players of the 2005-2006 Charlie Weiss teams. A lot of the attention goes to the offense, and understandably so, but Abiamiri was my first taste of what a dominant edge player was in South Bend. Between 2005 and 2006, the future Philadelphia draftee racked up 30.5 TFL and 19.0 sacks. Abiamiri played a role in Notre Dame's overall revival in 2005 and deserves a spot on this list. The only thing preventing him higher is I think he lacked the overall ceiling and elite-level impact that other players like Tuck and Foskey had. But Abiamiri was still one heck of a player during his time with the Irish. 

10. Kyle Hamilton – Safety

If we were talking the most physically gifted players from 2000 to 2025, Hamilton would be significantly higher on this list. He also had a strong career with the Irish. He was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2021 as well as the Semi-Finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award the same season. He was a Consensus All-American in 2021 and a Freshman All-American in 2019.

He's definitely the most physically gifted safety to come through Notre Dame in the last 25 years. As brilliant as his 2020 season was, and it was spectacular, only playing six games in 2021 prevented him from being higher on this list. When he was on the field in his final year, he was excellent, but only playing 50% of the game in your final season brings him down slightly. Having said that, Hamilton is still a Top 10 player on this list. 

HONORABLE MENTION

Corey Mays – Linebacker
Drue Tranquill – Linebacker  
Stephon Tuitt – Defensive Lineman
Benjamin Morrison – Cornerback 
Tom Zbikowski – Safety

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