Notre Dame’s defense is heading into 2026 with a full tank of proven talent, experience, and edge-rushing firepower - and that’s not an exaggeration. While there are still a few questions to answer along the interior defensive line, the Irish are returning playmakers at every level of the defense.
Defensive coordinator Chris Ash won’t be short on options. Now it’s about turning all that talent into consistent, high-level execution.
Let’s start up front, where the defensive end group might be one of the most dangerous in the country next season. Boubacar Traore came back strong from injury and was a force off the edge in 2025.
He started 11 of 12 regular season games - only sitting out against Navy due to scheme fit - and still managed to lead the team in just about every pass-rushing category. He finished with 31 total pressures, 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 15 combined sacks and hits on the quarterback.
At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Traore is built to wreck pockets, and if he stays healthy, he’s got a legitimate shot at All-American honors in 2026.
But he’s not doing it alone.
Josh Burnham and Bryce Young are both expected back, and together, they round out what could be a nightmare rotation for opposing offensive tackles. Burnham battled through a lingering injury midseason but found his groove down the stretch, especially in a breakout performance against Boston College.
He finished with 19 pressures and five quarterback hits or sacks - all in just 114 pass-rushing snaps. He also notched 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, tying for third on the team in that category.
When healthy, Burnham brings a relentless motor and a knack for disrupting plays in the backfield.
Then there’s Bryce Young, the 6-foot-7, 271-pound sophomore who’s just scratching the surface of his potential. He ended the season with 28 pressures - just three shy of Traore - despite playing 92 fewer pass-rush snaps.
He added 10 combined sacks and hits, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 20 total tackles. The breakout fans were hoping for in 2025 may have been a year early.
If Young takes the next step, this unit could be the best edge group in the country.
Behind them, the linebacker room is stacked - and that’s even with Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa’s injury status still up in the air. Drayk Bowen, the heart of the defense and a team captain, is expected to return for his senior season.
He and Jaiden Ausberry, who’s heading into his redshirt junior year, were tackling machines last season, finishing first and third on the team in total tackles. Jaylen Sneed, a soon-to-be redshirt senior, also has the option to return, giving the Irish a trio of experienced, athletic linebackers who can cover ground and bring pressure.
Together, Bowen, Ausberry, Sneed, and Viliamu-Asa combined for 201 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 63 total pressures, and two forced fumbles. And that’s not even counting what Madden Faraimo brought to the table. This is a group that can fly sideline to sideline and create chaos in the backfield.
If the front seven is loaded, the secondary might be even more stacked.
Cornerback Leonard Moore is back to lock down the boundary. He led the team with five interceptions and was a finalist for both the Thorpe Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award - a rare combo that speaks to his ball skills and physicality.
On the other side, Christian Gray is expected to return as well. While his season didn’t quite hit the heights some predicted, he still led the team in pass breakups with nine, picked off two passes, and allowed a lower reception rate than Moore.
That’s a quietly strong season and a solid foundation heading into 2026.
At safety, Notre Dame will return one of the top tandems in the country. Captain Adon Shuler and rising redshirt sophomore Tae Johnson both made major impacts in 2025.
Shuler was second on the team in total tackles with 53, despite missing nearly three quarters of action due to a targeting ejection. He also added five passes defended, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles - all while anchoring the back end of the defense.
Johnson, meanwhile, seized his opportunity in the starting lineup and never gave it back. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound safety finished fourth on the team in tackles (48) and second in interceptions (four), despite not playing much in the opener and missing the final two regular season games. His instincts, range, and ball skills give the Irish another playmaker in the secondary.
Put it all together, and this defense has the makings of something special. There’s talent, there’s depth, and there’s experience - all returning in key spots. The challenge now falls on Ash and his staff to put the pieces in the right places and let this group do what it’s built to do: dominate.
If they can stay healthy and continue to grow, Notre Dame’s defense won’t just be good in 2026 - it could be elite.