Notre Dame’s linebacker room is packed, but Madden Faraimo is already forcing his way into the conversation.
The sophomore enters 2026 coming off a freshman season that gave the Irish a real look at what he can become. Faraimo arrived on campus as a raw but gifted athlete, and once the season got rolling, he started earning meaningful snaps on defense while also becoming a steady presence on special teams. Now, after returning to full health, he looks like one of the players most likely to make a noticeable jump in Chris Ash’s defense.
Faraimo’s 2025 numbers tell the story of a young linebacker who made the most of his chances: 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one breakup and five pressures in 144 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. He also had seven run stops as a true freshman. For a player who was still adjusting to the college game, that’s a strong first step.
His path to those snaps was not immediate. When he got to campus in the spring of 2025, the athleticism was obvious, but he needed time before he was ready to contribute on defense.
That changed early in the regular season. After not playing defensively against Miami or Texas A&M, he got on the field against Purdue and broke up a pass that helped lead to a Christian Gray interception.
Even before his defensive role expanded, Faraimo was active every week on special teams. He played in every game in kickoff return, kickoff coverage and punt return, and appeared in eight games on defense overall. For Notre Dame, that kind of versatility matters, especially in a linebacker room as deep as this one.
This offseason brought a different kind of challenge. Faraimo was not full-go during spring team periods while recovering from surgery to repair an old wrist injury that bothered him last season. He still dressed for individual work and seven-on-seven, and now the expectation is that he enters fall camp healthy and ready for a bigger workload.
That workload could be substantial. At 6-2 and 235 pounds, Faraimo is one of the most physically gifted players in a room that also includes Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. He should remain a key piece on Marty Biagi’s special teams units, but the bigger question is how large his defensive role becomes.
There’s a real chance Faraimo ends up in the mix at Mike linebacker after Bowen’s departure, and he could see more time at the middle spot this season. New linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary was impressed with him during spring work, and that kind of early impression usually travels well into fall camp and beyond.
With Viliamu-Asa working back from injury, there’s room for Faraimo to carve out even more snaps in the rotation. The Irish are also heading into year two of the Ash system, which should help the whole defense settle in even further.
For Faraimo, that means opportunity. A lot of it.
A good season for him would start with a major jump in usage. He played 144 defensive snaps in 2025, and a realistic target in a 15- to 16-game season would put him near 300. Given what he already showed against the run last fall, plus the added year of experience, Faraimo looks set up for a breakout year in Notre Dame’s linebacker corps.
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