Notre Dame’s offense has spent the first four games doing enough to stay dangerous, but this weekend brings a different kind of test. North Carolina’s defense may not have the reputation some expect, yet the Tar Heels have been far more stubborn than that label suggests. If the Irish want to stay undefeated, they need cleaner work in a few key spots - and they need it now.
The headline numbers for Notre Dame are strong. The Irish rank 17th nationally in points per game at 42.3, 4th in tackles for loss allowed with 8, 4th in sacks allowed with 2 and 2nd in turnovers lost with 1.
That’s a unit that has done a terrific job avoiding disaster. But the next step is about more than just keeping the floor high.
Against North Carolina, Notre Dame has to show it can push through a defense built to make life difficult.
One of the biggest pressure points is the slot. That part of the offense has been uneven since 2024, and it hasn’t fully taken off this season either.
Last year, Wisconsin transfer Will Pauling led the team in touchdown receptions from the slot, but Jaden Greathouse’s hamstring injury limited the overall production. Through four games this year, Notre Dame’s slot receivers have combined for nine catches, 122 yards and no touchdowns.
Jordan Faison has shown up at the field position and Micah Gilbert has made noise in the boundary, but the slot itself still needs a spark.
That’s where Kaleb Cost comes in. North Carolina’s nickel corner has been targeted 11 times and given up seven catches for 62 yards.
The Tar Heels have been solid against the pass overall, ranking 27th nationally in yards per attempt and allowing only one passing touchdown all season. Still, Notre Dame will bring a fuller passing picture than North Carolina has seen so far.
Clemson may have the better one-two receiver punch, but Notre Dame can make a stronger case with its quarterback, offensive coordinator, offensive line and tight end room.
The battle inside also matters, maybe even more. Notre Dame’s offensive line has been inconsistent overall, and the right guard spot has been especially unsettled.
Styles Prescod and Sullivan Absher rotated in the opener, but Absher appears to have taken control since then. On the other side, junior Anthonie Knapp shifted from left tackle to left guard during the offseason and has settled in there.
The pass protection has been mostly steady, but the run game has gone back and forth from week to week.
North Carolina has the kind of interior defenders that can change all that. Xavier Lucas and Isaiah Johnson are the names to circle.
Lucas leads the Tar Heels with 14 total pressures and also tops the team with 9 total hits plus sacks on the quarterback. Even at 6-0, 260 pounds, he has been disruptive all over the defensive line.
Johnson, listed at 6-2 and 320 pounds, is the more classic run stuffer. Knapp and Absher are going to have their hands full.
And then there’s Mike Denbrock against Bill Belichick. Denbrock has already proven what he can do in South Bend, guiding Notre Dame to the national title game against Ohio State in 2024 and then helping the Irish set modern-day program records in points per game, yards per play and passer rating this past season. He’s working with a new running back room and a reshaped offensive line now, but he still has talent at receiver and tight end and a returning Heisman candidate at quarterback in CJ Carr.
Belichick, meanwhile, is trying to build the same kind of defensive identity that made him famous. North Carolina has only allowed one passing touchdown, ranks 4th in the country in red zone defense and has given up just three rushing touchdowns in 2026.
That makes the coaching matchup every bit as important as the personnel battles. Sometimes college football comes down to the “Jimmys and the Joes,” but this one has the feel of an X’s and O’s game from the opening snap.
In Other News...
Aneyas Williams May Have Just Seized Back Notre Dames Backfield
Aneyas Williams has worked his way back into the middle of Notre Dames backfield picture after an early-season sideline flare-up that briefly overshadowed his role. Williams started the year as the Fighting Irishs primary running back, then found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after a flagged touchdown celebration led to a tense exchange with head coach Marcus Freeman. Freeman later apologized for his reaction, and Williams took responsibility for the mistake while making clear the relationship remained intact.
Since then, the backfield has shifted again, and Williams has reclaimed the starting job after the previous starter struggled. For Notre Dame, it is a reminder that the rotation is still very much in flux, but also that Williams has the kind of resilience to turn an awkward moment into an opportunity. The situation never seemed likely to define the season, and now it looks more like a detour than a turning point. [Read more 🡒]
Xavier Watts Is Making Teams Regret Letting Him Slide
Xavier Watts has wasted no time reminding the league why he was such a prized playmaker at Notre Dame. Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round, the former Fighting Irish safety has carried over the same ball-hawking instincts that made him a two-time consensus All-American, and he has quickly become one of the NFLs most productive defensive backs since arriving.
Through three games this season, Watts already has 16 tackles and an interception, a steady continuation of the rookie year he put together with 96 tackles and five picks. He has led all NFL defensive backs in interceptions since entering the league, which is the kind of early return that makes teams revisit draft-day decisions and wonder how he kept slipping past them. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Sneed Gives Notre Dame Another Sign Things Are Clicking
Jaylen Sneeds fifth season at Notre Dame has come with a different kind of confidence, and it shows in the way he talks about where he and the defense are right now. After his early years included the usual adjustment period that comes with learning the culture and meeting the expectations in South Bend, Sneed said he has settled in more comfortably, and that has carried over into how he fits within the defensive scheme under the new coordinator. The result has been a defense that looks more connected and more effective as the season goes on.
With North Carolina next on the schedule, Sneeds optimism is another encouraging sign for a Notre Dame group trying to build on its progress. His own development has mirrored the units broader growth, and the Irish seem to be getting a steadier version of a player who once had to work through the learning curve. If the defense keeps trending the way it has, Sneeds evolution may end up being one of the quieter reasons Notre Dames ceiling feels a little higher. [Read more 🡒]