Notre Dame’s defense has come out of the gate looking like the group the Irish wanted it to be.
Through two games in 2026, the unit has already handled business against two very different offenses. Wisconsin was held to 13 points in the opener, and Rice was shut out at home last weekend. Now comes Michigan State on Saturday night in the battle for the Megaphone Trophy, and the Spartans arrive with an offense that has put up 30 points or more in back-to-back games under offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.
If Notre Dame is going to keep rolling defensively, a few individual matchups could tilt the night.
Armel Mukam is one of the interior pieces worth watching. The defensive tackle has not had the loud breakout moment yet, but he has started the year well and gives Notre Dame a real presence inside. He should have a chance to affect the game both as a run defender and as a pass rusher.
The matchup lines up well for him. Michigan State left guard Conner Moore has already given up three pressures and two hits plus sacks on the quarterback, with all of those pressures coming in the opener against Toledo.
Moore has been stronger in the run game than in protection, and Mukam should have a productive night against the 6-6, 311-pound guard. Notre Dame will need Mukam and the rotating group up front to hold firm against the run while also getting after quarterback Alessio Milivojevic.
At linebacker, Drayk Bowen has been as steady and disruptive as Notre Dame could ask for. The senior captain has posted 11 tackles, six run stops and only one missed tackle through two games, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6-2, 234-pound middle linebacker has looked like the leader and tone-setter the Irish expected him to be.
Bowen’s challenge gets more interesting with Michigan State running back Cam Edwards coming to town. Edwards transferred in from UCONN after rushing for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, and he added 19 catches for 187 yards and a score.
In two games with the Spartans, he has already run for 250 yards and three touchdowns. At 5-11, 206 pounds, Edwards brings a hard-nosed style and the ability to make defenders miss in space, so Bowen will be central to limiting him if Michigan State tries to lean on the ground game early.
Notre Dame’s edge rush has also been dangerous, even if Boubacar Traore is still waiting for that signature all-around performance. The senior defensive end made his presence felt in a big way against Rice by scoring a touchdown on the second play of the game, but his work as a pass rusher has been the quieter part of his start. He has three total pressures and two hits plus sacks on the quarterback in 31 pass-rushing snaps, with some of that workload affected by the nature of Rice’s offense.
That could change Saturday night. Traore’s matchup with Michigan State right tackle Rakeem Johnson looks favorable on paper.
Johnson has allowed two total pressures and one hit on the quarterback through two games, and the 6-4, 296-pound blocker has had issues in space. Traore, a twitchy athlete off the edge, should have a real chance to win that battle and make life difficult for Michigan State on the right side.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Sent A Strong Message In The Scheduling Debate
Notre Dame keeps making its scheduling stance clear, and the latest move adds another notable nonconference series to the board. The Irish and Nebraska have lined up a two-game home-and-home, with the opener set for Oct. 30, 2032, in Lincoln and the return game on Oct. 29, 2033, in South Bend. It will be the first meeting between the programs since 2001, and it gives Notre Dame another recognizable Power 4 opponent as the school continues working through the difficulty of securing those kinds of games.
The matchup also brings a little historical edge back into the picture. Nebraska has won the last three meetings, which gives the series a built-in storyline beyond the simple logistics of filling out future schedules. For Notre Dame, though, the bigger takeaway may be the broader one: the Irish are still leaning into marquee home-and-home games at a time when getting them done has become increasingly complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Added A Future Matchup That Will Split Fans
Notre Dame has added another notable date to its future football schedule, this time with Nebraska locking in a home-and-home series for the 2032 and 2033 seasons. The Cornhuskers will host the Irish on Oct. 30, 2032, before Notre Dame returns the trip to South Bend on Oct. 29, 2033, giving both programs a pair of non-conference matchups that should carry plenty of national interest when they arrive.
The announcement came from Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen as part of the schools longer-range scheduling plans, and it is the kind of addition that tends to land differently depending on how fans view big-name non-conference games. Some will immediately welcome another classic intersectional series, while others will already be weighing what it means for Notre Dames future slate and the balance between marquee showdowns and the rest of the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame May Have A Local Defender Fans Should Watch Closely
A local name to keep in mind for Notre Dames recruiting board is Joshua Rogers, the 3-star defensive lineman from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. The 2028 prospect has already picked up scholarship offers from several Power 4 programs, and his production as a sophomore and again this season has helped put him on the radar as one of the more interesting in-state defensive linemen to monitor.
Rogers has not landed an offer from Notre Dame yet, but he was in the house for the home opener and has made clear he is interested in the program. For the Irish, the appeal is obvious: a nearby defender with size, upside and an early offer list that suggests the competition will only get tougher if they wait too long. [Read more 🡒]