Charlie Partridge is stepping into a prime situation in South Bend - and he knows it.
Notre Dame’s new defensive line coach inherits a unit that was flat-out dominant last season, leading the nation in total pressures. That’s not just good, that’s elite territory. And with a blend of returning stars, high-upside transfers, and blue-chip recruits, Partridge walks into one of the most talented defensive line rooms in the country - maybe even the most talented he’s had in his two-decade coaching career.
A Coaching Carousel, and a Key Hire
Notre Dame’s defense has gone through some serious turnover in the last two offseasons. After the 2024 campaign, defensive coordinator Al Golden left for the NFL, taking the same role with the Cincinnati Bengals. Chris Ash was brought in to fill the void, and while it took a minute to find his rhythm, he closed out the regular season with a defense that was firing on all cylinders.
Fast forward to this offseason, and the Irish lost all three of their key defensive position coaches. Al Washington is now with the Miami Dolphins.
Mike Mickens took a job with the Baltimore Ravens. Max Bullough returned to Michigan State to become co-defensive coordinator.
That kind of turnover could rattle a program - but Marcus Freeman and Ash moved quickly to stabilize things, starting with the hire of Charlie Partridge to lead the defensive line.
Partridge brings 22 years of college coaching experience, most of it spent molding defensive fronts. Before his recent stint with the Indianapolis Colts, he built some nasty D-lines at Pitt, including multiple units that ranked among the best in the country. Now, he steps into a Notre Dame group that’s already producing at an elite level - and still has room to grow.
The Pressure Factory
Let’s talk numbers. Notre Dame finished the regular season with 285 total pressures - the most in the country.
That’s not just a product of scheme; that’s a reflection of raw talent, relentless effort, and a front four that knows how to win one-on-one matchups. Even more impressive?
The defensive line alone accounted for 206 of those pressures.
That’s the kind of production that turns heads in NFL war rooms.
And the talent isn’t just returning - it’s expanding. On the interior, Notre Dame got a major boost when Jason Onye opted to return for a sixth year and Armel Mukam pulled his name from the transfer portal.
Then the Irish added two key pieces: Francis Brewu, a transfer from Pitt and a player Partridge knows well, and Tionne Gray, who arrives from Oregon. Rising sophomore Christopher Burgess is expected to slide inside too, bringing more athleticism and depth to the middle of the line.
On the edge, Notre Dame returns both of its starting defensive ends from last season in Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young. Losing Josh Burnham to the portal and seeing Junior Tuihalamaka and Jordan Botelho graduate definitely stings, but the Irish aren’t lacking for reinforcements.
Keon Keeley - a former Notre Dame commit who spent time at Alabama - is back in the fold, and he’s joined by highly touted freshmen Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade. That trio, paired with Traore and Young, gives the Irish one of the deepest and most dynamic end rotations they’ve had in years.
What to Expect in 2026
On paper, this group could be special - like, Top 5-in-the-country special. But talent alone won’t get them there. Development is the name of the game now, and that’s where Partridge comes in.
Al Washington elevated this group from a solid Top 25 unit to a Top 10 force before moving on to the NFL. His final recruiting haul - including Ewetade, Dunham, Tiki Hola, and Elijah Golden - left the cupboard stocked. Now it’s Partridge’s job to take that foundation and build something even better.
Traore is a key piece. He had a strong 2026 campaign, his first full season back after a knee injury in 2024.
He’s shown flashes of being a future first-round pick, and if he can take the next step, he could anchor this line in a big way. Young has been more of a complementary piece so far, but he’ll need to assert himself more consistently this year.
Keeley might have the highest ceiling of the bunch, but he’ll need to refine his technique and reshape his body to fully tap into that potential - something Partridge has a track record of helping players do.
Inside, the Irish have experience and upside, but they’ll need to keep progressing. Onye and Brewu are the veterans, but Mukam is a wild card with NFL-level traits - he just hasn’t had the reps, logging only 135 snaps in three years.
Gray is still finding his footing, and Burgess is transitioning to the interior after playing on the edge as a freshman. There’s talent across the board, but it’s raw in places.
Building the Next Great Notre Dame Front
This isn’t a rebuild - it’s a reload. Partridge isn’t being asked to fix a broken unit.
He’s being asked to elevate one that’s already operating at a high level. That means pushing players to refine their technique, expanding the playbook, and creating a rotation that can wear down opposing offensive lines over four quarters.
If he can do that, Notre Dame won’t just have one of the best defensive lines in the country - they’ll have one of the most feared.
The pieces are in place. Now it’s up to Partridge to mold them into something special.