The expectations for Notre Dame's defensive line grew as the offseason progressed. With players like Boubacar Traore and Jason Onye returning to the rotation and guys like Bryce Young, Gabriel Rubio expected to take on larger roles, we knew defensive line coach Al Washington had a plethora of talent to work with this season. Unfortunately, in the first few games, the defensive line's effectiveness was handicapped but the overarching philosophy on defense. However, the last few weeks have been a strong turnaround for this group; their level of play has been a major factor in the overall success of the defense.
Getting an elite edge rusher like Traore back from injury to start the season was huge. He recorded the only sack in the Miami game and currently leads the team in pressures, sacks and is tied for the lead in hits on the quarterback. Traore has also recorded 20 stops on the season and is their third highest graded player on defense per PFF. Young, who's now in his sophomore season, has also raised his level of play over the last couple of weeks. Young is second on the team in total pressures behind Traore with 18, has six stops on the season and is second on the team in overall hurries.
The next step in the evolution for Young is his ability to finish plays. Despite being second on the team in total pressures, he only has one sack on the year, a number I would presume will rise given the level of competition they face down the stretch. Getting Young going will give Traore a compliment in the pass rushing game and will pay major dividends come playoff time. Another player they have to get going is defensive end Josh Burnham. Burnham has been one of Notre Dame's most consistent and disruptive defensive lineman this season, but has only played 86 total snaps on the year. He's back to full health and needs significantly more snaps in the trenches.
The interior has played well, but there's yet to have been a player who separates himself like we've seen on the edge. Unfortunately, Rubio is out for an undisclosed amount of time meaning players like Onye, Donovan Hinish, Louisville transfer Jared Dawson and USC transfer Elijah Hughes will have to step up their game. Injuries along the interior defensive line is something that Washington has a lot of experience in handling. Last season they lost Howard Cross III for a period of time and had to navigate most of the playoffs without Rylie Mills. This season, it's a similar situation and they'll need all hands on deck moving forward.
The depth on the defensive line is something that hasn't been showcased much this season. Players like Burnham, Loghan Thomas, Cole Mullins, Armel Mukam, and Sean Sevillano haven't eclipsed the 100-snap mark yet this season and they're seven games in. With guys like Rubio and Dawson already having missed time due to injury, the depth needs to become a bigger factor in their final five games of the regular season. Everything needs to be geared towards the health and freshness of the players heading into the playoffs; Washington has this unit playing at a much higher level and now it's time to get the depth involved.
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