With nearly 9,000 returning snaps and veteran captains anchoring every level, Marcus Freeman’s battle-tested unit enters the season as the nation's most experienced and formidable defensive powerhouse.
Notre Dame returns one of the most veteran defenses in the entire country. They had players who have played or started at multiple positions at every level. For the first time in Marcus Freeman's tenure in South Bend, he has two returning captains and both of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash returns for his second year with the Irish and has a host of experienced talent to work with at all three levels.
At defensive tackle, they returns players like Jason Onye who was granted a sixth year of eligibility, Elijah Hughes who transferred in from USC for the 2025 season and Armel Mukam who withdrew his name from the portal earlier this offseason.
At defensive end, they return starters Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young from last season along with Loghan Thomas who has been a rotation piece at end the last two seasons. They also picked up Francis Brewu, Tionne Gray and Keon Keeley in the portal who all started or played last year in big moments; Gray and Keeley both played in the CFP last season.
The Irish also return the deepest, most experienced and one of the most talented linebacking corps in the country in 2026. Middle linebacker and 2025 captain Drayk Bowen returns to anchor the defense. He's joined by Jaiden Ausberry, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Jaylen Sneed and Madden Faraimo. No other team in the country returns their five-man linebacker rotation from last season.
Notre Dame also returns the No. 1 cornerback in the country, Leonard Moore, who was a Unanimous All-American as a true sophomore in 2025. They also return Christian Gray who is about to be a three year starter. Rising redshirt junior Adon Shuler and rising redshirt sophomore Tae Johnson return to round out one of the best safety duos in the country.
The Irish also return Luke Talich at safety who played a big role on defense last season. Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery return at corner who started multiple games for the Irish in 2025. They also picked up Jayden Sanders from Michigan who played as a true freshman and DJ McKinney from Colorado who is a two-year starter.
In total, the Irish defense returns 6,936 snaps from last season including depth players. But that doesn't include their portal pickups in Keeley, Brewu, Gray, Sanders and McKinney who played a combined 1,783 snaps in 2025. There's a grand total of 8,719 snaps of experience returning on Notre Dame's defense this season and that's just their totals from the 2025 season. When you factor in their careers, that number creeps up to 20,000.
The level of experience they bring to the table is one thing, but the level of leadership they bring is another. Bowen, Shuler, Moore, Gray and potentially McKinney will all be entering their third year as a starter. Other players like Traore, Young, Onye, Ausberry, Johnson and potentially Golden will all be going into their second year as starters. With the level of premier games the Irish play in 2026, they'll need their defensive leadership to shine.
Notre Dame opens their season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. They also host Michigan State in a rivalry-renewed under the lights, travel out to Provo, Utah to face BYU, host Miami under the lights on November 7 and play SMU under the lights on Senior Day and that's all before the College Football Playoffs. Freeman, Ash and this 2026 Notre Dame team will need their defensive leadership to shine this fall.
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