Freeman reveals strategic personnel moves, welcoming NFL talent Charlie Partridge and reshaping the linebacker corps for dominant defensive line play.
For the most part, Notre Dame's defensive coaching staff remained intact. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash is heading into his second year. Defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Mike Mickens is looking like he'll be in South Bend for another season and Al Washington remains on the coaching staff. Last season, he was Notre Dame's defensive line coach and run game coordinator.
The defensive line in 2025 was a very underrated unit last season and produced 71.9 percent of the team's total pressures and 65.8 percent of the team's total hits plus sacks. After the departure of linebacker coach Max Bullough who returned to his alma mater Michigan State to be co-defensive coordinator, there was a vacant role on the staff. Washington will now be Notre Dame's linebacker coach in 2026.
"It was a very short conversation between myself and Coach Ash before I talked to Coach Washington about it," head coach Marcus Freeman explained. "We were together in 2017 when he was defensive line coach at Cincinnati. I remember being a part of a clinic over Zoom during COVID when he was presenting on linebacker play. He is intelligent and a great developer of all positions, but especially linebacker and defensive line. I knew what was best for our defense, but also what was best for his. career."
With Washington moving to coach the linebackers, the Irish were in need of a new defensive line coach. They turned to the NFL where they found Charlie Partridge, who was coaching the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts. Notre Dame, and Freeman, made quick work to bring him to South Bend.
"You hear some of the things that J. J. Watt says about who Charlie Partridge was when he coached him," Freeman stated. "A lot of the players that he's coached, the things they say about him told me that's the guy I want to be a part of this football staff. X's and O's wise, he's as good as anyone I've ever been around. But who he is as a person and a developer of young men is what made him the right fit for our staff."
Like other position coaches who have joined this staff, Partridge is walking into a winning situation. On the edge, they return players like Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young and Loghan Thomas. Along the interior, they have a lot of raw talent and with Armel Mukam electing to withdraw from the portal, the outlook of this defensive line is looking strong.
They also added some key pieces in the portal and brought in high level talent and experience. One player was a one-time commit to Notre Dame in 2023 and another player lined up across from Notre Dame when they traveled to Pitt in the middle of November.
"As we evaluated Francis Brewu and we scouted him and then as I saw him live in person, he's a challenging football player," Freeman explained. "The thing I like about him is how hard he plays the game. To see the effort he plays with, it tells me a lot about when I see big people like play really hard; it excites me. Not all big people play really hard, but he does. The other thing that I really liked about him was his connection with Coach Partridge. Coach Partridge recruited him to Pitt and that connection is probably what got him to commit to us."
When asked about Keon Keeley's commitment to Notre Dame, Freeman expressed how one of his key pillars for this football program was one display.
"It remind him and myself of a little delayed gratification," Freeman said. "I've always believed Keon Keeley was a Notre Dame kid coming from his high school. There's obviously kids on our team now from his high school. He fits here perfectly. He's such a unique individual. Yes, he's a great talent. He's a very talented football player. I remember in our first conversation recently, when we came on his visit, It was the same Keon that we recruited a couple years ago. He fits here, and I'm excited for his future here."
The Notre Dame defense has the potential to be one of the best units in the country this upcoming season given the talent they return and the coaching staff remaining mostly intact. If the defensive line performs the way they're capable of, a national title might be in the mix for 2026.
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