A new-look interior faces immense pressure. Can Notre Dame's defensive tackles maintain dominance and elevate their game for a championship run?
Notre Dame has put a productive, and at times dominant defensive line on the field in recent seasons. The performance of the defensive tackle room has been a key part of that, but the unit will have a much, much different look in 2026. The new-look interior needs to at least continue the performance we've seen in recent seasons, but if Notre Dame wants to win a championship an even better performance would be quite helpful.
Let's continue our depth chart projection series with a look at the defensive tackle group.
PROJECTED DT DEPTH CHART
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Francis Brewu (Pitt) - 36 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 1 sack, 20 QB pressures (PFF)
Jason Onye - 26 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 17 QB pressures (PFF)
Elijah Hughes - 21 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack, 10 QB pressures (PFF)
Tionne Gray (Oregon) - 18 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QB pressure (PFF)
Armel Mukam - 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF, 5 QB pressures (PFF)
Cole Mullins - 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 5 QB pressures (PFF)
Christopher Burgess Jr. - 2 tackles
Sean Sevillano - 1 tackle, 1 QB pressure (PFF)
Gordy Sulfsted - 1 tackle
WHAT WAS LOST
Notre Dame has lost the majority of its defensive tackle rotation from the last two seasons, and defensive line coach Al Washington also departed this offseason. Louisville transfer Jared Dawson had an outstanding season with Notre Dame, but injuries kept Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish from having the impact expected. That trio will still be difficult to replace for a defense that held opponents to less than 100 yards per game on the ground.
VETERAN RETURNERS
The losses appeared to be even greater when the offseason began, as it appeared unlikely that Jason Onye would be granted a 6th season of eligibility, and talented but unproven junior Armel Mukam entered the transfer portal. Mukam decided to return and Onye was granted that extra year, which gave the Irish a huge boost inside.
Onye has had a bit of an up-and-down career at Notre Dame, which included him missing the final 11 games of the 2024 season. It was a tough blow because Onye was starting to play the best football of his career. It took Onye some time to get his groove back in 2025, with the Rhode Island native making just nine tackles in the first six games of the season. He didn't register a sack and had just two total pressures in those first six games.
Onye had an outstanding performance in the 34-24 win over USC, and it was the beginning of a strong finish to the season. He had 17 tackles and 13 pressures in the final six games of the season, and for stretches of the final six games Onye was the team's best interior defensive lineman. If he can carry that level of play into the 2026 season he'll give the Irish a dominant force up the middle. It's not a coincidence that Notre Dame held opponents to just 92.3 rushing yards per game in the final six games and held four of its final six opponents to less than 90 yards on the ground.
Mukam has yet to emerge as a legit rotation player, but his return gives the Irish a raw but still quite talented interior prospect. This is a massive offseason for Mukam, who needs to turn his potential into production and show he can be a steady player. The two new transfer portal pickups, the potential emergence of younger players and the arrival of a pair of very talented freshmen means Mukam will get passed up relatively quickly if he doesn't really make a jump. If he does make that jump, however, Mukam could be a breakout player for the Irish defense.
Notre Dame also returns senior Elijah Hughes, who arrived last offseason from USC with not much fanfare. He wasn't flashy, but Hughes quickly forced his way into the rotation and became a steady football player for the Irish defense. He'll have to battle for a rotation spot in 2026, but his quickness and motor give him a chance to make plays.
Junior Cole Mullins has shown flashes during his Notre Dame career, but injuries - both big and small - have somewhat slowed his development. With the returning talent and the newcomers that have arrived, Mullins enters a crucial spring. If he can't force his way into the rotation this season he'll likely miss his window to be a factor in the Irish defense. The same is true for classmate Sean Sevillano.
CRUCIAL PORTAL PICKUPS
Onye wasn't cleared until after the portal window closed, but even with his return the Irish needed to make an impact in the transfer portal, and that's exactly what they did when they landed Francis Brewu and Tionne Gray. The addition of these two players combined with the return of Onye, Hughes and Mukam gives the Irish loads of interior potential even before we get to potential breakouts from younger players.
Brewu was an All-ACC player for Pittsburgh this past season after racking up 36 tackles and seven tackles for loss. He's an extremely strong and physical interior defender that plays with much more power and force than you'd expect from someone his size. Brewu also has an explosive first step and has the potential to be an even more disruptive player. I'll be a bit surprised if Brewu doesn't quickly earn a starting role inside, and he'll contend for being Notre Dame's best interior player.
Notre Dame has been trying to add more beef inside, and Gray certainly gives them that. Gray was a key part of Oregon's defensive line rotation as a redshirt freshman, and he'll be the same for the Irish. He is a physical and massive defender that can eat up space, occupy blockers and free up the linebackers. What makes him such an important pickup is that while he can add that to the defense, he's not an immobile space eater, as Gray is a quality athlete for his size. If asked to do so he should be able to make more plays on the ball than he did at Oregon.
BURGESS BREAKOUT COMING?
There is a lot of veteran depth at defensive tackle, but a redshirt freshman is likely going to have a say in the rotation this season. That would be Christopher Burgess Jr., who is moving inside after playing his freshman season at end. Burgess was one of the crown jewels of the 2025 recruiting class, and he's added a lot of weight since he arrived. He's up to almost 300 pounds and he's built like a truck. Burgess has a unique combination of power and athleticism, and he'll get a chance to force his way into the depth chart this offseason.
Classmates Gordy Sulfsted and Davion Dixon have potential, but they are likely a season away. Sulfsted has impressive athletic skills and potential but will need another season in the weight room to fill out. Dixon must stay healthy and continue growing in the system.
TALENTED ROOKIES ARRIVE
The veteran depth and portal pickups will make it a bit tougher for the freshman class to get into the rotation, but it's a very talented duo. Elijah Golden is a big time playmaker that had over 60 tackles for loss his last two seasons of high school. Tiki Hola adds size to the interior and in time he could be a force up the middle of the defense.
PAST BREAKDOWNS
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