Future champions emerge: Notre Dame's 2023 recruits, led by two captains and dynamic playmakers, will anchor the defense's 2026 championship aspirations.
The goal of any program is to continually stack recruiting classes and supplement calculated attrition with top-level talent. Notre Dame is one of the top five programs in the country that have done that under head coach Marcus Freeman and this year, with the exception of a few, all players on the 2026 roster have been recruited, signed and developed under Freeman and his coaching staffs.
Five of the 11 defensive starters will be from the 2023 recruiting class and are headlined by two returning captains, a dominant defensive end and a highly talented cornerback. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash is headed into year two of his system and this class will play a big role in this defense playing at a championship-caliber level.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Notre Dame's only two returning captains in 2025 are from the 2023 recruiting class. Safety Adon Shuler and linebacker Drayk Bown are two of the defense's biggest leaders coming back in 2026. Shuler racked up 53 tackles, 1.0 sack, five passes defended and two interceptions last season. Bowen led the team in tackles with 67; he also recorded 2.5 sacks and three passes defended. Both players will have to continue leading from the front.
Defensive end Boubacar Traore had a breakout season in 2025, his first year back from an ACL injury suffered in 2024. He finished the year with 37 total tackles, recorded 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Traore also led the team in pressures and total hits plus sacks on the quarterback and he did that all in 11 games. Having a game-changing edge rushers isn't imperative to win a title, but it certainly increases your odds.
Cornerback Christian Gray has had a tumultuous career so far in South Bend. The majority of the time, he's a dominant player in the secondary. He's record a 98-yard pick six to seal a rivalry game against USC and also recorded the game-ending interception in the Orange Bowl. He's also had busts in coverage which have allowed for big plays and touchdowns. Gray is headed into his final season in South Bend, and he'll need to be the player we know he can be for Notre Dame's defense to be what we know it can be.
STARTING CALIBER
Linebacker Jaiden Ausberry has been one of the more underrated players on Notre Dame's defense the last two seasons. The 6-2, 226-pound linebacker has been over-shadowed at times by younger highly rated recruits, but that didn't distract him from being one of the defense's most productive players. Ausberry finished the season with 51 total tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. He started the majority of the season at Will linebacker and will likely pick up the same role in 2026.
One of the bigger moves of this offseason was nose tackle Armel Mukam withdrawing his name from the transfer portal. Mukam has always been one of the higher ceiling players in the defensive line rotation, but he's yet to turn that potential into production. This year, he's expected to play a significant role in the trenches and potentially start.
CLASS EXPECTATIONS
This is the anchor class of the defense. That doesn't take away from the other loaded classes Notre Dame has on defense, but the 2023 recruiting class is home to five, potentially six, starters on defense. They return two captains from 2025 in this class, an impact edge rusher and a three-year starter at cornerback. Adversity will hit this season, like it does every year in college football. The members of this 2023 defensive class will be the players everyone looks to for leadership.
Bowen and Shuler will likely be captains again this season and will be two of the most productive players on defense. Traore is now a full season removed from his knee injury and is expected to put up day one or day two NFL Draft numbers. Gray returns for his final year in South Bend and is looking to squash some of the negative narratives about his performance. Ausberry and Mukam will also play vital roles to the defense's success in 2026.
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