Notre Dame football enters the 2026 college football season with expectations of fielding one of the elite defenses in the country.

Defensive coordinator Chris Ash has talent on all three levels, and the defensive line in particular could be the deepest and most talented unit the Fighting Irish have had in the Marcus Freeman era. Star pass rusher Boubacar Traore returns after a breakout 2025 campaign, but the question that lingers in South Bend centers on who will provide the secondary pass rush opposite him.

The answer could come from a trio of defensive ends with vastly different backgrounds but one shared trait: five-star upside. Bryce Young, Keon Keeley, and Rodney Dunham each have the opportunity to become breakout players for Notre Dame in 2026, and the program’s defensive ceiling may depend on at least one of them seizing the moment.

Bryce Young needs to turn flashes into sustained production

Young started opposite Traore last season and showed flashes, but he did not quite live up to the five-star billing that followed him out of the 2024 recruiting class. Now a junior, the 6-foot-7, 260-pounder is expected to take a massive step forward. The athletic gifts are all there, and it feels like only a matter of time until the production catches up to the potential.

Notre Dame’s staff has seen enough in practice and in games to believe the jump is coming. Whether that belief translates to consistent pressure on Saturdays will go a long way toward determining how dominant this defensive front can be.

Keon Keeley brings Alabama pedigree and renewed explosiveness

Keeley was originally committed to Notre Dame in the 2023 class before decommitting and landing with Alabama. After serving as nothing more than a rotational player for much of his time in Tuscaloosa, the redshirt junior finished strong in his final season with the Crimson Tide and transferred to the Fighting Irish this offseason.

At 6-5 and 275 pounds, Keeley arrived in South Bend carrying some bad weight. He has since trimmed 10 to 15 pounds and looks explosive and good, according to folks around the program. Keeley is the primary competition for Young at the starting spot opposite Traore, and the staff is hoping the five-star upside he carried out of high school can finally get tapped into at a consistent level.

Rodney Dunham could crack the rotation as a true freshman

Dunham is the new kid on the block. The 6-4, 245-pound pass rusher was one of the crown jewels of Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class, arriving as a five-star talent with immediate buzz. Despite being a youngster, Dunham made his impact known early during spring ball and has continued to showcase his talent throughout the offseason.

It is going to be hard to keep Dunham off the field. Even if he doesn’t win a starting job right away, he could serve as a designated pass rusher whose sole purpose is upgrading the ability to get after the quarterback in obvious passing situations. That kind of role becomes invaluable when games tighten late in the season, particularly in the College Football Playoff.

The secondary pass rush will define Notre Dame’s defensive ceiling

Traore is a known commodity. Fans across the Notre Dame fan base expect him to produce at an even higher clip after recovering from the ACL injury that cost him the majority of the 2024 season. The real variable is what happens on the other side of the formation.

With one of the best secondaries in all of college football returning behind them, the Fighting Irish defensive front has the supporting cast to be special. Notre Dame is going to need to affect the opposing quarterback at an extremely high rate when it matters most, and that responsibility falls squarely on this defensive end room. At least one of Young, Keeley, and Dunham needs to step forward, and ideally multiple players from that group will emerge.

The options are on the table. Now it comes down to how things shake out between now and late August.