Notre Dame football has a chance to add a proven veteran to the roster ahead of the 2026 CFB season, but should they?
Notre Dame could welcome back defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka for the 2026 season. Should the Fighting Irish consider it?
Notre Dame football defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka is one of 16 players granted a temporary order from a Louisiana judge to return to college football for a 5th season. With fall camp in full swing, head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish now face a unique question: should they push to bring back the talented defender for the 2026 college football season?
Tuihalamaka’s case stands out from many of the other players seeking a return to the college game. Due to an injury during his Pro Day and other issues he’s been working through, Tuihalamaka was not in an NFL camp and was not actively pursuing the professional dream. That makes him a clean case in terms of eligibility.
There was an initial conversation about whether players who had been drafted, signed with NFL teams, or were participating in camps would be allowed to return for that final year of eligibility. Tuihalamaka doesn’t fall into any of those gray areas.
The transfer portal wrinkle
The original order stipulated that players granted a 5th year had to stay with the team they were a part of during the 2025 season, unless they had already declared their intention to enter the transfer portal and submitted the paperwork when it was open.
That landscape appears to be shifting. The Zxavian Harris case, involving the former Ole Miss defensive tackle who is now in the transfer portal with opportunities to play elsewhere, suggests there might be possibilities for Tuihalamaka beyond just a Notre Dame return.
He could return to Notre Dame if both sides want to go that route. He could also enter the transfer portal and explore other options. For now, the most relevant conversation centers on what a return to South Bend would look like.
The case for bringing him back
There is familiarity working in Tuihalamaka’s favor. This would be his second year under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, and he has been under Freeman for the entirety of his career. He doesn’t have to relearn a system or adjust to a new defensive coordinator.
That matters, especially with the season only weeks away.
Beyond scheme familiarity, Tuihalamaka has a reputation as one of the best program players Notre Dame has had in recent cycles. During his recruitment in the 2022 class, he was a big-time linebacker recruit. He chose Notre Dame and played special teams, switched from linebacker to defensive end, and never had a negative thing to say about any of it.
He took everything in stride. If you ask me, in a vacuum, he feels like a perfect program player. If he wants to come back, I would think Notre Dame would seriously consider it.
Tuihalamaka also made a couple of big plays in his career, most notably during the Georgia playoff game.
The depth chart reality
Here is where things get really compelling from a roster-construction standpoint.
Notre Dame’s defensive end depth chart is in a different place than it was even last season. The Irish return Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young. They welcomed Keon Keeley through the transfer portal this offseason from Alabama, a former 5-star recruit. Five-star Rodney Dunham is pushing for playing time. Young players like Ebenezer Ewetade and Dominik Hulak are in the mix, along with Logan Thomas.
There is a lot of talent in that room.
Full transparency, there is no disrespect to Tuihalamaka in this. If Notre Dame decided they wanted him back for another year, I would not say anything negative about it. Good player, great kid, familiarity with the system. Fine.
But in terms of actively pushing for his return, that is where the question lies.
I do not want to disrupt the cohesiveness of that defensive end room with only a few weeks before the season. I want to see Traore, Young, Keeley, and Dunham get their opportunities to play football at a high level and a high volume. I do not want to take reps off the plate of Keeley. I do not want to take reps off the plate of Dunham. I want to see them play a large sample of football this season.
A lot of people will say you can never have enough depth on the defensive line, and I agree with that sentiment. But this is a different level of depth than Notre Dame has been dealing with over the last several years. There have been years in the past where a Tuiulamaka return would have been an immediate, split-second yes.
During the Isaiah Foskey years as a secondary rusher, absolutely. The Irish are not in that position right now.
This is a conversation point. Does Notre Dame need Tuihalamaka on the depth chart? How much does he upgrade the room, if at all? Those questions need to be asked by Freeman and this Notre Dame staff.
If Tuihalamaka wants to come back, there needs to be an understanding of his role. He is not coming back as a starter. If he wants to fight for reps and play special teams, that is great. But if the transfer portal opportunity is on the table and he wants to maximize his final year of playing time, that option might also make sense.
As of today, I am happy with where the Notre Dame defensive end room stands. I don’t think the Irish need to add anybody to that group right now.
