The BYU nonsense has already reached the Notre Dame fanbase, and it’s extremely loud a few weeks until the Top-10 matchup
Notre Dame heads to Provo in a few weeks to face BYU. How many Cougar defenders would realistically crack the Fighting Irish starting lineup?
The Notre Dame versus BYU discourse has reached a fever pitch on social media, and it all started with one quote.
Cam Mellor of Pro Football Network appeared on BYUtv Sports Nation and offered a bold comparison of the two defenses ahead of the Fighting Irish trip to Provo. The quote sent Notre Dame and BYU fans into a frenzy, and the conversation quickly spiraled into a full-blown debate about how many BYU defenders would start on Notre Dame’s 2026 defense.
“I do think overall there’s actually more talent on the BYU defense than there is Notre Dame’s defense through all 11 starters,” Mellor said.
That claim deserves some serious scrutiny. The Fighting Irish defense, particularly the secondary, is the deepest unit head coach Marcus Freeman has assembled during his tenure in South Bend.
BYU has talented players. That much is true. But the idea that the gap between these two defensive rosters is anywhere close to 50/50 is a stretch that borders on delusion.
The BYU discourse went off the rails
After Mellor’s quote went viral, the back and forth on Twitter escalated quickly. A simple question about how many BYU defenders would realistically start for Notre Dame’s defense turned into an avalanche of pushback from the BYU fan base.
Multiple fans argued that five to six Cougar defenders would start on Notre Dame’s defense. One even claimed the majority of BYU’s defense would start over the Fighting Irish’s starters.
The pushback was so intense that it warranted muting the tweet entirely.
This is not about disparaging BYU as a program. Head coach Kalani Sitake is a hell of a coach. Running back LJ Martin is a legitimate top-five running back prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. Bear Bachmeier has been an impressive addition at quarterback. There is a lot to respect about this BYU team.
But respect and realism are two different things.
The BYU defenders who could actually start at Notre Dame
The honest answer here is one to two players. That’s it.
The strongest case belongs to linebacker Cade Uluave, who transferred to BYU after earning All-ACC honors at Cal. Uluave is legitimately one of the best linebackers in the country.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the better player, but Uluave would have a real case to start alongside him at Notre Dame over Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, and Jaylen Sneed. If you want to argue Bowen is better, that’s a fair conversation between two players who will likely both hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Uluave is the one BYU defender who would almost certainly be in high contention for a starting spot with the Fighting Irish.
The second candidate is cornerback Evan Johnson, who is a legitimately good football player. He is not starting over Leonard Moore. He is probably not better than DJ McKinney, though there is a conversation to be had there.
At most, Johnson could make a case to unseat Christian Gray as the starting nickel. That makes him a borderline starter, not a lock.
The rest of BYU’s defense doesn’t break through
Beyond Uluave and Johnson, the BYU defenders who were mentioned in the discourse are rotational players at Notre Dame, not starters.
Defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa is a good player who transferred from Utah. He would not start over Tionne Gray or Francis Brewu. When you factor in Jason Onye and the ascension of Armel Mukam during the Michigan State game, Tanuvasa is likely not even a top-three defensive tackle on the Fighting Irish when everyone is healthy.
Linebacker Isaiah Glasker is an interesting athlete at 6-5, but his production is inflated by circumstance. Drop Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa into BYU’s defense without Notre Dame’s linebacker depth, and he puts up the same numbers, but probably better. Drayk Bowen puts up better numbers. Glasker is a very overrated player whose stats do not match his actual impact on film.
Safety Faletau Satuola is a versatile, 6-4 safety, but he is not starting over Adon Shuler or Brauntae Johnson. At most, he competes with Luke Talich for the third safety spot. He misses too many tackles and is not the most fluid athlete.
Edge rusher Tausili Akana, a former Texas player, is off to a good start this season. He is not as good as Boubacar Traore. He is not as good as Bryce Young. You are not sacrificing reps from Keon Keeley or Rodney Dunham for him. Designated pass rusher in a rotation is his ceiling at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s defense is deeper than BYU fans want to admit
Notre Dame can absolutely lose this game against BYU. If the Fighting Irish play poorly, BYU can beat them. If BYU plays a great game and Notre Dame plays merely a good one, the Cougars can win. That is the nature of college football.
None of that changes the talent gap on defense. Notre Dame’s secondary is the deepest it has been in a very long time. The linebacker room is stacked. The defensive line has legitimate NFL Draft prospects at multiple spots. The idea that BYU’s defense has more talent across all 11 starters simply does not hold up when you go position by position.
One to two starters. A couple of rotational contributors. That is the realistic answer for how many BYU defenders would crack Notre Dame’s starting lineup.
