Notre Dame is set for a defensive makeover, and there are several position battles to watch under new DC Chris Ash

The Notre Dame defense is coming off of two years of elite play under defensive coordinator Al Golden, but unfortunately Coach Golden left for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. To replace him, head coach Marcus Freeman has hired former Rutgers head coach and Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash to call the defense. It’s uncertain […]

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (27) recovers a fumble against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Notre Dame defense is coming off of two years of elite play under defensive coordinator Al Golden, but unfortunately Coach Golden left for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. To replace him, head coach Marcus Freeman has hired former Rutgers head coach and Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash to call the defense. It’s uncertain how clean that transition will be, but it will certainly look a little differently.

Coach Ash is tasked with replacing a lot of veteran standouts, including safety Xavier Watts, cornerback Benjamin Morrison, defensive tackles Howard Cross and Rylie Mills, and linebacker Jack Kiser. Luckily for Ash, there is also a ton of talent returning. Unlike a year ago, there appears to be more position battles ready to take place. Here are the most important ones to watch this offseason.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Notre Dame lost both Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills to the NFL this offseason, leaving the position in a bit of flux. There are a lot of names to work through, but a ton of questions about what combinations we will see most. At nose tackle, it appears that Gabriel Rubio and Louisville transfer Jared Dawson are the main names to know.

There is some speculation about whether Rubio will indeed play the nose, or if he will play a lot of three technique like he did down the stretch of the season. It appears most likely that Donovan Hinish could slide out to the three, and someone like Armel Mukam could fight for snaps. The interesting player to watch is Jason Onye with there being some recent optimism that he could return in 2025.

WILL LINEBACKER

With Drayk Bowen returning as the starting middle linebacker, there is a question about who will be playing next to him. It was Jack Kiser in 2024 but he’s off to the NFL. The two names to know is Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Jaiden Ausberry. Whoever ends up being the starter on paper, this will be a strong rotation. Both players earned the trust of the team this past fall, combining for 95 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three fumbles recoveries.

SAFETY

With sophomore breakout Adon Shuler returning, you know for sure who will be holding down one safety spot next fall. Shuler finished his first as a starter with 59 total tackles, three interceptions, five pass breakups, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. The more impressive part is many expected former Northwestern transfer Rod Heard to get the first crack at that opportunity, but Shuler was able to make his mark.

At the other safety spot, there is going to be a lot of competition. The Irish welcomed former Virginia Tech standout Jalen Stroman as a transfer, and also have Luke Talich, Kennedy Urlacher, Brauntae Johnson, and stud freshman JaDon Blair who could fight for the starting spot. While Stroman is probably the favorite, don’t count out any of that young talent. 

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