The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense has a chance to be elite again in 2026, and the interior defensive line might be the sneakiest reason why.

After defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s unit found its footing during the final stretch of the 2025 season, Notre Dame returns a secondary that could be the best in college football, a linebacker corps that rivals anyone in the country, and a defensive tackle room with tremendous upside. Head coach Marcus Freeman has built something special on that side of the ball over the last several years, and the interior of the defensive line has a chance to be one of the better units the Fighting Irish have fielded in quite some time.

Fall camp is approaching, and there are seven names worth knowing at the position.

The returning commodities

Notre Dame got a significant boost when defensive tackle Jason Onye’s appeal for an extra year of eligibility was granted this offseason. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive tackle started frequently last season and showed real improvement down the stretch. After the season ended short of the program’s playoff goals, Onye opted to return.

At worst, he provides consistency in a room breaking in new faces. There is still some intrigue about whether another step forward exists in his game.

Elijah Hughes also returns after transferring from USC last offseason. Now entering his senior season, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle was a very underrated pickup for the Fighting Irish in 2025. Nobody expected much from him early on, but as the season progressed, Hughes earned more playing time and at points was Notre Dame’s best run defender inside.

He is not a flashy player, but he showed the ability to anchor at the point of attack. With some offseason acquisitions pushing the depth chart forward, Hughes could settle into a rotational role, but his floor as a third option is a valuable one.

Cole Mullins, a redshirt sophomore who has bounced between defensive end and defensive tackle over the last couple of years, appears to have settled into the interior. Mullins has an intriguing skill set as a potential interior rusher, though how much he cracks the rotation remains to be seen.

The most intriguing returner

Redshirt junior Armel Mukam is the name that carries the most curiosity heading into camp. The former defensive end recruit has morphed into a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle with a ton of untapped potential. Mukam entered the transfer portal this offseason before Notre Dame convinced him to return and work with new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

I’m cautiously optimistic that Mukam will outperform whatever his preseason expectation ends up being. The talent is certainly there. The question is whether he can finally put it all together.

An early setback

Notre Dame was dealt an early blow when it was announced that Christopher Burgess underwent knee surgery in June, which will keep him out to begin the 2026 season. I’m expecting a midseason return, so there is a chance he carves out a role down the stretch. For now, the redshirt freshman will not be able to continue the momentum he was building this offseason.

The transfer portal additions

Excluding true freshmen Elijah Golden and Tiki Hola, whose 2026 roles remain uncertain, Notre Dame brought in two high-impact interior defensive linemen through the portal.

Francis Brewu arrives from Pittsburgh, where he is very familiar with Partridge, the coach who originally recruited him. At 6-foot-1, 285 pounds, Brewu is smaller than a typical interior defender, but he is pound-for-pound one of the strongest players on the Notre Dame roster.

Despite his size potentially lending itself to a 3-technique role, Brewu’s game is built around being an undersized nose with more power than you would anticipate. He has an opportunity to be Notre Dame’s most impactful interior defensive lineman next season.

In terms of pure athleticism and upside, there might not be a toolsier defensive tackle on the roster than Tionne Gray. The redshirt sophomore transferred from Oregon and checks in at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds. He is a long, physical defensive lineman with the ability to play multiple fronts from various alignments.

There is still technical work to be done given how young he is, but if Gray can unlock even part of his overall upside in 2026, Notre Dame’s defensive tackle room has a chance to be one of the more underrated in the entire country.

I am very high on Gray, and I’m hoping the talent starts to actualize into production this fall. Between the returning experience and the portal additions, this group has the ingredients to take a massive step forward.