Notre Dame football should have its deepest defensive tackle rotation in a long time going into the 2026 season, and there might be one potential breakout player who isn’t getting enough attention right now. 

Redshirt junior Armel Mukam is putting together a tremendous offseason, and the early returns from fall camp suggest the former high school defensive end is ready to take a massive step for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

With championship expectations surrounding this Notre Dame roster, the defensive line has a chance to be one of the best the program has produced in quite some time. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge deserves credit for the development he’s overseeing, but the raw talent across this group is staggering. 

The acquisition of players through the transfer portal combined with critical retention decisions made this offseason have built a defensive tackle room that is deeper than anything Notre Dame has had in recent years.

Mukam’s fascinating path to this point

Mukam’s backstory makes his potential emergence all the more compelling. 

The Canadian native came to the United States and played at Woodbury Forest for his final two years of high school, attracting significant recruiting attention as a defensive end. He was a Stanford commit at one point before Notre Dame flipped him. 

Since arriving in South Bend, he has transformed from a 250-pound high school edge rusher into a 6-3, 305-pound defensive tackle.

That kind of transition requires patience. There has been a maturation process, and it hasn’t always been smooth. 

When the transfer portal opened, it looked like Mukam was on the move to other horizons, but Notre Dame convinced him to come back. A big reason the staff wanted to retain him goes beyond simply having a capable, talented body. There is a belief that Partridge sees something in Mukam that hasn’t fully materialized on the football field yet. 

The upside is certainly there.

Mukam has been running with the 1st team early in Fall camp and has drawn strong reviews throughout the offseason. Strength coach Loren Landow has done a great job with him physically, and now it’s time to turn that potential into production.

The depth up front is staggering

Even if Mukam takes a step forward or doesn’t, this defensive tackle room is still going to be excellent. 

Francis Brewu, a Pitt transfer originally recruited by Partridge, is having a strong offseason. Tionne Gray, a transfer from Oregon listed at 6-5 and now 320 pounds after arriving above 330, is having a strong camp as well. 

Jason Onye won his appeal for an extra year of eligibility and returned as a stabilizing force. Elijah Hughes, who might be the fifth defensive tackle in this rotation, just appeared on Feldman’s Freak List.

That’s not even counting Christopher Burgess, who is dealing with an injury and probably won’t be back until about midseason. Younger players like Cole Mullins, Tiki Hola (also dealing with an injury), and Elijah Golden add even more depth. 

From top to bottom, it has been a while since Notre Dame has had a 1-through-5 as good as what they have right now.

Why Mukam is the sleeper to watch

Going into fall camp, most people expected Brewu to be the one who took a step forward given Partridge’s affinity for him. Most people expected Onye to provide at least the same floor he showed last year. A lot of the excitement surrounded Gray for obvious reasons. 

Mukom got brushed under the rug because he’s the guy everyone has been waiting on who almost left.

Based on everything coming out of Fall camp, this is setting up for his breakout year. He moves incredibly well for his size, he’s put on quality weight over the last several years, and the buy-in on his side of things appears genuine.

The question of who is most important at defensive tackle to break out is a fair one. Gray might have the most long-term upside and could be a special player a couple of years from now. But outside of Gray, Mukam might possess the most physical gifts of any defensive tackle on this roster. 

He doesn’t need to be a 10-tackle-for-loss All-American to make a significant impact. If he becomes a legitimate starting defensive tackle and a plus contributor, combine that with Brewu, Gray, and Onye, and that is where Notre Dame fans should start getting excited.

From everything I have gathered, the stars are starting to align for Mukam. I liked covering him as a high school recruit, and the understanding was always that it would be a long haul of development. 

It sounds like a breakout is certainly in the cards. If it happens, this already deep defensive tackle room goes from being very good to potentially elite.