SOUTH BEND — Charlie Partridge, first-year defensive line coach for Notre Dame football, plans to make the most of a remarkably deep and talented position group.
“It really will be an evaluation that never stops — ever,” Partridge said soon after he was hired away from the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. “Mid-game, if there’s someone that’s not playing well, we’ll flip.”
Diversifying the snaps and coming at opponents in well-rested waves has been a Notre Dame hallmark on the defensive front through the previous coaching runs of Al Washington (2022-25) and Mike Elston, who coached the position for all but two seasons from 2010-21.
What Partridge has found, going back to his successful stints at the University of Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and elsewhere, is the value of keeping that playing time fluid from week to week.
“Bottom line is what those (depth) numbers should create, with hopefully high-quality numbers, is competition,” he said. “So, you just can’t rest. You just can’t. You can’t rely on what you did yesterday. You have to do it again today.”
Fourth-year ends Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young, who combined for 60 total pressures and 13 sacks last year (per Pro Football Focus), lead the way off the edge.
Traore averaged 42.7 snaps in 2025, when he missed just one game (Navy) after coming back from a season-ending torn ACL in 2024. Young averaged 26 snaps a year ago, second highest among Irish ends.
Pushing those two in the rotation will be Alabama transfer Keon Keeley, aka the Prodigal Five-Star, along with Loghan Thomas, Cole Mullins and the freshman combo of Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade.
For run-stuffing and pressure up the middle, the Irish added a pair of transfers in Francis Brewu (Pitt) and Tionne Gray (Oregon) to go with returning defensive tackles Jason Onye, Elijah Hughes, Armel Mukam and a host of others.
“We brought in some massive human beings at those positions, but they play big, too,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said near the end of spring practice. “They’re not big guys that play soft. They play big. They’re physical.”
And best of all, they don’t have to shoulder that burden alone.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
Notre Dame football defensive end depth chart
5 | DE | Boubacar Traore | 6-3, 253 | 4Y
7 | DT | Francis Brewu | 6-1, 285 | 3Y
47 | DT | Jason Onye | 6-5, 295 | 6Y
95 | DE | Bryce Young | 6-6, 260 | 4Y
11 | DE | Keon Keeley | 6-5, 275 | 4Y
0 | DT | Tionne Gray | 6-5, 330 | 3Y
56 | DT | Elijah Hughes | 6-3, 295 | 4Y
10 | DE | Loghan Thomas | 6-3, 215 | 3Y
44 | DE | Rodney Dunham | 6-4, 242 | 1Y
14 | DE | Ebenezer Ewetade | 6-4, 240 | 1Y
88 | DT | Armel Mukam | 6-3, 296 | 4Y
59 | DT | Sean Sevillano Jr. | 6-2, 320 | 3Y
42 | DE | Cole Mullins | 6-4, 280 | 3Y
6 | DT | Christopher Burgess Jr. | 6-4, 300 | 2Y
40 | DE | Dominik Hulak | 6-3, 260 | 2Y
60 | DT | Davion Dixon | 6-2, 316 | 2Y
91 | DE | Gordy Sulfsted | 6-5, 275 | 2Y
94 | DE | Joe Reiff | 6-5, 264 | 2Y
90 | DL | Elijah Golden | 6-4, 292 | 1Y
55 | DT | Tiki Hola | 6-5, 310 | 1Y
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame defensive line should attack in waves in 2026
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
