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The Notre Dame defense is in a slightly different position than the offense when it comes to players on the verge of breaking out. There's no question around the level of talent on the offense, but when you look at the defense, there's more players on the brink of a national breakout compared to the offense. You could make the argument that all 11 starters on defense along with some key rotational players could all make a big breakout this fall but there are a few players in particular who's breakout would change the landscape of Notre Dame's defense.
Bryce Young - Defensive End
Notre Dame has one proven returning pass rusher, and that's Boubacar Traore the player starting opposite of Young. In 2025, Traore led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and pressures. We saw flashes from Young last fall, but his lack of finishing at the point of attack led him to only recorded two sacks and 2.0 tackles for a loss all season. He did, however, finished No. 2 on the team in total pressures with 29, only two less than Traore and he did it in 92 less pass rushing snaps.
Young will also have to elevate his game against the run. Last season, he was credited with 10 total run stops. As a bigger, run-stopping defensive end at 6-6, 260-pounds, Young will have to make a big stride in his production against the run. A breakout from the North Carolina native would cement Notre Dame as having one of the top defensive lines in the country. We've seen former Fighting Irish defensive lines only have one viable edge rusher, and they were easy to gameplan against. A breakout from Young would make this a formidable edge duo in South Bend.
Christian Gray - Nickel Corner
This offseason, the Notre Dame defensive coaching staff elected to forgo the transfer portal in search of a nickel and moved Gray inside to the slot. Gray is one of the most experienced players on the Fighting Irish defense along with middle linebacker and captain Drayk Bowen and safety and captain Adon Shuler. The St. Louis native is entering his third year in the starting lineup and has had a very interesting career up to this point. Gray has been a game-wrecker at times and one of the best cornerbacks on the roster. Unfortunately, some of his inconsistencies on the perimeter have led to him giving up big plays.
The nickel corner position has been a vital part of success on Notre Dame's defense, and now, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive backs coach Aaron Henry have elected to hand the keys over to their most experienced cornerback. If Gray has a breakout at nickel, it will solidify Notre Dame as having the No. 1 secondary in the country. His body type and skillset fit the slot position perfectly. If Gray is able to stay healthy and clean up some of the fundamental mistakes, he could be the best slot corner of the Marcus Freeman era.
Drayk Bowen - Middle Linebacker
For the first time in Freeman's career, he has two returning defensive captains. Bowen, the middle linebacker, is one of those returners. The Indiana native is the heart and soul of the Notre Dame defense. Now that he's entering his third year in the starting lineup and second year of the Ash system, he's poised for a breakout in his final season in South Bend. Bowen is a candidate for a level three breakout, one in which a player goes from an impact starter to an All-American caliber player, something he's more than capable of accomplishing.
Bowen has a rough start to the 2025 season, as did a lot of the Notre Dame linebackers. It was a completely new system than what they have played in during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. As the year went on, however, Bowen and the rest of the linebacking corps ramped up their production and were playing some of their best football down the stretch. It's a pretty solid bet this unit picks up where they left off in 2025, and if Bowen is the player we believe him to be, he could be the heart and soul of the team that ends Notre Dame's near 40-year championship drought.
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Bryce Young - Defensive End
Notre Dame has one proven returning pass rusher, and that's Boubacar Traore the player starting opposite of Young. In 2025, Traore led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and pressures. We saw flashes from Young last fall, but his lack of finishing at the point of attack led him to only recorded two sacks and 2.0 tackles for a loss all season. He did, however, finished No. 2 on the team in total pressures with 29, only two less than Traore and he did it in 92 less pass rushing snaps.
Young will also have to elevate his game against the run. Last season, he was credited with 10 total run stops. As a bigger, run-stopping defensive end at 6-6, 260-pounds, Young will have to make a big stride in his production against the run. A breakout from the North Carolina native would cement Notre Dame as having one of the top defensive lines in the country. We've seen former Fighting Irish defensive lines only have one viable edge rusher, and they were easy to gameplan against. A breakout from Young would make this a formidable edge duo in South Bend.
Christian Gray - Nickel Corner
This offseason, the Notre Dame defensive coaching staff elected to forgo the transfer portal in search of a nickel and moved Gray inside to the slot. Gray is one of the most experienced players on the Fighting Irish defense along with middle linebacker and captain Drayk Bowen and safety and captain Adon Shuler. The St. Louis native is entering his third year in the starting lineup and has had a very interesting career up to this point. Gray has been a game-wrecker at times and one of the best cornerbacks on the roster. Unfortunately, some of his inconsistencies on the perimeter have led to him giving up big plays.
The nickel corner position has been a vital part of success on Notre Dame's defense, and now, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive backs coach Aaron Henry have elected to hand the keys over to their most experienced cornerback. If Gray has a breakout at nickel, it will solidify Notre Dame as having the No. 1 secondary in the country. His body type and skillset fit the slot position perfectly. If Gray is able to stay healthy and clean up some of the fundamental mistakes, he could be the best slot corner of the Marcus Freeman era.
Drayk Bowen - Middle Linebacker
For the first time in Freeman's career, he has two returning defensive captains. Bowen, the middle linebacker, is one of those returners. The Indiana native is the heart and soul of the Notre Dame defense. Now that he's entering his third year in the starting lineup and second year of the Ash system, he's poised for a breakout in his final season in South Bend. Bowen is a candidate for a level three breakout, one in which a player goes from an impact starter to an All-American caliber player, something he's more than capable of accomplishing.
Bowen has a rough start to the 2025 season, as did a lot of the Notre Dame linebackers. It was a completely new system than what they have played in during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. As the year went on, however, Bowen and the rest of the linebacking corps ramped up their production and were playing some of their best football down the stretch. It's a pretty solid bet this unit picks up where they left off in 2025, and if Bowen is the player we believe him to be, he could be the heart and soul of the team that ends Notre Dame's near 40-year championship drought.
------
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.
BECOME A MEMBER
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
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Follow me on Twitter: @TTrow5
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Continue reading...
