What Do You Expect From The Notre Dame Defense In 2026?

The Notre Dame defense went on an interesting and frustrating journey in 2025. In the first two and a half games against Miami, Texas A&M, and the first half of Purdue, the Irish defense was out of sorts.

The level of play and results were not at the expected competency level for this unit, which has become the strength of the Notre Dame program in the modern era. In this stretch, the Irish surrendered an astounding 98 points.

To Ash and Notre Dame's credit, from this point on, the Irish played some of the best defense in the country, allowing just 12 points per contest in the five games after the second off week to wrap up the season.

By the time the season ended, the Irish were playing defense just as well as any team in the country. Unfortunately, the damage done in those early weeks, which led to the 0-2 start, doomed the season as the Irish missed the playoff.

Now, as we look to the 2026 season in which the Irish are one of the favorites to win the title, I wonder what the trust level is regarding Chris Ash and his unit?

☘️Do you fully trust Chris Ash with the #NotreDame Defense in 26?
— Always Irish ☘️ (@AlwaysIrishINC) February 10, 2026

Why there should be confidence in the Notre Dame defense

Notre Dame finished last year playing some of the best defense in the country, and it's a shame we didn't get to see it perform in the playoffs.

In 2026, with changes in assistant coaches at all three levels of the defense, the Irish two-deep looks formidable and the schedule supremely manageable. Notre Dame did a great job in the portal, adding high-quality athletes to both the already solid secondary and, most importantly, to the defensive line in need of bolstering.

The loss of star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to an ACL tear in the Syracuse game last year certainly hurts, as he's one of the best players in the country, but overall, this unit should still operate at a very high level.

In my opinion, for this unit to operate at a title-contending level, I feel the defensive line must take a big jump forward in terms of natural pressure without blitz help from the other two levels of the defense.

Why do some Irish fans have hesitation about buying in?

There is a contingent of Notre Dame fans who have not been able to forgive Chris Ash for the 0-2 start that ultimately doomed the season and for just how discombobulated the defense looked.

For this contingent, the 10-0 run that came after 0-2 was against lesser talent than Miami and Texas A&M, and therefore doesn't impress. For these folks, adding "Chris Ash" related assistants only increases the anxiety.

The Notre Dame schedule provides some comfort. The Irish aren't starting the season against two top 10 teams.

This should allow the defense to settle into the season without needing to be near perfect to win games while finding its footing, something last year's schedule didn't allow for. There is a realistic expectation that the Notre Dame defense will and should be a top-five unit in 2026.