Why Notre Dame Linebackers Will Thrive In 2026

Notre Dame Football starts its 2026 campaign with very high expectations. The Irish are an early national title pick and have one of the leading Heisman candidates at the helm of the offense.

As for the Irish defense, year two of the Chris Ash experience is expected to start off where the season ended last season. This unit is expected to be one of the very best in the country. Let's discuss how a bolstered defensive front and elite secondary will help the Notre Dame linebackers hunt.

Notre Dame's defensive line has added reinforcements

Entering the portal period, there was no question that the Irish had to add multiple defensive linemen to the roster for anyone to feel that the Irish could contend for a national title.

In response to this need, Notre Dame added three different players who each bring unique body types and skill sets to the group. Francis Brewu is a stocky-framed tank that can play inside, Tionne Gray is 6'6 335 and ready to clog running lanes, and Keon Keeley, a former Irish commit, is ready to get after the passer off the edge.

The diverse skillsets of these portal players added to the core of existing players like Boubacar Traore, Jason Onye, Elijah Hughes, and Bryce Young make the sky the limit for this group.

New defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, one of the best in the sport, should be able to mix and match his personnel at will to match any down and distance. This is a luxury Notre Dame has not had recently, and it will free up the rest of the defense in a big way.

As for the Irish secondary, this is a more homegrown unit expected to be among the very best in the country, led by Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler, and Tae Johnson. Having this kind of talent on the front end and back leads us to the linebackers, who are poised to have a great season.

New Notre Dame linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary says having a guy like Drayk Bowen, a returning captain, helps ease the transition.

"It's always a blessing to have someone like Drayk, not just a leader in the room, but a team leader. That makes a big difference.” pic.twitter.com/Yi2Flpvphj
— Drew Mentock (@AndrewMentock) March 4, 2026

Notre Dame's linebackers are ready to make plays

When discussing this group, we must first acknowledge that the best player of the bunch, in my opinion, and the most instinctive, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, will be out for at least the first half of 2026 rehabbing from a leg injury in 2025.

Even with this setback, this group is ready to shine with known entities like Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, and a quickly ascending Madden Fairaimo.

With the support this group will get from the position groups in front of and behind them, Notre Dame linebackers should be in a position to simply make plays, knowing their back end is covered and there will be pressure applied from the defensive front. The ingredients are in place for this group to take off in 2026 and protect the middle of the field at an elite level.