Notre Dame made great strides defensively in 2023, to the point where the Irish had one of the best units in the country by the end of the season.
The Irish defense was a big part of the success that led to a 10-3 record last season.
Notre Dame is working to establish itself as an elite defensive football program, but to do so, the unit must start accumulating elite seasons together.
The good news is that the 2024 defense can do just that.
There are personnel losses and the team will look different next season, but it has a chance of being excellent.
Now, the entire defensive staff is expected to return, which is very important for Notre Dame as they want to establish continuity on that side of the ball.
Defensive coordinator Al Golden will likely be coveted for the same role he played during the NFL offseason, but Notre Dame will work hard to keep him on the team.
With players arriving on campus this week, it’s the perfect time to take a first look at Notre Dame’s defense in 2024.
Notre Dame is losing several key players from its defense in 2023, and replacing them will be difficult.
As with the offense, the defense has used a variety of players this season, with 16 different players starting this season.
In this article, starters are players who have played at least four games this season (1/3 of the regular season).
Notre Dame’s secondary was also hit hard by departures, with three starters departing, including two multi-year starters.
Although Notre Dame lost just two two-deep defenders along the defensive line, those two players totaled 69 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Despite losing some key starters, the Irish are also returning a lot of talent from their 2023 unit, and it was incredibly important that Xavier Watts, Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III returned for another season.
