Dueling Ideologies: Does Notre Dame's Defense have an Identity Crisis?
While Notre Dame's defense has looked good throughout the 2026 season, the BYU matchup exposed fundamental problems that North Carolina hinted at and that have been brewing for two seasons now.
Photo by Rob Gray - IMAGN Images
To start the season, Notre Dame's defense came in with the expectation that it would be one of the best defensive units in the entire country. It has Leonard Moore, one of the best safety duos in the country, a talented linebacker group, and an experienced front with key portal additions. When it comes to their troubles, it does not stem from a lack of talent.
The 2026 Notre Dame defense has a problem with its philosophy, and it started last season. Before Chris Ash arrived, Al Golden was in charge of a defense that led Notre Dame to a National Championship appearance. In that season, Golden built a defense that was unapologetically itself. There was no doubt in that group about what they wanted to do. They specialized in intense man-to-man coverage that rarely deviated from that philosophy. Yes, that did make the defense predictable, but it left its players with little to think about. With talented players free to act on their instincts, it created a defense that was fast, violent, and overwhelming for opposing offenses. It seemed to be a perfect marriage for the type of football Marcus Freeman and Golden wanted to play at Notre Dame. That unison built a unit that Notre Dame fans expected to see every year, but that changed when Golden left for the NFL.
When Ash arrived, the assumption was that he would do everything he could to preserve what made that 2024 defense so special. Instead, it was clear from the start that things had changed. In 2025, the Irish opened the season against Miami and Texas A&M. In those games, the defense did not play to the standard that it had set in 2024. The players looked slow, confused, and lacked the violent play style they were known for. With a preference to play more zone defense, the players looked too worried about playing their area to make the play that was right in front of them. On the defensive line, there looked to be no real urgency to apply pressure to the QB with unique blitzes, something Golden was great at doing. All of this led to an uninspiring start to the season for the defense. To give Ash credit, the defensive performance did improve as the season went along, but the weaker schedule may have had something to do with that.
This season, with one of the most talented Notre Dame defenses in recent history, many believed the growing pains of a new defensive coordinator would be a thing of the past. While the defense had played well, BYU exposed all the same problems this defense had early last season. In a big game, the defense once again played conservatively with a group of players that are built to play fast. BYU's running back, Preston Rex, said following the win against the Irish that Ash's defense was "a little bit vanilla, a little bit conservative." Notre Dame fans felt it too. It starts with the secondary that is touted as one of the best in the country. The group is made up primarily of cover corners that thrive in tight man-to-man defense. They all have great size, length, and speed that make them elite at staying attached to receivers, making it hard for QBs to throw around them. Unexplainably, against BYU, Ash opted to sit back in zone coverage, inviting BYU QB Bear Bachmeier to pick the Irish defense apart. In zone, the Notre Dame secondary once again looked slow, unreactive, and struggled to get aligned before the snap.
Along the defensive line, the problems only got worse. In Provo, the defense rarely brought pressure to Bachmeier, a QB who has struggled when made uncomfortable. Bachmeier is a good QB who is accurate when given the proper time to throw. Under pressure, he has a tendency to chuck risky passes, giving the defense a chance to capitalize. This should have been an invitation for Ash to consistently dial up his best blitzes, but he rarely did. Instead, the defense looked content to continuously sit back and try to cover receivers for long stretches of time. For this, the entire defense struggled.
Overall, the BYU game exposed Notre Dame's desire to have it all on defense. They want to be an aggressive defense that causes negative plays and turnovers while containing the ability to mix up coverages in zone. During Ash's tenure, they have yet to have that balance. Under Golden, there was no balance, but it worked. They did exactly what they were good at and forced opposing teams to change their game plan instead of their own. In his most recent press conference, Freeman addressed this very thing, revealing that he, too, may notice the subtle change in thinking that has taken place. He talked about the defense needing the ability to win plays regardless of what the offensive play-call is. If Notre Dame is in man coverage and BYU is calling man-beater, it just means that the defense needs to play better man, not just immediately switch to zone coverage. The idea is to make the other team adjust to you, not the other way around. Against BYU, Notre Dame was adjusting to the Cougars, and Freeman knows it.
With the Bye week, these fundamental problems may have been addressed, but only time will tell. The Fighting Irish play Navy this week, where any changes to the defense will most likely be insignificant. The real test will come a week later against Miami, who has the highest-powered offense in the country. There, Notre Dame will see if their defense is finally up to the task of stopping a great offense in a big game under Ash.
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