Notre Dame Defensive End Bryce Young Will Play A Major Role In 2026
Boasting first-round NFL measurables, the 6-6 edge rusher is primed to transform raw potential into elite production alongside Boubacar Traore to form college football’s most lethal tandem.
Notre Dame's defense is loaded with star-power potential heading into the 2026 season. There's one proven star on defense and that's Unanimous All-American cornerback Leonard Moore who will be the best returning corner in the country two years in a row. There's others that are on the verge like defensive end Boubacar Traore and safety Tae Johnson who PFF has ranked as the No.
1 returning safety in the country. Another player making a push to become a star on this loaded defensive roster in rising junior defensive end Bryce Young . Young was one of the highest rated defensive recruits in the 2024 class.
The 6-6, 260-pound North Carolina native came to Notre Dame with a lot of hype, but he was relatively raw coming out of high school and needed time to develop. In 2024, he played 374 snaps in their 16-game season. He came onto the scene against Purdue when they lost defensive in Jordan Botelho to a season ending injury.
His snap volume ramped up during the Louisville game due to an injury suffered by Traore which put an early end to his season as well. In total, Young finished with 17 total pressures and seven hits plus sacks on the quarterback; 15 of his 17 pressures and six of his seven hits plus sacks on the quarterback came from the Louisville game to the end of the season. This past year, Young's snap volume went up.