Notre Dame Class Rankings-Grades: Defense

1 week ago 2

Notre Dame landed yet another outstanding defensive class during the 2026 recruiting cycle, giving the Irish a great chance to continue putting an elite defense on the field. Notre Dame landed arguably the best secondary and defensive line hauls in the country. It was certainly a gap closing group of signees.

I graded the defensive class HERE, and now it’s time to look at the player grades for the class.

DEFENSIVE CLASS RANKINGS

DE Rodney Dunham - 6-4, 225
DE Ebenezer Ewetade - 6-4, 211
DT Elijah Golden - 6-4, 270
DT Tiki Hola - 6-3, 305
LB Thomas Davis Jr. - 6-2, 218
LB Jakobe Clapper - 6-2, 220
S Joey O'Brien - 6-4, 190
S Nicholas Reddish - 5-10, 185
CB Khary Adams - 6-1, 185
CB Ayden Pouncey - 6-3, 179
CB Chaston Smith - 6-0, 169

PLAYER PROFILES

RODNEY DUNHAM

Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-4, 225
Hometown/High School: Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)

Landing an elite edge was a huge priority in the 2026 class and Dunham is just that. He’s a talented dual-threat end that has the tools to develop into an impact edge in the Irish defense. Dunham has an outstanding frame at 6-4 and 225 pounds with long arms. He should easily to get to at least 260 pounds in relatively short order at Notre Dame. Dunham is an elite athlete with one of the best first steps in the country. The Myers Park star explodes off the edge both with his speed rush to the outside and when he’s trying to slant or shoot gaps. It’s the kind of first step you just can’t teach, and it’s something that Notre Dame really only has on the roster in Boubacar Traore. Dunham still needs to learn how to use his hands better to win on the edge and his pass rush repertoire needs to be enhanced, but he has the burst, power and ability to bend to become a dominant pass rusher. What makes him a big time player isn’t just his pass rushing ability, but it’s his all-around game. Dunham is a strong run defender that sets the edge well, has the power and length to get off blocks and he’s a smart edge player. He should really take a jump next season as he gets further removed from his knee injury.

EBENEZER EWETADE

Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-4, 211
Hometown/High School: Garner, N.C./South Garner

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 15 caliber prospect)

If Adams or O’Brien doesn’t have the highest ceiling in the class it’s because that honor belongs to Ewetade. His first step is special and his athletic skillset is that of a future first round NFL Draft pick. There are times he’s so quick off the ball that I have to rewind the film to see if he jumped offsides, but he’s just that quick. Despite being incredibly raw, Ewetade had a dominant senior season and continued to improve his game. Right now he’s a big time playmaker thanks to his overall tools, which on top of his elite burst and speed includes powerful hands and outstanding agility. Ewetade is an impact run defender at the prep level thanks to his length, power and athleticism, but at the next level he’ll need to refine that part of his game. He needs to play within the system a bit more, obviously fill out and get stronger, and play with better pad level. But once he starts to get college level coaching he’s going to have a chance to go from being a raw, toolsy player to being a highly productive game changing edge rusher.

ELIJAH GOLDEN

Position: Defensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-4, 270
Hometown/High School: Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)

Golden was the perfect way to finish off the 2026 defensive line class when he committed prior to his junior season, and he went out as a senior and was truly dominant. Golden racked up an astounding 39 tackles for loss and 17 sacks while leading Cardinal Mooney to a state championship. Golden is listed at just 270 pounds right now but he has the frame needed to put on a lot of really good weight while maintaining his athleticism. That will be needed, because his quickness and athletic skills are crucial to his dominance as a football player. Golden fires off the ball extremely well, shows an impressive array of moves and closes on the football extremely well, which is why his production is so good. He’s a strong football player, but adding a bit more beef and weight room strength will be needed at the next level. Golden is more than just a talented player, he’s also a smart football player with a good feel for the game. His ability to read screens, quarterback action throws and cut backs is impressive. Golden improved his pad level as a senior, but he still has a tendency to lift up at the snap and not move his feet, which will need to be corrected. If it does he could be an elite interior defender for the Irish.

TIKI HOLA

Position: Defensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-3, 305
Hometown/High School: Bastrop, Texas/Bastrop

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

Notre Dame wanted to add impact beef to the middle of its defensive line with this class and Hola certainly gives the Irish that. He was just 16 years old as a senior, so he’s still young for his grade and his upside is very high. As a senior, Hola moved inside and showed he can still be a playmaker up the middle. Hola is a physical defender that possesses the thicker frame you want inside, especially the lower body. He is also extremely long and he is learning more and more how to use his length as a weapon. His ability to lock blockers out and then get off to the football is impressive. Hola was a disruptive pass rusher on the edge, but his interior pass rush game is still a bit of a work in progress. His bull rushes were outstanding, but improving his other moves will be part of his early development at Notre Dame. Hola is a thick defender, but he’s also a good athlete that gets off the line quite well, he shoots gaps effectively when asked to penetrate and he makes a lot of plays on the ball. As Hola learns to play with better pad level and improves his pass rush game he could be a difference maker for the Irish defensive line.

JAKOBE CLAPPER

Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-2, 220
Hometown/High School: Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)

Clapper is a highly productive player at one of the best programs in the state of Ohio, and he was named a Maxwell All-American after his senior season. Being able to produce against the competition he plays is impressive and shows the kind of player Clapper was for the Bombers. Clapper played all over for St. Xavier but it’s as an off ball linebacker where he performed the best. He’s a rangy athlete that plays well in space and shows a good feel in coverage. He’s a quality athlete with impressive short-area quickness, especially when he plants and drives downhill. It seems that St. Xavier uses him to run stunt and blitz a lot, and in those situations Clapper shows a really impressive initial burst and ability to close quickly on the football. Clapper is a high football IQ player that makes quick reads, which allows him to maximize the range and speed he does possess. He’s not an overly big player but he has good length and the frame to fill out enough to play at the next level.

THOMAS DAVIS JR.

Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-2, 218
Hometown/High School: Matthews, N.C./Weddington

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)

Davis showed a lot of growth as a senior, both with his game and his frame. He was thicker this season, but despite appearing to have added some weight he was more sudden, continue to run well and he obviously played with more power. The smooth part if what I like about Davis as a prospect from a physical standpoint. He has good speed, but he’s not incredibly sudden and explosive. What he does is stay light on his feet, show really clean change of direction skills and he can plant and drive well. He’s rangy in coverage and closes on the football extremely well. He has good length and showed more pop as a senior, which helped him improve his run stopping game, which was already impressive. Davis is hard to block when he’s using his hands well and he uses his range and length to be a really effective zone coverage linebacker. From a physical standpoint alone landing Davis was a good pickup for the Irish, but what really takes his game over the top is what he has between the ears. Davis is an incredibly smart and instinctive linebacker. He maximizes all of his athleticism by his ability to know what the offense wants to do and then his ability to anticipate and read the offense at an elite level.

JOEY O’BRIEN

Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-4, 190
Hometown/High School: Wyndmoor, Pa./LaSalle Collegiate

IB Grade: 5.0 (Top 35 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)

O’Brien is the latest elite secondary player to sign with Notre Dame since Mike Mickens and Marcus Freeman arrived in South Bend. The Pennsylvania native is an elite two-way player that could be an impact starter in college on either side of the ball. Defensively, O’Brien spent much of his prep career at cornerback, and that’s where Notre Dame initially recruited him. O’Brien graded out as a Top 100 player as a cornerback, but when he moved to safety his game exploded. He is still on the skinny side, but he’s exceptionally long and has elite range on the back end of the defense. O’Brien is an outstanding all-around athlete that shows the short area quickness and long speed to thrive. He’s a smooth athlete that can change direction with ease, and he uses his length, range and closing speed to cover a ton of ground in very few steps. O’Brien shows a great feel for the game, showing the ability to read the quarterback and routes at an elite level, which combines with his length and range to allow him to get his hands on a lot of footballs. His body control is special, he has elite hands and he has all the traits needed to be a highly productive turnover machine in college.

NICHOLAS REDDISH

Position: Safety/Nickel
Height/Weight: 5-10, 185
Hometown/High School: Charlotte, N.C./Independence

IB Grade: 3.5 (Top 350 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)

Reddish had a bounce back senior season after missing almost all of his junior campaign with a knee injury. He’ll need another season of building up his strength to get his full burst back, but he looked good as a senior. Independence used Reddish all over the field, lining him up at safety, nickel, cornerback and he played in the box at times as well. His versatility is one of the things that makes him a good fit in the Notre Dame defense. The Irish like versatile players and Reddish can play nickel and safety in this defense. Reddish was extremely productive, racking up over 90 tackles as both a sophomore and a senior, and he had eight tackles for loss and two picks as a senior. He’s not a burner and he’s not incredibly explosive, but he’s a good all-around athlete that shows easy movement skills. He has a clean pedal and his plant-and-drive ability is impressive. That combines with his instincts and tackling ability to make him an ideal fit at the nickel position. He’s a very smart player that makes strong reads, takes good angles to the football and he reads the quarterback extremely well.

KHARY ADAMS

Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 6-1, 185
Hometown/High School: Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield

IB Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)

Adams is an extremely gifted player with arguably the highest upside in the class. He has everything Notre Dame wants in a cornerback. Big time size, athleticism, toughness and playmaking ability. Adams didn’t reach five-star status on the current grade because he still needs a lot of work from a technique standpoint. Right now he gets by on God-given ability and effort, but if he can develop better footwork, use his hands better and get more coverage experience he has the tools to be a star cover man. Athletically, Adams shows big time speed and excellent all-around athletic skills. He has loose hips, easy change of direction skills and he moves with ease. As a junior you saw how impressive he was playing off the ball, but as a senior he showed off big time man coverage skills. Adams is tall and has elite length, and as a senior he showed more of an understanding of how to use it in coverage and to make plays. The Loyola Blakefield star also showed a more physical game as a senior, delivering big hits on ball carriers and a much-improved ability to beat blockers. This is an elite talent with big time tools and potential.

AYDEN POUNCEY

Position: Cornerback/Safety
Height/Weight: 6-3, 179
Hometown/High School: Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0 (Top 35 caliber prospect)

Pouncey was an under the radar pickup when the Irish first landed him but it turned out to be huge. Pouncey was very good on film as a junior, which is why the Irish went so hard after him, but his senior film was tremendous. Pouncey is the most versatile prospect in the class, possessing the ability to be an impact player at cornerback, safety or even wide receiver. In fact, if Notre Dame made the decision to move him to offense I wouldn’t push back on it at all. Pouncey is a long, rangy athlete that had elite production on both sides of the ball as a senior, and he was also an impact return man. The Winter Park standout has impressive long speed and range, which helps him thrive defending down the field at cornerback and also gives him exceptional range as a safety. You really see that long speed when he’s playing offense. Pouncey has impressive foot quickness and change of direction skills, and although he’s a bit tight hipped he is able to change direction quite well. Pouncey has a high football IQ and is clearly well prepared each game, but he also has an outstanding feel for the game, which helps him be a big time playmaker.

CHASTON SMITH

Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 6-0, 169
Hometown/High School: Knoxville, Tenn./Catholic

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5 (Top 75 caliber prospect)

In most years, Chas Smith would be Notre Dame’s top cornerback signee and Irish fans would be fired up about landing him. Wherever he ranks now, what is clear is that Smith is part of arguably the best cornerback class in the country. Smith is a long cornerback with a smooth game and athletic profile. He’s not as twitchy and explosive as a player like Leonard Moore, but he’s extremely fluid, has smooth feet and his ability to open up and ran, and to change direction are strong parts of his game. Smith has played in different systems, so during his career he’s been asked to play a lot of press man and off zone looks, and Smith looks comfortable and makes plays in both. He’ll need to get a lot stronger to be a press corner at the next level, but he’s aggressive and competes, so that will come in time. I was impressed with how rangy and effective he was making plays in more off man and zone looks we saw him play as a senior. He could play boundary at Notre Dame, but I really like how Smith projects to the field cornerback position.

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