The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program, under Head Coach Marcus Freeman, is undergoing a meticulous transformation, and a significant part of that evolution can be observed in the physical development of its players. As the 2025 season approaches, an updated roster provides fascinating insights into the weight gains and losses across the defensive unit, highlighting the impact of the strength and conditioning program and the strategic vision of the coaching staff, including new defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive line coach Al Washington, linebackers coach Max Bullough, and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. These fluctuations in player weights are not random; they reflect a targeted approach to enhance athleticism, power, and positional fit.
The defensive line is often the engine of an elite defense, and Notre Dame appears intent on building a dominant unit up front. The overarching trend among the defensive tackles and ends is a significant increase in mass, indicating a focus on run-stuffing capabilities and generating more interior pressure.
- Sean Sevillano Jr.: A notable standout in terms of sheer size, the sophomore defensive tackle is now listed at a massive 6’2″ and 343 pounds, a gain of two pounds from his spring listing. This kind of girth is crucial for occupying blockers and disrupting the run game from the nose guard position.
- Bryce Young: The sophomore defensive end has packed on 13 pounds, reaching 6’7″ and 273 pounds, up from 260. This is a crucial gain for an edge rusher, providing more power to set the edge against the run and convert speed to power in pass rushing. His increased size, combined with his elite upside, could lead to a breakout season.
- Cole Mullins: Another sophomore defensive lineman showing impressive growth, Mullins gained 11 pounds, now tipping the scales at 273 pounds. This added bulk is vital for a player who can contribute both at defensive end and potentially slide inside.
- Boubacar Traore: The junior defensive end is up to 247 pounds from his 238-pound winter listing, a gain of 9 pounds. Traore is expected to provide significant pass-rush impact once healthy, and this added weight should help him withstand the rigors of a full season and improve his power.
- Jordan Botelho: The graduate student defensive end added 10 pounds, now at 260 pounds. While he suffered an offseason pectoral injury, this weight gain suggests the coaching staff’s desire for him to play at a heavier, more powerful edge.
- Junior Tuihalamaka: The senior defensive end gained 6 pounds, now at 260 pounds. Like Botelho, this added mass indicates a strategic effort to enhance his ability to play a more physical brand of football on the edge.
- Christopher Burgess Jr.: A freshman defensive lineman entering the program at a solid 6’4″ and 270 pounds. This is an excellent starting point for a true freshman, indicating he’s already physically prepared for the demands of the college game.
- Armel Mukam: The junior defensive tackle is listed at 6’3″ and 304 pounds, a good size for an interior lineman, and he had a strong spring, drawing praise from coaches.
- Davion Dixon: The freshman defensive tackle is a big body at 6’2″ and 322 pounds. While he missed the spring due to a weight room injury, his initial size speaks to his potential impact as a true nose guard.
- Jared Dawson: The Louisville graduate transfer defensive tackle weighed in at 300 pounds in the spring but is now listed at 288 pounds, a loss of 12 pounds. While this might seem counter-intuitive to the overall bulking trend, it could be a strategic weight cut to enhance quickness and explosiveness for a specific role, or simply a player getting into ideal playing shape.
- Jason Onye: The graduate student defensive tackle dropped six pounds to 302. After returning from injury in the spring semester, this slight reduction could also be aimed at optimizing his athletic performance while maintaining strength.
The emphasis on size and power on the defensive line is evident. Coach Al Washington’s unit appears poised to be significantly more robust against the run in 2025, which was a point of emphasis after giving up too many big rushing plays in certain games in 2024. The added mass should allow them to hold the point of attack more effectively and create more opportunities for the linebackers behind them.
The linebacker corps is another area seeing notable physical development, with players adding lean mass to enhance their ability to cover ground and make impactful tackles.
- Madden Faraimo: The sophomore linebacker made an impressive gain of 11 pounds, indicating a focus on building strength and size for a more robust presence in the middle.
- Jaiden Ausberry: The sophomore linebacker added 6 pounds, suggesting a desire to balance his elite athleticism with enough bulk to take on blockers and be more effective against the run, especially as he competes for more playing time.
- Josh Burnham: The senior linebacker is up by 4 pounds, maintaining his physical presence at the position.
- Jaylen Sneed: The junior linebacker registered a loss of 4 pounds. This could be a deliberate effort to increase his speed and agility for coverage duties, or to achieve an optimal playing weight for his specific role in the defensive scheme. Sneed has elite athleticism, and optimizing his weight for that could unleash his full potential.
The linebacker group, with returning talent like Drayk Bowen (who led the unit in snaps in 2024) and the development of players like Faraimo, Ausberry, and Sneed, appears poised for a breakout season. The weight changes reflect a nuanced approach to individual player development, ensuring they are physically optimized for their roles within the defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Chris Ash.
The safety position often requires a blend of coverage skills and run support, and the weight changes here suggest an emphasis on adding sufficient size to handle both.
- Ethan Long: The freshman safety made one of the most significant gains among defensive players, adding 13 pounds to reach 211 pounds from his early enrollee weight of 198. This is a crucial gain for a young safety, providing the mass needed to withstand collisions and contribute effectively in run support while maintaining the athleticism for coverage.
- Adon Shuler: The junior safety gained 9 pounds, now up to 207 pounds. This added weight should help him enhance his tackling power and ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage when needed.
- Nolan James: The freshman safety gained 7 pounds, reaching 207 pounds. Similar to Long, this increase prepares him for the physical demands of the position at the collegiate level.
- Jalen Stroman: The Virginia Tech graduate transfer safety dropped 5 pounds to 199 since entering the program in the winter. This could be a strategic reduction to improve his speed and agility, especially if he’s expected to play a coverage-heavy role.
- Taebron Bennie-Powell: The sophomore safety lost 5 pounds, which might indicate a focus on maximizing his speed for coverage or a strategic adjustment to his playing weight.
- Ben Minich: The sophomore safety dropped 4 pounds. This could be aimed at enhancing his quickness and burst, which are critical for reacting to plays on the back end.
- Luke Talich: The sophomore safety also dropped 4 pounds, likely for similar reasons related to optimizing speed and agility.
The overall trend in the secondary’s weight changes points towards a defensive backfield that aims to be both agile in coverage and stout against the run. The younger safeties are clearly being bulked up to prepare for the physical demands, while some veterans may be fine-tuning their weight for optimal performance.
These weight fluctuations across Notre Dame’s defensive roster are a clear indicator of the intensive and individualized work being done by the strength and conditioning staff under Coach Loren Landow and his team. The goal is not simply to add mass or cut weight arbitrarily, but to scientifically optimize each player’s body for their specific role within defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s scheme.
The gains on the defensive line suggest a desire for more consistent pressure and improved run defense, while the calculated changes among linebackers and safeties aim to create a versatile and athletic defense capable of defending against both the run and the increasingly complex passing attacks of modern college football. As Notre Dame prepares for the 2025 season, these physical transformations highlight a program committed to maximizing its players’ potential and building a defense ready to compete at the highest level.
