Breaking Down Notre Dame's Biggest Recent Defensive Offers

Even with the turnover at defensive coordinator and some key positions, Notre Dame is poised to once again have another strong defense it can lean on. Players like Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison, and Jack Kiser are not easy to replace, but there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings to make the most of their shot.

Photo by The Irish Tribune

With that being said, it is never too early to look ahead at future prospects who can help reinforce the fast and physical nature Marcus Freeman has instilled at South Bend. Last time we took a look at some of the top offensive players that Notre Dame reached out to on Pot of Gold Day, but now I want to move to the other side of the ball and break down some of the best defensive talent that received offers.

DE Chris Whitehead

The No. 1 player in the state of Virginia would certainly be a big-time get on the defensive side of the ball for Marcus Freeman and his staff. Whitehead is a long-limbed 6'5" rusher who also doubles as a tight end for Lloyd C. Bird High School. He finished his sophomore campaign with 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, meaning he made himself right at home in opposing offenses' backfields.

Whitehead possesses very good athleticism and change of direction, and shows some ability to play with bend even at his height. He showcases incredible upfield burst, a lot of times beating offensive linemen off the ball, and can close from the backside of plays in a hurry. He maintains his balance and lane integrity when taking on pulling linemen at the point of attack. Whitehead also has excellent awareness, showing a good feel for screen passes coming his direction, and knows when to get his hands up in the passing lane, resulting in plenty of knockdowns, and in some cases, interceptions. Whitehead can dip his shoulder and flatten to the QB on speed rushes, but he can also generate some pressure from the interior with a solid bull rush.

Chris Whitehead would bring a high ceiling as a pass rusher to Notre Dame, and would help keep a defense that has become consistently one of the best in the country over the last few seasons in the upper echelon of college ball.

ATH Xavier Sabb

Most recruiting sites list Sabb as an ATH, with no specific position, but that's only because of how versatile he truly is. The two-way star is the No.1 ranked player from New Jersey, and is a special athlete who showed out in his sophomore season. Sabb came down with 7 interceptions, and put up 15 total touchdowns, including 12 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 pick six, and 1 punt return. Sabb still has two more years at the high school ranks, but from what I have seen of him, I think he projects out very nicely as a safety at the next level.

Sabb would bring elite ball skills to the secondary, carrying over his receiving acumen to the defensive side of things, where any errant pass in his area will likely become a turnover. He does a good job keying on the QB's eyes and breaking on passes while playing from a deep zone. Sabb possesses the range necessary to play sideline to sideline, and shows the ability to break down and make tackles in the open field.

With Xavier Watts departing for the NFL, the Fighting Irish are losing one of their all-time best playmakers at the safety position. Sabb has a long way to go to end up in that type of conversation, but he certainly has a skill set that translates to forcing plenty of turnovers, and would help keep the tradition of talented safety play at Notre Dame alive and well.

DT Benjarvius Shumaker

As a running theme in this article, we once again have the No. 1 player from their respective state. Shumaker is the top defensive lineman out of Mississippi, and is an absolute game wrecker for opposing offenses to deal with. Like Xavier Sabb, he was named to MaxPreps Sophomore All-America Team, and rightfully so.

Shumaker is the type of player that you can move all around the defensive line and have success with. He takes snaps as a true nose tackle, a 1-technique and a 3-technique. He plays with violent hands and has major upside as an interior rusher, displaying a quick jab step that he pairs with a swim move to knock linemen off balance, but can also win up the middle with pure power. Shumaker plays with good pad level and leg drive off the ball. and has a very good upfield burst, even at his size. His mental processing when it comes to how he keys run vs pass post-snap is incredibly refined. He sheds blockers at the point of attack consistently and is a sure tackler.

Shumaker is already 270 pounds and has not begun to even scratch the surface of his strength potential. Already a dominant force, I am intrigued to see how much more he develops over his remaining high school career. Interior pressure is a quarterback's worst nightmare, and Shumaker would ensure many sleepless nights for anyone under center across from him.

In the 2024-2025 season, Notre Dame proved that defense can still be the thing that gets you to the mountain top. A defensive minded Head Coach like Marcus Freeman knows how much it means to be a team that opposing offenses are worried about playing week in and week out. These three prospects discussed above would all be big-time recruiting prizes for the Fighting Irish and would keep the trajectory of that side of the ball on the up and up for years to come.

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