Notre Dame's Defensive Front Filled with Pleasant Surprises for 2024

Is Armel Mukam the next Irish star player to emerge on the scene?

Armel Mukam DL of the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame football practice at the Irish Athletic Center on August 7, 2023. / MATTIE NERETIN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame loves their depth along the defensive front

You'd be hard-pressed to name the last year Notre Dame felt as confident in its defensive line rotation as they feel entering 2024. So much so that Al Golden and Al Washington have been speaking comfortably about a rotation that goes more than ten deep.

Should the Irish indeed be able to rely on this amount of players without suffering a production drop-off, it will certainly bode well for the season and more immediately, the critical upcoming Week 1 battle with Texas A&M.

Unfortunate news for one player opens door to playing time for another

After persevering through an issue that had him partially separated from the football program recently, it's a shame to hear that Gabe Rubio will now be missing time due to injury.

But as the saying goes, it's about the next man up, and that next man filling this depth role may end up being a defensive line signee from the 2023 class,

Armel Mukam who himself has recently battled through injury this last spring is about to growo into a star.

My preferred method of giving back to the South Bend YMCA is through volunteering for their after-school youth program! If you're seeking to donate to a nonprofit, you can learn more about the YMCA South Bend here: https://t.co/zVVHuNQtym pic.twitter.com/fthVi9MGrp

— Armel Ngueyam Mukam (@mukam_9) January 9, 2024

From all reports coming from his teammates and coaches, Mukam made a terrific physical jump heading into fall camp and has been impressive. Time will tell if Mukam is indeed the next "plug and play" lineman for this Irish, but for now, it's great to see him garnering attention for all of the right reasons.

He's one of the brightest surprises, and soon this season he should be one of the breakout stars.

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