Notre Dame Football All-Time Top 10 Pass Rushers

Which Notre Dame defenders have the most sacks in school history?

Nov 20, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) pressures Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Jordan Yates (13) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame has historically been dominant on both sides of the ball. But, as is often the case in college football, the top defensive players in Notre Dame history have been somewhat overlooked compared to their offensive counterparts.

Defense, as the old saying goes, wins championships. And critical to any good defense is a fearsome pass rush. Over the years, plenty of excellent pass rushers have passed through South Bend on their way to the NFL, including Hall of Famers and All-Americans.

But which Fighting Irish players in their careers have been most productive at sacking the opposing quarterback? Below are the top 10 all-time Notre Dame sack leaders.

An important footnote is that, prior to 1982, sacks were not an officially recorded stat, which means that earlier players do not make it onto this list. So in a more modern era of college football ...

10. Bryant Young (1990-1993)

Young had 18.0 sacks during a decorated four-year career at Notre Dame, which saw him named an All-American as a senior. As an interior defensive tackle, Young was highly prolific at getting to the quarterback both in college and in the NFL, which landed him in the Hall of Fame in 2022.

9. Ryan Roberts (1999-2002)

Roberts had 19.0 sacks during a tumultuous Notre Dame tenure which saw him struggle early with injuries before hitting his stride and avoiding the injury bug later on. In 2001 and 2002, he combined for 14 sacks, with eight in his final season.

T7. Prince Shembo (2010-2013)

Shembo had 19.5 sacks from the inside linebacker position in his time at Notre Dame. His most statistically productive season was in 2012, when he put up 7.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.

T7. Renaldo Wynn (1993-1996)

Wynn also had 19.5 sacks while at Notre Dame. His earlier years were spent primarily at linebacker, while he switched to defensive end towards the end of his Irish career and immediately made a greater impact on the opposing quarterback. In 1996, he had nine sacks and was named team MVP.

6. Mike Gann (1981-1984)

Gann recorded 21.0 sacks during his time at Notre Dame, which coincided with the birth of the official sack stat. The lineman was a Second-Team All American in 1984 and had a solid nine-year NFL career.

T4. Stephon Tuitt (2011-2013)

Tuitt put up 21.5 sacks while at Notre Dame. He was especially dominant in his sophomore 2012 season, with his 12 sacks placing him second in school history for one year and earning him All-American honors. He was an All-American again in 2013 before moving on to the NFL.

T4. Victor Abiamiri (2003-2006)

Like Tuitt, Abiamiri had 21.5 sacks during his Notre Dame career. The highly touted recruit out of Baltimore played all four years for the Irish, with eight sacks in 2005 and 10.5 in 2006. His four sacks in a 2005 game against Stanford are still tied for first in school history.

3. Kory Minor (1995-1998)

Minor finished his Notre Dame career with 22.5 sacks. The outside linebacker made an impact all over the field, as he recorded five interceptions during his time with the Irish.

2. Justin Tuck (2002-2004)

Tuck had 24.5 sacks across his remarkable Notre Dame career, setting the since-broken school record. His 13.5 sacks in 2003 set the school record, and he racked up multiple 4-sack games, one in 2002 against Pitt and another in 2003 against Stanford. Tuck would go on to have a distinguished NFL career, with multiple Super Bowls and Pro Bowls to his credit.

1. Isaiah Foskey (2019-2022)

Foskey has the Notre Dame school record with 26.5 sacks throughout his career. Foskey recorded back-to-back 11-sack seasons in 2021 and 2022, making him the only player in Notre Dame history to have multiple double-digit sack seasons. He is the only current NFL player on this list.

- Notre Dame Football: Top Passing Leaders of All Time