Notre Dame football: Mike Elston leaving the Irish in very good shape

Word has come down that Mike Elston will be leaving the Notre Dame football team, but he is leaving it in very good shape.

When Brian Kelly left the Notre Dame football program to head to LSU to take the same position, the program elevated defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman into the head coaching position. Needing someone he could trust to call the defensive plays during the Fiesta Bowl, Freeman turned to Mike Elston, who had spurned Kelly’s offer to follow him to the Bayou.

Elston, who has led the Irish up front along the defensive line for 12 years, is now deciding to make a change, as Irish Breakdown reported that he will be leaving the Notre Dame football team for Michigan. The Wolverines are Elston’s alma mater, so the move makes sense, but his departure also leaves the Irish with a gaping hole at a very important coaching position.

Luckily for Freeman, Elston is leaving the Irish in an outstanding position to continue to grow along the defensive line.

Notre Dame football loaded along the defensive line in 2022 and beyond.

Truth is, Elston has helped turn the Irish defensive line into an incredible strength, and next year, they could be one of the best units in football. Not only are a ton of talented players coming in via the 2022 recruiting class, but they also have a bunch of veteran talent returning, including potential 2022 draft picks in Justin and Jayson Ademilola, and star edge rusher Isaiah Foskey.

Elston has done a tremendous job producing elite talent across his 12 years at the helm of the Irish’s defensive line, as many of his players went on to the NFL, including Jerry Tillery, the program’s last first-round pick back in 2019.

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So while this is a tough blow to the coaching staff, you have to believe that this is going to be a fairly easy job to fill considering the amount of talent on the current roster, and some of the key 2023 players the Irish have already gotten commitments from. Notre Dame football is a destination, and we here at SlaptheSign thank Coach Elston for everything he has brought to this program over the last decade-plus.