Back in the winter, Notre Dame’s first Transfer Portal victory of the offseason was the return of defensive lineman Armel Mukam. The veteran defender initially thought he wanted to seek out greener pastures but eventually decided against leaving South Bend. Now that decision could pay big dividends, as Mukam is in line for a much bigger role in 2026 than he’s ever seen before.
“The biggest thing is just how special this university is, how special the coaching staff is, how special the locker room is,” Mukam said on why he decided to stay with the Fighting Irish. “You go on all these visits, and you kind of realize, ‘Whoa, Notre Dame truly is special.’”
Mukam went on to say that, despite being at Notre Dame for three years, he didn’t realize just how special a place it was until he was about to play elsewhere. Under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, Mukam went under the radar for three years, but he’s finally catching the DC’s eye and is very much in the competition for not just playing time, but a starting job.
When asked whether he knew Mukam could compete for a starting job coming into 2026, he said yes. He pointed out that he and Marcus Freeman would not have fought so hard to bring him back otherwise.
Armel Mukam challenges for Notre Dame football starting job after Transfer Portal return
“The thing that I liked about him last year,” Ash said about Mukam’s motor never stopping. “Even though he wasn't getting reps on game day, he was working extremely hard to help improve himself and improve the team.”
For his part, Mukam gives Charlie Partridge quite a bit of credit for his turnaround this year. “I think the biggest thing is he individualized his coaching,” Mukam said earlier this summer. “He's not going to coach every single player the same way. It's different things in my game.”
The Notre Dame defensive lineman went on to explain one way Partridge helped fix his game: showing him that, at times, he would do a little false-twitch off the ball. Mukam added that Partridge pointed that out the minute the new position coach got to camp in the spring. Fixing his first-step technique wasn’t the only area where Mukam has grown. His football IQ has also taken a significant jump under Partridge as he’s learned more about his position and how it meshes with the rest of the defense.
All of this means that Armel Mukam, who has never really been in the conversation about starting on the defensive line, is changing the narrative. He could become one of the biggest surprise stories on Notre Dame’s defense, and that could show up when the Irish take on Wisconsin next week.
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