The Notre Dame defense is expected to be one of the best in the sport once again. New defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is plenty excited about his unit, and he’s especially excited about transfer lineman Keon Keeley. Partridge recently spoke about what he’s seen from his new charge and believes he might have finally unlocked the talent that was under wraps in Tuscaloosa.
"He’s really embraced the playbook," Partridge told the media after one recent practice about Keeley. "Not that he didn’t in the spring, but we do a lot. It’s all new language. I was doing it, too. You tend to translate your words...He's past that now and playing faster.
Partridge added that Notre Dame is really starting to see Keeley’s talent stand out. He added that one reason why Keeley is looking even better in preseason camp is that he understands what he’s doing and isn’t having to think through it as much. The defender was still thinking a bit too much during spring practice, but now the ex-Crimson Tide player is starting to “cut loose.”
For now, the top two defensive ends are senior Boubacar Traore and junior Bryce Young. Young has also been singled out as someone who has shown a little extra so far in camp. But Keeley is pushing, according to Partridge, even if he doesn’t take the starting job over either of them.
Keon Keeley pushes for Notre Dame football starting role under Charlie Partridge
When the Fighting Irish coach was asked who looked like the top two right now, he said Traore and Young would have to be the top guys. However, “there's significant improvement by them, but also by Keon, LT [Loghan Thomas] and Rodney [Dunham] is certainly in the mix right there.”
He added that the other defensive ends were mostly in the “development” phase, meaning they still have room to grow before they’re really in the mix for major playing time. He added the coaches feel good about the first five he mentioned.
Traore spent his first two seasons in South Bend as a reserve, but he had a breakout season in 2025. He tallied 37 tackles, with 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His arguably best game of the year was against Miami when he had 6 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. It certainly seems like he’s locked down a starting spot as long as he keeps working like he did last year.
That could mean that the real competition is between Young and Keeley for the other defensive end spot. Young had a decent second season with Notre Dame, notching 20 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 passes defended. Keeley, meanwhile, had 13 tackles and 3 sacks, as well as one pass defended for Alabama.
This is the most talented group of edge players that Notre Dame has had since 2019, and this unit could be even more impactful than it was a year ago. Partridge has no shortage of talent and potential in this room. Now the real battle begins to see if Keon Keeley can fight his way to a starting spot.
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