Now that the final march towards the 2026 season has begun, there are several Notre Dame freshmen who are angling for playing time right off the bat. Among those who are most likely to see field time early and often this fall, defensive ends Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade strike one analyst as the real standouts.
On3's Tyler Horka recently explained how he believes both Dunham and Ewetade could be secret weapons for the defense. While they aren't guys who will steal a starting spot, they could see some action and provide a spark.
Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade could help Notre Dame football earlier than expected
Notre Dame freshmen defensive ends Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade need to play right away. pic.twitter.com/pkTIlpRe4d
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) May 6, 2026
"My goodness, these guys do not look like freshmen. Physically, they don't look like freshmen, and then mentally, they're making plays that you wouldn't expect first-year guys who, you know, we say this all the time. It's like senior prom season. They should be going to that here pretty soon, but they're playing Notre Dame football, and they're making Notre Dame football plays."
Horka thinks there's a chance both guys could come into a game if the defense is struggling to create pressure. He doesn't think either would struggle much if they're just pointed at the quarterback and told to go.
"You're sitting there and you're Notre Dame and you're like, man, we are not getting to the quarterback off the edge enough," Horka added. "Put those guys out there against Wisconsin, against Rice, against Michigan State. I don't care."Â
Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade could boost Notre Dame football’s pass rush quickly
"Like, I guarantee you, if you gave them ample reps in those games, one of those two guys would get to the quarterback and make a sack or make, you know, knock a quarterback down, that type of thing."
It certainly helps the idea that Dunham and Ewetade could see the field in their true-freshman seasons, that they were early enrollees. Both were in South Bend and ready to get started in Mid-January.Â
Those early arrivals allowed them to start learning the defense and take part in all of spring practice. Of the two of them, Dunham got more mention during the Fighting Irish's spring session. Horka is far from the only insider who believes he'll see the field early and often.
Notre Dame's defense is once again predicted to be one of the best in college football. Rodney Dunham could help improve that. Ebenezer Ewetade could join up to make the freshmen deliver an impressive one-two punch.
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