Notre Dame’s Bryce Young Looks Poised to Break Out After Glimpses Freshman Year

Bryce Young didn’t take long to make an impression during his freshman season at Notre Dame. The son of Hall of Famer and Notre Dame legend Bryant Young, Bryce Young showcased flashes of brilliance as an edge rusher, and despite limited playing time, his athleticism and raw talent were impossible to ignore. As the 2025 season approaches, all eyes are on Young as he looks poised to take the next step and solidify his role as a key component of Notre Dame’ pass rush this season.

From High School Standout to Notre Dame Freshman Contributor

Bryce Young joined Notre Dame as a consensus four-star recruit and one of the most sought-after defensive prospects in the 2024 class. On3 ranked him as the 50th player nationally, the eighth-best edge rusher, and the top recruit in his state. 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN were not quite as high on Young with rankings placing him anywhere from 74th overall to 219th overall.

At Charlotte Christian School, Young earned four varsity letters in football and two in wrestling. As a senior, he was named first-team all-state and all-conference, while also earning Adidas All-American honors. He dominated with 97 tackles, 14 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles, leading his team to an 8-4 record and a second-place finish in the Big South Conference. Over his high school career, he totaled 191 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, and five forced fumbles.

Off the field, Young excelled academically as a member of the National Honor Society and the National Latin Honor Society. He also earned Charlotte Observer All-Star Team honors. The son of Bryant Young, a Notre Dame football legend and NFL Hall of Famer, and Kristin Young, a former Notre Dame track and field athlete, Bryce carries on his family’s proud legacy at Notre Dame.

Bryce Young’s Freshman Year: Laying the Defensive Foundation

Young’s freshman year at Notre Dame showcased his versatility and showed glimpses of his potential, with his impact felt both on defense and on special teams. From his debut against Texas A&M to the national championship game against Ohio State, Young progressed throughout the season, steadily making his presence felt. He recorded his first career quarterback hurry against Purdue, and followed it up with his first career tackle and blocked kick Miami of Ohio – the latter of which was a sign of things to come. Against Louisville, he collected three solo tackles, and at Stanford, both of his tackles came on critical third-down stops.

As the season progressed, Young continued to deliver in key moments. He blocked a field goal against Georgia Tech and a punt against Army, setting up an early Notre Dame touchdown. As Notre Dame prepared for the playoffs, Young flashed enough throughout the season that he was one of the key players we looked at to make a difference in the postseason.

Young didn’t disappoint, despite getting banged up in the first round against Indiana. His postseason contributions were equally impactful, including a sack for an eight-yard loss against Indiana – the first solo sack of his career. By the time Notre Dame faced Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Young had established himself as a disruptive force on the Irish defense, even catching the attention of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart ahead of the Sugar Bowl. Young added another four tackles in the semifinal win over Penn State that sent Notre Dame to the national championship game.

Bryce Young Poised to Be a Key Defensive Contributor in 2025

Notre Dame’s pass rush should be a bigger factor in 2025 than it was a season ago, and Bryce Young is a major reason for that. Even with Jordan Botelho suffering another injury as he looked to return from last year’s major leg injury, the Irish still return Boubacar Traore from injury on the EDGE. Add in the development of fellow sophomore Loghan Thomas and veteran EDGE rushers Joshua Burnham and Junior Tuihalamaka, and Notre Dame has the makings of its deepest and most talented pass rush in the year.

And that doesn’t even account for the pass rush skills of linebackers Jaylen Sneed or Kyngston Villamu-Asa.

Young specifically has the chance to take the Irish pass rush to another level, though. All spring long, we heard some rave reviews about the sophomore to be and his potential for this year and beyond. He was a nightmare for the Irish offensive line in the Blue and Gold game, registering a sack and several pressures throughout the game.

Expectations will be sky high for Young this year – maybe even unrealistically high for a sophomore who is still developing. Many will predict 10+ sacks from Young this season, and while he has the skill to do it, that would be a massive leap that we haven’t seen a second-year pass rusher make in a while. It took Isaiah Foskey til his third year to reach such status, for instance. Stephon Tuitt, however, jumped from 2.0 sacks to 12.0 from his freshman to sophomore seasons back in 2012. Whether or not Young is closer to Tuitt’s 12.0 sacks than Foskey’s 4.5 sacks as a sophomore will depend on Young’s ability to add to his growing pass rush repertoire.

If Notre Dame can get Young to land somewhere between sophomore year Tuitt and Foskey while getting a similar contribution from Traore, the Notre Dame pass rush this year could be special.

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