The case was already clear. Defensive tackle stood alone as the one position Notre Dame could not afford to ignore in the transfer portal heading into 2026. The Irish were already facing uncertainty, thin experience, and a defensive front that needed at least one proven interior presence to stabilize the unit. That was before the roster lost one of its most trusted trench players. On Monday, Donovan Hinish announced his retirement from football, citing ongoing shoulder issues. With that decision, what had been a pressing concern became something closer to a roster emergency.
Notre Dame didn’t just lose depth. It lost production, leadership, and one of the few defensive tackles on the roster who had proven he could be trusted when the lights were brightest.
What Notre Dame Is Losing Without Donovan Hinish
Hinish was never going to be remembered as Notre Dame’s most statistically dominant defensive lineman — but his career will absolutely be remembered for when and how he showed up.
A three-star recruit from Pittsburgh, Hinish steadily built himself into one of the most reliable interior defenders on the roster. Over time, he evolved from a rotational piece into a trusted presence up front, capable of anchoring against the run, holding his ground against double teams, and doing the unglamorous work that allows a defense to function.
That growth culminated during the 2024 season, when Hinish put together his most complete year, finishing with 35 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss while playing a major role in Notre Dame’s interior rotation. He wasn’t asked to be flashy. He was asked to be dependable – and he delivered.
Then came the defining moment.
Late in Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, with the Bulldogs facing fourth down and one last chance to extend the game, it was Hinish who broke through the interior and delivered the game-ending sack. It instantly became one of the most iconic defensive moments of Notre Dame’s postseason run — and a perfect snapshot of Hinish’s career.
When Notre Dame needed a stop, the staff trusted him to be on the field. When the defense needed someone to finish the job, he did.
That trust carried into 2025, when Hinish, following in his older brother’s footsteps, was named a team captain, reflecting the respect he commanded in the locker room and along the defensive line. Even as injuries limited his effectiveness, he remained a steady presence, finishing the season with 12 tackles and a sack while setting the tone for preparation and toughness in a young room. Hinish famously had Marcel Reed squarely in his sights on the ill-fated 4th down that ultimately sealed Notre Dame’s playoff fate before getting egregiously held with a full-on tackle from behind without being called.
His retirement doesn’t just remove snaps from the depth chart. It removes one of the few interior defenders with proven production, big-game experience, and leadership equity – the hardest traits to replace.
A Thin Room Just Got Thinner
Even before Hinish’s decision, Notre Dame’s defensive tackle situation was far from settled.
Jason Onye has applied for a medical hardship waiver for another year of eligibility and would be the most proven returning interior lineman, but his availability remains uncertain. Elijah Hughes provides experience and flexibility, but not the type of proven interior anchor that changes how opponents game-plan. Behind them is a collection of younger, developmental players – talented, but largely untested and not ready to be leaned on for 40–50 high-leverage snaps against elite competition.
With Hinish gone, Notre Dame no longer has the luxury of waiting for internal development to catch up. The room lacks a veteran presence capable of stabilizing early downs, closing games, and handling the physical demands of a full season against playoff-level opponents.
Armel Mukam could be ready for a more prominent role in the defense, but he logged just 69 snaps all season long – all in blowout wins. Outside of him and Hughes, no one else returning logged more than 60 snaps in 2025.
One potential option could be moving Bryce Young inside where we would follow in his father’s footsteps. Young played 314 snaps in 2025 with 113 of them coming on the interior of the line. Chris Ash moved Young inside on pass rush downs regularly. If Young continues to bulk up this off-season after adding ~30 lbs since arriving in South Bend, a permanent move inside could work. That wouldn’t, however, give Notre Dame the kind of run-stuffing monster in the middle that the defense currently lacks.
This isn’t about finding depth for September. It’s about building a defensive line that can survive November and beyond. As the roster sits today, defensive tackle is the one position that stands out as not up to national championship caliber.
Why the Portal Becomes Non-Negotiable
Interior defensive line help is always difficult to find in the transfer portal. Productive defensive tackles don’t move often, and when they do, the competition is fierce and expensive. That reality only heightens the urgency for Notre Dame.
The Irish don’t need a project. They now likely need to add two plug-and-play interior defenders – veterans with real game experience who can contribute immediately and raise the floor of the unit. Ideally, that player brings positional flexibility, experience against the run, and the ability to push the pocket on passing downs. They don’t need two top-line tackles, but they do need to add at least one starting-caliber tackle and another who can fill a rotational role.
More importantly, Notre Dame needs someone who can absorb the loss of Hinish’s snaps and leadership without forcing younger players into roles they aren’t ready to handle. That leadership could come from other levels of the defense, with Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler slated to return. Senior DE Boubacar Traore or junior Bryce Young could potentially step into the role of leader of the defensive line as well.
This is where the transfer portal must function as intended: not as a crutch, but as a strategic supplement. Notre Dame has used it effectively in recent years to patch specific roster holes. Defensive tackle now demands that same level of focus — if not more.
From Priority to Necessity
Last week, defensive tackle was the one position Notre Dame could not afford to ignore.
After Donovan Hinish’s retirement, it becomes the position Notre Dame cannot afford to miss on.
His career represented everything that makes interior defensive line play so difficult to replace: reliability, toughness, and the ability to deliver in defining moments. Those players don’t just show up by accident — and they certainly don’t get replaced by hoping young talent develops faster than expected.
If Notre Dame wants its 2026 defense to be more than just talented on paper, the answer is clear. The Irish must attack the transfer portal with urgency, precision, and intent at defensive tackle.
Because without doing so, the loss of Donovan Hinish won’t just be felt — it will be exposed.
