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The WireBreaking coverage · FBS IndependentsUPDATED AUG 26, 2026
The Pate State / The Wire
The WireStatus · ReportedImpact · moderateNotre Dame · FBS Independents

Notre Dame’s Freshman Defensive End Competition Has an Early Leader

Chris Ash has not named Notre Dame’s fourth defensive end, but the early competition between Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade already appears uneven, giving the Irish a roster question to follow before the depth chart settles.

WD
The Pate State Wire DeskVerified reporting · full source list below · monitored by an editor
● Reported
AUG 26, 2026
The Pate State · Wire Graphic

01 · The NewsWhat Happened

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash has not announced who will serve as the team’s fourth defensive end. The competition includes freshmen Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade, and one of them appears to have moved ahead early. Notre Dame has not publicly identified which freshman holds that advantage, and Ash has not revealed a final depth-chart order. The decision matters because the fourth defensive end would help determine how the Irish rotate their front during the season. For now, this is an early roster battle rather than a confirmed starting decision.

Sourcing & standards: Reporting via On3. Produced by the Pate State Wire Desk under the site's verification rules, monitored by an editor. Corrections are timestamped, never silent.

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