Listening to Notre Dame defensive lineman Donovan Hinish, you can feel the passion and the motivation heading into 2025.

It stems from falling to Ohio State 34-23 on January 20th and Notre Dame coming up just short of winning a national championship.

“We look at that game, we look at it as a lesson,” Hinish told reporters Wednesday. “We don’t look at it like ‘we lost the national championship’ and beat up on ourselves, we look at it like, it’s a lesson. We learn from it. It’s going to help us reach the next level. We got to the top of the mountain peak, we got pushed off. We have to fight our way back on top of it and reach the peak.”

For Hinish, it’s extra motivation in the back of the heads of each player heading into a new season.

“We have it in us,” Hinish continued. “We’re a tough group, we’re a talented group, we’re a smart group. We have all the intangibles. Now if we can put it together, that’s what matters.”

Hinish is part of an interior defensive line that must replace the likes of Rylie Mills and Howard Cross. As a whole, the defensive line has a lot of depth and defensive line coach Al Washington will look to play a lot of players in 2025.

“With the new model of college football, it’s a long year,” Washington explains. “You can maintain a high level of play longer as opposed to getting broken down. The other part of it is that competition brings out the best in most. I think those guys compete but not in a toxic way. They compete in a way of trying to win the game. If to win to the game, you need 40 plays, so be it. If you need 10, so be it.”

Washington cites Loghan Thomas’ usage in Notre Dame’s win over Indiana in the CFP 1st round as an example. While Thomas did not play a lot in the game, he was on the field to record his 1st career sack to seal the victory over the Hoosiers in the final minute.

“You gotta be selfless,” Hinish says when asked about potential rotations on the defensive line. “If you are thinking, ‘why am I not out there, why not me?’ Then you are not strengthening the group. We have a strength in numbers. We have an immensely deep d-line. That’s our strength along with our brotherhood. There are guys that are going to play in games that you may not have seen before. There are guys that will bust their butts everyday and it’s going to be good. You can’t just say, ‘oh why not me? I should play more. Why is he playing and not me? My reps are getting cut short so he can play? That’s ridiculous.’ Well it’s not ridiculous. It’s selfless. It’s team play. You gotta be selfless when you have a group as talented as our d-line.”

Nobody epitomized the selfless attitude in 2024 more than defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka. After being switched from linebacker to vyper, Tuihalamaka was third on the depth chart behind Jordan Botelho and Boebacar Traore heading into 2024. While most upperclassmen would have transferred under the circumstances, Tuihalamaka stuck it out and when Botelho and Traore went down with injuries during the season, Tuihalamaka stepped up in a big way.

“Junior’s story is one that I’ll remember throughout my career,” Washington reflects. “The first few games he didn’t play. One game in particular it was tough but it didn’t shake him. His decision to stick it out ended up helping us go as far as we did. We wouldn’t have made it without him. He showed great character. I think he got better too. He’s a better player. Junior has been a critical piece to our culture as a d-line and our team.”

Notre Dame is explosive at defensive end with the likes of Traore, Botelho, Tuihalamaka, Bryce Young, and Joshua Burnham returning. Both Traore and Botelho were practicing Wednesday but Washington says the Irish will be smart about not bringing them back until they are full ready coming off their injuries.

How Washington ultimately determines the rotations and playing time will come down to performance.

“We have a good sense but like anybody you look at what you see,” Washington explains. “The best thing about football is what your play does, determines that. You make plays–you are doing right things, hey your play multiplies.”

Notre Dame practiced on its grass field on Wednesday in preparation of its opener on the road at Miami, which features a natural grass surface. A notable absence at practice was defensive tackle Gabe Rubio. Washington told reporters after practice that Rubio’s absence was nothing to worry about.

The interior defensive line adds Louisville transfer Jared Dawson and gets Jason Onye back this season after he left the team for undisclosed personal reasons following the first 5 games of the year.

“Jason is a great example of perseverance,” Washington stated. “I think he’s the best version of him –on and off the field. He’s being doing a hell of a job. I’m excited to see his progress.”

Notre Dame’s defense was a massive reason why the Irish made the deep playoff run that it did last year. The leader of that defense Al Golden has since departed for the NFL. Chris Ash has taking the reigns as defensive coordinator.

“A bunch of misfits,” Hinish said with a smile when asked what the identity of the 2025 defense will be under Ash. “Everyone on that defense has been counted out and looked down upon a little bit. All of us have a chip on our shoulders, have a little bit of grit behind us. Everyone on our defense is rough, tough and gritty dudes. I think the identity of our defense is, ‘watch out.’”

Notre Dame opens the season August 31st on the road at Miami. We will preview the game and the season on the season premiere of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union’s Irish Football Monday, August 25th at 7pm on Pulse FM.