In its nature, college football can be an unpredictable sport.
When Notre Dame closed its 2025 season on a 10-game win streak, many thought the Irish had a solid chance to make the playoff for the second time in head coach Marcus Freeman’s tenure.
When they didn't, it set a clear tone in the locker room for the Irish, especially defensive lineman Armel Mukam.
“What happened last year, no one's happy with what happened last year,” said Mukam. “But we understand that we lost two games, and it's our fault that we left our fate in the hands of the committee, and this year we're not going to let that happen. So I think that’s what’s fueling us each and every week.”
Now, Mukam is a senior and began this season as a starter on the Irish defensive line, but things could have looked different for Mukam in 2026.
The Irish brought in a pair of transfer defensive tackles in Tionne Gray and Francis Brewu to round out one of college football’s deeper defensive lines.
Mukam himself was in the portal and planning on playing elsewhere before ultimately deciding to return to Notre Dame for his senior season.
Freeman’s culture was a huge part of why Mukam returned to the Irish for 2026.
“The culture here is extremely solid,” said Mukam “Like, it's one of one. We have a tight locker room. When you look at us playing on Saturdays, you can feel like the brotherhood and how we play for one another, and that was really important for me when I decided to come back to Notre Dame. You go on all these visits, you kind of see how people are operating on different teams, and it's not Notre Dame.
“You truly feel that when you walk in the locker room, when we're on the practice field, like yes, we'll go at it every single day. But at the end of the day, it's all love. I love every single player in that locker room. I could go out and have a conversation for an hour with every player in our locker room. So I think, really, the culture of the tight-knit locker room or brotherhood that question has created.”
Instead, the additions to the defensive line have simply made Mukam a better player in his eyes.
“I think it's the D line as a whole,” said Mukam. “We're all extremely competitive, and the biggest thing is, you gotta bring your best each and every day. There's so much talent in that room that if one day you're slacking, someone's gonna pass you up. There's a saying that you're either getting worse or getting better. Each day you're either getting better because of the competition that's around you or getting worse by not giving it your all. I think the whole D-line as a whole has really pushed me to bring my best every day.”
Mukam is used to being surrounded by talent in the defensive line room, however.
What he learned from guys like Rylie Mills, Howard Cross and Nana Osafo-Mensah is now getting passed on by Mukam.
“I try to remember when I was a young guy and what guys like Rylie Mills, Nana Osafo, Howard Cross would say to me and things that have helped me, things that have helped me elevate my game,” said Mukam. “So I kind of try to take the young guys under my wing — it's not just me, but also the other guys on the D-line — and try to help them because your first year in college is obviously going to be hard, especially when you go to a place like Notre Dame. So you're just trying to help them with their dream.”
Mills specifically has impacted Mukam’s life on and off the football field.
“Rylie Mills — shoot, I still talk to him to this day,” said Mukam. “But yeah, like, it's little things. It's off the field. His mobility routine, how he eats, how you watch his film. All those things that have been really valuable to me, and that I've tried to implement into my routine to make me a better football player. I think it's been working pretty good.”
Another person impacting Mukam this season is new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.
What specifically is Partridge preaching to Mukam and the defensive line this season? Confidence.
“<y confidence has been pretty high since Coach Partridge came in,” said Mukam. “He's a great teacher and great coach, and I think you can see it as a D-line. We know we have the mindset that we're unblockable, and I think we've been displaying that on Saturdays.”
That confidence has carried Mukam through the first leg of the season as he has rotated in and out of the starting lineup.
“I think at the end of the day, it's not about me,” said Mukam. “At the end of the day, we're working towards one common goal. Was I disappointed? Probably yes. But as long as — you know, I trust Coach Partridge with every single decision that he makes, so when he told me that I wasn't gonna start, I was like okay, like shoot, I still get to play for the University of Notre Dame, right? So yeah, just going out there and performing to the best of my abilities for the team to reach our full potential on Saturdays. But yeah, Notre Dame, like it's bigger than me. Obviously, I could have been like, ‘Oh, I'm not starting. I'm not giving my all and everything.’ But that's just not what we do around here.”
Even though Mukam hasn't been a consistent starter, the opportunities are there for him to unleash his game.
“Yeah, I think his biggest thing was just, you know, go,” said Mukam. “Like, go. Just unleash.”
Even in a game where Mukam had 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, he still feels like he left some on the table.
“I mean, I'm kind of greedy,” said Mukam. “I looked at the tape, and you know, there's a lot of players I want back. There's a lot of money I left on the table, like they say. But I think, was it my best game? Shoot, I don't know.”
That is the bigger scope of the season for the Irish and for Mukam—dont take anything for granted.
“I think the mindset is just not taking anything for granted,” said Mukam. “We only have 12 guaranteed opportunities during the season, and we know that if you don't, you know, in life, if you don't value something, then you lose it. We don't want to lose that, so each and every game, we just go in with the mindset of alright, this is the most important game of the season. We know that in other years past, some games we didn't respect our opponents and we saw what happened, right? So yeah, I think just the biggest thing is going in, knowing that we only have 12 guaranteed opportunities and attack each and every week with the same mindset of relentless effort and attitude.”
The Irish have seven more opportunities to prove that they are one of college football’s twelve best teams.
As the Irish prepare to welcome the Stanford Cardinal to Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday, defensive lineman Armel Mukam is not taking anything for granted.
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Become an ISD Premium Subscriber and never miss the inside information. Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Under Armour 2026 Freedom Collection Hoodie
