Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546555
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 19, 2026 17 Mukam's film at the request of Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash. Partridge later reached out to Mukam to try to recruit him back to Notre Dame. "At that time, I was looking at his raw ability, his ability to move, his ability to bend, how hard he played," Partridge said. "And those were things I wanted to be a part of. Then I got a chance to get on the phone with him, and I felt his personality. And that's something I wanted to be around. "I'm thrilled he's here. I'd be shocked if he doesn't play some really, really good football for the Irish this year." Mukam engaged in conversations with Partridge and did research on his history with defensive linemen, which has in- cluded the likes of J.J. Watt, Trey Hen- drickson and Calijah Kancey as college players. Mukam joked that it only took five minutes on Google to realize the le- gitimacy of Partridge. "You can't pass on a coach with that kind of expertise com- ing to Notre Dame to coach you," Mukam said. "That was a big factor in my deci- sion coming back to Notre Dame." HOW FAR MUKAM'S COME Fifth-year linebacker Jaylen Sneed didn't mince words when describing Mukam's rise in the past year. "I would say Armel Mukam, like last year, I don't think he could have played here," Sneed said last month. "This year, a whole switch flipped in him. I don't even know how to explain it, but some- thing flipped him and he's just playing out of his mind right now." The offseason improvement for Mu- kam started with him taking in feedback from Notre Dame's coaching staff. He needed to be more flexible in his hips, which would allow him to play out of a lower stance and keep that low pad level when engaging blocks. Pigeon pose and downward dog pose were part of the solution. "I did a lot of yoga, because I had tight hips, and I wanted to play a little lower," Mukam said. "That has helped. And I also was working with the strength and conditioning staff on my mobility every single day in the spring. I think that has paid dividends." Rather than taking the opportunity to leave campus during every break from school, he stuck around Notre Dame to keep reshaping his body. "He just put in so much off-the-field work that kinda goes unnoticed, but it's not like he just popped into the situation and it happened overnight," Calabro said. "It really is a testament to his character, his belief in himself and his work ethic." The results showed up on the practice field. "He's bigger," Ash said. "He's stron- ger. He is more confident. He plays with better technique now, better pad level, all the things that typical young players struggle with." CHARLIE PARTRIDGE'S IMPACT If Notre Dame didn't believe in Mukam, it would have let him walk away following his transfer portal entry. But Partridge, Ash, Martin and head coach Marcus Free- man saw the potential that remained un- tapped. Mukam deserves a lot of credit for committing himself to reaching that potential, but he's ready to give the credit to Partridge at every opportunity. "I think the biggest thing is he individu- alized his coaching," Mukam said. "He's not going to coach every single player the same way. It's different things in my game. "For example, I didn't even know I was false twitching off the ball. That's something he pointed out as soon as he got here in the spring. That's something I was able to work on and something that has made a huge difference." That false twitching, which Mukam described as taking a step with the wrong foot first, slowed down Mukam's momentum and made him easier to block. But that's just one example of what Partridge identified as a weakness for Mukam. Together they worked to eliminate such issues while identifying more for improvement. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Mukam isn't just moving better. He's process- ing what the offense is doing better, too. "There's always something to work on, and it's usually in the technical space," Partridge said. "He executes at a high clip. You do not get mental er- rors with Armel. So, we're just trying to elevate his knowledge now of what's happening offensively and to make sure he's consistent with his technique." A SHINING EXAMPLE Before Mukam's ascension this offsea- son, he already stood out to Notre Dame's coaching staff for his selflessness. He was among the defensive linemen who took on scout offensive line roles last season when the offense needed healthy bodies. Mukam's attitude didn't prevent him from making a bigger impact earlier in his career. But even hard workers need support from those around them to fi- nally break through. "It's all about confidence," Mukam said. "When you have teammates and coaches that believe in you, obviously it's going to bring out the best of you on the field." By staying at Notre Dame, Mukam re- mains on track to earn his degree from the university, and now he can make a name for himself in game settings. If he left in January, neither of those things would have been guaranteed. "From an agent standpoint, it's just trying to get the full perspective out there for the player," Calabro said. "… The biggest thing is taking everything into consideration. Not just letting money or playing time directly dictate everything. "Having the experience of an agent to pull a player out of the short-term mindset can really benefit a player. Help with the patience and let their career develop in a way that's going to benefit them." Mukam's path from afterthought to starter required a lot of him and those who've worked to make him better. In Freeman parlance, this is what delayed gratification looks like. "Not everyone is going to be a Leon- ard Moore, gonna show up on campus, gonna be ready," Ash said. "We all want that, everyone wants that, but some guys don't make it until their last year and then they all of a sudden blossom and become a great player and have op- portunities to go on. "We'll see what the ending of Armel's story is, but it's a pretty cool one right now." ✦ "I'm thrilled he's here. I'd be shocked if he doesn't play some really, really good football for the Irish this year." NOTRE DAME DEFENSIVE LINE COACH CHARLIE PARTRIDGE ON MUKAM