Sugar Bowl becomes time to shine for Notre Dame DT Gabriel Rubio

NEW ORLEANS — Gabriel Rubio stepped away from Notre Dame’s football program in the spring to handle a personal matter.

Now the senior defensive tackle is one day away from stepping into the spotlight as Notre Dame (12-1) takes on Georgia (11-2) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal played in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (8:45 p.m. EST). (UPDATE: The game has been postponed to Thursday.) Rubio will make his first career start in the biggest game of his career to date.

A season-ending knee injury to starter Rylie Mills led to Rubio’s promotion since a 27-17 victory over Indiana on Dec. 20 in the playoff’s first round. Rubio, who played 29 defensive snaps against IU, will need to be ready for an increased workload against the Bulldogs.

“A lot of time and effort has been put into my preparation,” Rubio said. “My mindset around it is that there’s just a great opportunity around this situation. Unfortunately, it had to come at Rylie’s expense, and I really look up to the dude. He’s a leader for the entire D-line. I know that he’s home rooting for us.”

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A Notre Dame spokesperson confirmed with Inside ND Sports that Mills didn’t travel with the team and isn’t expected to be at Thursday’s game. Mills, one of five Notre Dame defenders to start the first 13 games of the season, is Notre Dame’s leader this season in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (8.5). Those totals are more than Rubio has recorded across four seasons with the Irish.

Rubio, who missed three games last season recovering from a knee injury, missed the first five games of this season recovering from a broken metatarsal in his left foot. Fortunately he’s available now when his team needs him the most.

“It’s been a battle, but it’s a worthwhile battle,” Rubio said. “The spring was unfortunate. The summer was unfortunate going into fall camp with a broken foot, all that deal. I’m not the kind of guy to just give up as soon as hardship comes about.”

Though Rubio has been playing since the Stanford game on Oct. 12, it wasn’t until the week of the Army game on Nov. 23 that Rubio started to feel really good. The following week against USC, Rubio recorded his first career sack.

“As the weeks continue, I just feel better and better,” Rubio said. “I say it every week: this week is by far the best week.”

Rubio, who has played in 30 games during his Notre Dame career, is still leaning on Mills and starting nose tackle Howard Cross III for pointers and advice.

“He’s been helping me learn the little nuances of the defense like tiny technique things while playing the three-tech that other guys may not know just yet,” Rubio said of Mills. “Having that experience has been very important.”

Rubio will start alongside Cross, who has played in 63 Notre Dame games in six seasons. Cross dealt with an ankle injury of his own this season, which limited him to 10 games. In playing two more games than Rubio this season, Cross has accumulated 10 more tackles (24 to 14), 3.0 more tackles for loss (5.5-2.5) and 3 more sacks (4-1).

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Rubio and 6-1, 288-pound Cross have different strengths. Rubio relies on brute strength whereas Cross relies more on speed. Whatever gets the job done.

“He’s been a huge help,” Rubio said of Cross. “He’s a very technically savvy guy. With his leverage and everything, he’s very conscious of everything that he does being low and explosive. So, he really gets on me about that. Along with the calls, he’s a veteran guy. He’s been playing forever — as long as I’ve been here. With all that experience comes a lot of knowledge on how to play certain situations right. I’m counting on him that he’ll lend me that hand in the game too.”

Rubio is being a leader himself and helping prepare Armel Mukam, the 6-3, 302-pound sophomore who will serve as Rubio’s backup. Though it’s likely junior Donovan Hinish (6-2, 278), who is behind Cross on the depth chart, will rotate behind Rubio as well.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” Rubio said of helping Mukam and other young defensive tackles. “It’s an honor. Being placed as a starter out there, it means that the coaches really have a lot of trust in my abilities. I’m not gonna let them down.”

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Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden certainly has confidence in Rubio. He cited Rubio’s hustle in helping bring down Indiana wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams on a second-and-11 screen play that gained eight yards.

“He’s done a great job,” said Golden, who called Rubio a rolling ball of nails earlier this season. “First of all, Gabe plays with a ruggedness and a high motor. The screen play that he made the other day on the perimeter that forced a third-and-3, that’s kind of emblematic of who he is as a player. High-motor guy, will turn and dig it out hoping to get to the ball and make a play. In that particular instance he did.

“We love Gabe. He represents a lot of what we’re looking for: just tough, rugged, fighter, competitor and has great size, too. We’re excited for his opportunity.”

Physicality will be the crucial for Rubio against Georgia’s big offensive line. Center Jared Wilson, who’s listed at 6-3 and 310 pounds, is Georgia’s smallest starter up front.

The Irish defense overmatched the Army offensive line that won the 2024 Joe Moore Award, but the Black Knights are much different from the Bulldogs. Rubio had to reach all the way back to BYU in 2022 to think of an offensive line Notre Dame faced that reminded him of Georgia both in the way they block and carry themselves on the field.

Rubio’s ready for the challenge.

“The key is definitely leverage and who wants it more, basically,” Rubio said. “We know these guys are fighters. We know that these guys are good. It’s gonna be who’s willing to get more bloody.”

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