SOUTH BEND — Jordan Botelho’s Notre Dame football career isn’t over just yet.

The pass-rushing menace from Honolulu plans to return for a sixth season in 2025, Irish coach Marcus Freeman confirmed Monday.

Botelho, who suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee early in the Sept. 14 win at Purdue, has career totals of 11.5 sacks and 77 tackles. After slimming down to 250 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, Botelho was off to a strong start through two games this season as the starting Vyper end.

Botelho played 49 snaps in the season-opening win at Texas A&M and posted a 77.5 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus, third-highest on the Irish defense. His five pressures against Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman represented nearly a third of the team’s 18 total.

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No other Irish defender had more than two pressures that night at Kyle Field.

“I was 270 (pounds), so I just thought, ‘Let’s see how I would do if I was lighter,’“ Botelho said on Sept 3. “I still have the same strength, but I’m just a little lighter, a little quicker. … Mentally, I’m just thinking I can run a little better.”

Botelho dropped Hudson Card to record his first sack of 2024 early in the second quarter at Purdue. Botelho suffered a noncontact injury two snaps later and was taken off on an equipment cart.

Before the injury, Botelho’s 89.8 PFF grade against Purdue was the highest of his career in 35 games.

Two games later against Louisville, fellow Vyper Boubacar Traore, a redshirt freshman, suffered a torn left ACL. Traore was leading the Irish with three sacks on the year when he was lost to injury.

In their absence, third-year players Junior Tuihalamaka and Josh Burnham have stepped in capably. Graduate senior defensive tackles Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III have also increased their production to keep the pass rush humming.

“You’re not going to replace Boubacar or Jordan Botelho with one person,” Freeman said. “You’ve seen the production really spread out amongst other people. We’re able to keep fresh guys in there. They’re relentlessly attacking the quarterback, and the guys inside are really giving those guys a chance to make some plays. It’s a collective group effort.”

According to PFF.com, Notre Dame ranks 32^nd nationally in pass rush efficiency. With 18 total sacks, the Irish are tied for 45^th in average sacks per game (2.25).

With Traore and now Botelho both due back next season, Al Golden’s defense figures to be well-stocked at the hybrid end position.

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jordan Botelho: Notre Dame defensive end plans to return in 2025 after injury