Rylie Mills has often been described as a physical freak, most notably on the annual “Freaks List” compiled by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
Notre Dame football will be able to utilize those freakish traits for one more season. The senior defensive tackle announced Thursday night he plans to return for his fifth and final season of college eligibility in 2024.
The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Mills joins nose tackle Howard Cross III and linebacker Jack Kiser as key returners for Notre Dame's defense who could have opted to make a run at the NFL this offseason. The trio will be available to play in No. 16 Notre Dame’s Sun Bowl matchup with No. 19 Oregon State on Dec. 29.
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Mills is coming off his most productive season at Notre Dame in which he totaled 45 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in 12 games. To date, Mills' Notre Dame career includes 92 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 47 games with 22 starts.
Nose tackle Howard Cross III, who played alongside Mills on the interior of the defensive line, announced Sunday he plans to stay at Notre Dame for a sixth season.
Mills started all 12 games for a Notre Dame defense that ranks No. 1 in team passing efficiency defense (94.91), No. 4 in passing yards allowed (154.2 per game), No. 8 in scoring defense (16.6 points per game), No. 8 in total defense (282.9 yards per game), No. 32 in rushing defense (128.8 yards per game) and No. 44 in team sacks (2.25 per game).
Notre Dame signed Mills as a four-star recruit out of Lake Forest (Ill.) High. Rivals ranked him as the No. 9 strongside defensive end and No. 155 overall in the 2020 class.
Mills, already a graduate of the Mendoza College of Business with a bachelor's degree in business administration, didn't join the growing list of Sun Bowl opt-outs preparing for the NFL. The Irish will be without six starters getting a jump on their NFL careers: running back Audric Estimé, quarterback Sam Hartman, left tackle Joe Alt, right tackle Blake Fisher, linebacker Marist Liufau and cornerback Cam Hart.
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