Pittsburgh Steelers take Notre Dame DT Gabriel Rubio in sixth round of NFL Draft

Defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio didn’t know he played his last game in a Notre Dame uniform when he walked off the field in Notre Dame Stadium after a 36-7 victory over NC State on Oct. 11. Rubio suffered a left elbow injury the following week in practice, and it kept him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

Head coach Marcus Freeman said he expected Rubio to be ready for the postseason, but the Irish weren’t given a chance to compete in the College Football Playoff in December. Though he won’t be wearing a golden helmet anymore, Rubio will be given a chance to continue his football career in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rubio on Saturday with the 210th overall pick.

The apex of Rubio’s career at Notre Dame came during his redshirt junior season in 2024. He tallied 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 11 games. That came after he recovered from a foot fracture, which kept him sidelined for the first five games of the season.

Rubio wrapped up his Irish career with 66 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups and one forced fumble in 39 games. Five of his eight career starts occurred last season before his elbow injury.

The 6-foot-5, 321-pound Rubio proved his return from health by participating in Hula Bowl practices in January. He completed all the testing at Notre Dame’s Pro Day in March as well. He bench pressed 225 pounds for 26 reps, jumped vertically 26 inches and broadly 8 feet, 9 inches, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.25 seconds and finished the 20-yard shuttle and 3-cone drill in 4.8 and 7.62 seconds, respectively.

Notre Dame signed Rubio as a four-star recruit out of St. Peters (Mo.) Lutheran. The Rivals Industry Ranking slated him as the No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 249 overall in the 2021 class. Rubio’s father, Angel Rubio, was a seventh-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL Draft. After two seasons in the NFL, the elder Rubio’s career continued in the XFL and Arena Football League.

Gabriel Rubio became the sixth Notre Dame player and first Irish defender selected in this year’s draft behind running backs Jeremiyah Love (Arizona Cardinals) and Jadarian Price (Seattle Seahawks) in the first round, wide receiver Malachi Fields (New York Giants) and tight end Eli Raridon (New England Patriots) in the third round, and offensive guard Billy Schrauth (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) in the fifth round.