Projecting Notre Dame's Defensive Depth Chart Entering Training Camp

The offseason ended on Monday for Notre Dame as the team reported back to campus and will go through production and photo day on Tuesday before opening camp on Wednesday. 

Notre Dame will return an experienced team this fall, so if you like position battles, then you might have to wait a year for the pure chaos. Now, that’s not to say Marcus Freeman and his staff will take it easy on this year’s projected starters, but Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills aren’t going to be losing their jobs. 

And if you’re not a member of ISD, check out our Fall Camp Special.

VYPER
1. Jordan Botelho (Graduate Student) 
2. Junior Tuihalamaka (Junior)
3. Boubacar Traore (Sophomore) 

Botelho has had a very productive offseason as he’s in great shape and healthy. Tuihalamaka and Traore will have a battle for reps and at the end of the day, both will likely play as they bring different traits to the position. At the bye week, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see Traore earn more reps with his ability to rush the passer, but Tuihalamaka is stout against the run and if he can show more as a pass rusher, it could give him an edge here.

STRONGSIDE END
1. RJ Oben (Graduate Student)
2. Joshua Burnham (Junior)
3. Bryce Young (Freshman) 

Oben was up and down during spring ball. He will need to have a productive August to hold off Burnham and potentially Young. Oben was productive at Duke, but he needs to show consistency day to day and game to game. Burnham looked comfortable at the position by the end of last season. It’s a transition to go from linebacker to edge and 2024 could be his breakout year. Young will play this season, but how is still to be determined. 

NOSE GUARD
1. Howard Cross III (Graduate Student)
2. Donovan Hinish (Junior)
3. Gabe Rubio (Senior)

Cross is one of the best interior players in the country and it’s fall camp, so he’ll be on the field. Hinish had done exactly what most thought when he arrived by being a high-effort player and a jerk on the field. He might be undersized, but he’s proven he can annoy offensive lines. Rubio will have the chance to jump Hinish, but he’ll need to show he took a step forward and stay healthy after battling injuries a year ago before stepping away from the program in the spring. The fourth spot will be an interesting battle between sophomore Devan Houstan and freshman Sean Sevillano Jr. Sevillano showed the ability to make some plays in the spring and now he’s lighter, which should help his movement. Sophomore Armel Mukam is another name who could end up at nose guard or three-tech. 

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Rylie Mills (Graduate Student) 
2. Jayson Onye (Senior)

The top two are set. After that, there’s question marks in terms of who is will be with third-team or even at the position. Rubio could play three-tech, while Notre Dame needs to see something Brenan Vernon and Mukam. Freshman Cole Mullins has moved inside and has added good weight, but will likely be a year from challenging from playing time, which is fine as he has a little Howard Cross III to his game. It’s also worth reminding folks Columbia grad transfer Quentin Autry is also on the roster and has experience. Will he crack into the rotation? Probably not, but he’s a grown man and listed at 6-foot-4, 282 pounds. 

WILL
1. Jack Kiser (Graduate Student)
2. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Freshman)
3. Jaiden Ausberry (Sophomore) 
4. Preston Zinter (Sophomore)

MIKE
1. Drayk Bowen (Sophomore)
2. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Freshman)
3. Jack Kiser (Graduate Student)

ROVER
1. Jaylen Sneed (Junior)
2. Jaiden Ausberry (Sophomore)
3. Teddy Rezac (Freshman)

We’re going to lump all the linebacker spots here as there will likely be movement for most of fall camp. Bowen seems like he’s locked the Mike spot down, but he can also play Will. Kiser is the veteran, so he’ll start while Sneed had a solid spring. It’s a unique and great situation for Max Bullough as Ausberry, Kiser and Sneed can play Will and Rover, while Bowen and Kiser can play either inside spot. And then you have freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who can also play either inside spot, and it’s likely a matter of time before he is in the starting rotation. Right now, it’s seems like Will could be where he ends up this year. Regardless, Ausberry, Bowen, Kiser, Sneed and Viliamu-Asa will be playing a lot of football this year. 

CORNERBACK (FIELD)
1. Jaden Mickey (Junior)
2. Christian Gray (Sophomore) 

CORNERBACK (BOUNDARY)
1. Benjamin Morrison (Junior) 
2. Chance Tucker (Senior)

There is star power at cornerback but depth is a concern. Morrison’s healthy will be a storyline early in camp as he returns from shoulder surgery. The battle to start at field will be a great watch as both players have experience. Mickey takes more risks, while Gray has length and has the potential to end up as a first-round pick. Karson Hobbs has worked at nickel early during his time at Notre Dame, so it’ll be interesting to see where he and Leonard Moore can provide depth. 

NICKEL
1. Jordan Clark (Graduate Student)
2. Jaiden Ausberry (Sophomore)
3. Karson Hobbs (Freshman)
4. Tae Johnson (Freshman)

Clark will start, but after that, it’s hard to project. Ausberry worked at the nickel in the spring, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Irish liked that experiment well enough to continue it on passing situations. And at the end of the day, rover and nickel are interchangeable. Rod Heard II can also play nickel, so that’s where Al Golden can utilize his three safety packages as Shuler would likely play safety in those situations. Johnson has unique length and athleticism, which could translate to the position, but the Indiana native is still learning defensive back after playing primarily offense during high school. 

FREE SAFETY
1. Xavier Watts (Graduate Student)
2. Luke Talich (Sophomore)
3. Benjamin Minich (Sophomore)
4. Tae Johnson (Freshman)

STRONG SAFETY
1. Rod Heard II (Graduate Student)
2. Adon Shuler (Sophomore)
3. Kennedy Urlacher (Freshman)
4. Taebron Bennie-Powell (Freshman) 

Heard and Shuler will be a competition to watch during camp. Shuler has turned heads going back to the spring, while Heard boasts experience. Shuler and Heard have the ability to play free safety, while Al Golden likes three safety packages, so playing time shouldn’t be a concern for either. Talich probably fits more into a strong safety role with his size, but has the athleticism to do both and carve out a role. 

Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD

Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2024 Shamrock Series Essential Pullover Hoodie