It hasn’t been a conventional path to playing time for Junior Tuihalamaka at Notre Dame.
He arrived as an inside linebacker and played 44 snaps there as a true freshman. He ended up getting moved to the Vyper position during that season and got a small taste of playing time in 2022.
He earned a spot in the defensive line rotation as a sophomore, but made little impact in his opportunities. He started out last season on the outside of the rotation and it was unclear if he’d find his way back in.
Injuries to Jordan Botelho, Boubacar Traore, and Josh Burnham changed everything, though. Notre Dame now needed Tuihalamaka and he stepped up in a massive way. He had 7.5 havoc plays and finished second on the team in total pressures with 26 after only having six in his first two seasons. Four of those pressures came against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl with one being a huge sack for the Irish.
Whether it was his motor as a pass rusher, making plays dropping into coverage, or being at the right place at the right time with a fumble recovery in that same game against Georgia, Tuihalamaka was one of the unsung heroes on Notre Dame’s 14-2 season.
He’s not seen as a star, but his contributions were a huge reason why the defense was able to still thrive despite the injuries on the defensive line.
"Whenever our name is called up, we go out there and execute our job,” Tuihalamaka said when asked about the contributions of everyone on the defense. “Each player, from the ones to the twos to the threes. We practice it over and over.
“Today wasn't perfect but we obviously get on the twos and the ones, treat no one no different. We expect the standard to be the standard when we go out there. For them, myself, there is a certain standard I have to play with to go out there and execute my job.”
Tuihalamaka was with the threes at the beginning of last season. That was more of an example of the quality depth Notre Dame had at the position than anything to do with Tuihalamaka’s ability. Defensive line coach Al Washington beamed when speaking of the depth at the defensive end for Notre Dame.
“To see how (Tuihalamaka) finished the year—he was one of our more productive guys,” Washington stated when asked about the depth. “Then Josh (Burnham) finished the year, he had two sacks against Ohio State. Those guys are two good examples of how being smart, tough, athletic, all those things, but being smart helps you through those moments to elevate your game.”
Throughout all of the injuries, Tuihalamaka stayed ready despite not playing a single snap on defense in the first couple of games last season.
"I'd say it's God's doing. I knew my time would come eventually,” Tuihalamaka declared. “It sucks that it happened like that. I honestly wish that—I don't want anyone to think it was just given to me. I'm that type of player where everything I have to do is earned. Even if people think I had a good season, I feel like I could have had a better season.
“It didn't start off the way I wanted it to. But obviously the plays I made last year have given the coaches confidence in myself to go out there this season and make even more plays."
He’s come into his own as a player and as a leader. Tuihalamaka has been a mentor for the younger ends on the roster like Boubacar Traore, Loghan Thomas, Chris Burgess, and Bryce Young. He knows from top to bottom at the position, the ends are going to be a problem for opposing offenses to deal with this season.
"I just feel like with what's going on in practice right now with the way me and Boob and Bryce, even including Josh, but the fact that me and Boob play the same position, and we're dominating the tackles we play in practice, it gets me and him excited for what's going to happen, especially the first game,” Tuihalamaka said.
“We're so excited to be able to play Miami. We're doing so many amazing things on the field right now. The fact that we have such good o-linemen, it shows that we might even be better than most players in the country. That's where it goes on with that. There are so many players that can play."
And though he understands that they are refining their skills and the defense as a whole during camp, he can’t help but let his mind drift to that first game against the Hurricanes.
"Honestly, everything we do, we remind ourselves we're playing against Miami,” Tuihalamaka said about his excitement for the matchup. “Whether it's hot-cold, it's been good weather lately, so we try to tell ourselves we need to condition ourselves for Miami because it's going to be a little hotter. We're reminding ourselves.
“Today we had red zone, the way we compete today is going to show up in Miami. We try to tell ourselves be where our feet are, but we're still working toward playing Miami."
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