Notre Dame Linebackers Hitting Their Stride as Max Bullough’s Group Leads Defensive Surge

It took Notre Dame’s defense three weeks to hit its stride. The results have been impressive over the last four games and the improvements have come at all three levels of the defense. 

Notre Dame entered the year with one of the nation’s top linebacker units, and despite the slow start, Max Bullough’s group has come into its own. 

Why the slow start? Notre Dame didn’t change too much from a year ago, but there were some subtle tweaks under new defensive coordinator Chris Ash that took a couple of games to master. 

“Every year is different,” stated Bullough. “We got new pieces. We had a new defensive coordinator come in. We still look very similar to last year. If you watch the tape, there's always a little bit of nuance in how we're going to call things and how we're going to handle certain situations. 

“I think there's always a little period of time where you have to adjust just to how the new coordinator sees and how the coordinator calls it when you get in the game because you don't really know that until you get to the games.” 

Perhaps the biggest hurdle Notre Dame’s defense had to climb was getting used to playing without Xavier Watts and Jack Kiser. Watts had the ability to make up for others' mistakes by being in the right place at the right time, which is a big deal at the third level of the defense. 

Those growing pains are becoming less and less by the week and at the second level, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa have started to take off. 

It’s easy to see Bowen’s big hits and passion, while Viliamu-Asa’s natural instincts and athleticism have led to game-changing plays. 

What don’t people see? Well, Bullough believes Bowen’s pass coverage is as good as any linebacker in the country. 

“I think you would look at Drayk and then stereotype him and say, ‘Can that guy cover running backs out of the backfield? Can that guy cover tight ends?’

“I'll tell you right now, he can cover them with the best. That's something he's got really good at. He's worked at it. He's like 235 right now, so he can run with any of them.” 

Bullough was bold with Viliamu-Asa’s skill set as there’s nothing fans haven’t seen from him and that’s an elite linebacker. 

“KVA, you pretty much see everything he's got on Saturdays,” explained Bullough. “He can play a lot of different spots, whether it's on the line of scrimmage, blitzing, playing stack backer. He can move his shoulder and hip separation is second to none. 

“I don't think Kyng is really hiding anything from anybody. You're kind of seeing who Kyng is and he's a special player.” 

Junior Jaiden Ausberry has been the jack of many trades for the Irish. The Louisiana native can play the run and help in pass coverage, which means he can play with Bowen or Viliamu-Asa. 

Perhaps the key to the success of the room comes down to redshirt junior Jaylen Sneed. 

The Hilton Head native has had his ups and downs this year, but Sneed has turned it on over the last three games. 

Sneed had his best game of the year against USC as he tallied six tackles, one tackle for loss and gave the defense a ton of emotion. 

“That was one of his most complete, physical, square games that he’s played,” said Bullough. “The stop on 3rd-and-5 when he knocked the guy back was to me the play of the game. I know 12 (Jordan Botelho) helped him late. But him getting over there square and knocking the guy back is what we’ve talked about with him. It’s on 3 to get there. You just have to be in the right position and that’s what I’m so proud of him for on that play.” 

Bullough is hopeful Sneed will continue to deliver as he’s showing a new level of intensity in pracitice. 

“To say he hasn’t had his ups and downs even in this season earlier in the season would be lying to you,” Bullough explained. “We’re on a really good track right now, the last month or so, and when he does the things he needs to do, and practices the way we need him to practice, stuff like Saturday happens. That’s the reality of it.” 

And that also carried over through the bye week.

“You could see it in practice,” said Bullough. “He’s doing the right things, he’s making the calls, he’s anticipating things, he’s in the right spots, and to be quite frank with you, it’s when game day comes around that you really know. 

“A guy can have a great week of practice and when we’re down for a couple of days sometimes it changes. But you can tell by the light in their eyes. And once you put them out there for 1 or 2 plays, you know if it’s one of those days or not. And I expect a lot more of them moving forward.” 

With a 4-5 man rotation at linebacker, Bullough has to find ways to maximize each players skill set. It might sound easy, but it’s a challenge to match personnel, game situations and what Notre Dame needs at that moment. 

“That’s why you see it a lot of times the way it is,” Bullough said of putting his backers in position to have success. “We play both Mike and Will. But primarily, one plays Mike and one plays Will. When you’re in a situation in college football and they’re motioning guys, and all kinds of stuff and calls change, we like to have a Mike and a Will that have been playing mostly that.

“Now they’re expected to know both without question and they play both, but when push comes to shove and it’s the fourth quarter, we’re going to have a Mike and a Will in there that are used to that position.”

The ascension of the room has not only seen the Irish linebackers play faster, but they’ve also played with a violence few teams have. 

Marcus Freeman has emphasized Bloody Tuesday and the linebacker room has embraced it. 

“Bloody Tuesday is our opportunity to come out here and fit the runs and fit the plays at linebacker that we need to stop,” said Bullough. “We have to take certain plays off the board to help our defense in general, and also to help our defensive backs, try to make (the offense) one-dimensional.

“Anytime Notre Dame linebackers go on the field, we expect to be the most physical, dominant group, team, defense on the field. That’s how we live and that’s how we are.”

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

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Under Armour Sideline Rival Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt