Adon Shuler Leads Loaded Notre Dame Secondary Into 2026

Notre Dame’s secondary enters the 2026 campaign with lofty expectations.

One could argue the Fighting Irish have fielded the nation’s top secondary over the past three seasons and this year’s group may be the deepest and most talented yet.

Captain Adon Shuler returns for his final season in South Bend, determined to make sure the safety room lives up to the hype.

“Coming to Notre Dame, I feel like that's just the standard,” Shuler explained. “You're going to come to a DB room where there's a lot of guys who have played a lot of ball with a lot of experience. That's just going to help you get better. I feel like that's just always been in the room since I've been here.” 

The secondary will feature new voices this season, with Aaron Henry stepping in and safeties coach Jevaughn Codlin transitioning from the defensive line after previously recruiting several of Notre Dame’s early enrollees in the defensive backfield. 

Marty Biagi remains the lone returning assistant in the secondary, but Shuler believes the transition has been seamless under head coach Marcus Freeman.

“He's always going to bring in a coach who he knows is going to want the best for us,” Shuler said of Freeman. “Coach Henry and Coach J-Cod and Coach Biagi, Coach (Chris) Ash — they all want the best for us.

“We see that every day how hard they coach us. They just want us to be our best. I knew there wasn't going to be a drop-off with coaching when Coach (Mike) Mickens left. We just have to continue to grow.” 

The New Jersey native's role extends far beyond his play on the field. As a returning captain, he has embraced being an extension of the coaching staff.

“It's a huge responsibility every day,” stated Shuler. “I know that every day going in. It's just like Coach Freeman's role. Every day, he has to come in and be the same guy, no matter what the day is. That's just something I take pride in.” 

After serving as a young captain last season, Shuler understands the challenges that come with leadership.

“Being a captain, you have to lead when times get hard,” Shuler stated. “Being a captain, everybody sees the seed, but they don't know the behind-the-scenes of it. That's something I learned last year, being a young captain. It's just about developing. Always being the same guy, no matter if we are 0-2 or 10-2. You've just got to be the same guy every day to continue to grow.” 

Shuler had an NFL decision to make this offseason, but ultimately chose to return after evaluating both his development and the team’s potential.

“I just wanted to continue to better myself,” Shuler explained. “Being at Notre Dame, I feel like I'm able to do that every day. It wasn't really a no-brainer, but I talked to the coaches. I knew what type of team we were going to have coming back and I wanted to be a part of that.” 

A major reason for optimism in the secondary is the pairing of Shuler and Brauntae Johnson, who together form one of the nation’s top safety tandems.

Their success is rooted in trust.

“When you play with guys that you trust, it helps you play faster and it helps the defense play faster when everybody on the team knows that everybody's going to be in the right spot,” said Shuler. “Tae Tae did that through camp and spring and fall. We knew once he got in there, he was going to make plays. That's what he's been doing.”  

That trust has evolved into strong on-field chemistry.

“It's like a duo,” stated Shuler. “We feed off each other. If I make a play, Tae Tae's going to make a play soon and vice versa. That's always been the theme here with X (Xavier Watts) and me and whoever else before that. There's always two guys to make plays. One guy to be the vocal guy, one guy to be the wild child. That's what I call Tae Tae, the wild child.” 

Shuler has also taken an active role in mentoring Notre Dame’s early enrollees this spring, ensuring the next generation understands the program’s expectations.

“The sky's the limit,” Shuler said of Notre Dame’s newbies. “I think the talent is continuing to ascend up. Those guys are really talented, but now that they're learning the playbook, you can see them through the first practice to now, it's definitely a huge gap. Every day they’re going in there and they want to learn.

“That's what makes a healthy room when everybody wants to get better every day. It's not about where you're at on a depth chart. It's just about getting better.” 

Despite the optimism, last season’s disappointment still lingers and serves as daily motivation.

“You just got to keep the pain,” said Shuler. “Just by any given day, you can’t leave doubt. It starts now. It's all about the practices now. We’re in practice seven, but it's just about continuing to grow and continuing to get better.  better. 

“I feel like that's the only way. Not dwell on it and not think too much of it, but just keep it in the back of our minds.” 

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