Adon Shuler is heading into 2026 with the kind of résumé that already makes him one of the most important pieces on Notre Dame’s defense. A two-time captain and a steady presence in the back end, he’s entering his third year as a starter for the Irish with a clear goal in front of him: clean up the tackling, keep growing, and push himself into elite territory.
The production is already there. In 2025, Shuler finished with 53 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles across 661 snaps, according to PFF.
A year earlier, he posted 59 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 5 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble in 768 snaps. His first season in 2023 was a much smaller sample, with 6 tackles over 52 snaps.
Over the course of his career, that adds up to 118 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 5 interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 3 forced fumbles in 1,481 snaps.
The 2025 season didn’t start fast for Shuler, just like it didn’t for the defense as a whole. But once he settled into the Ash defense, his game started to come alive.
By the end of the year, his production rate had climbed past what he did in 2024. He was making more tackles per game, more tackles for loss per game and more passes defensed per game.
He also became more effective coming downhill against the run in the second half of the season, while allowing a lower completion rate when targeted, fewer yards per catch and showing more disruption when he got to the ball.
That growth is exactly what Notre Dame will be looking for again in fall camp. Shuler was voted a team captain last season, and the expectation is that he’ll earn that honor again in 2026.
Leadership matters here, because he brings intensity to practice and that edge can spread through a defense. The key is making sure that intensity stays disciplined.
At the same time, the camp focus for Shuler as a player is simple: keep improving.
Even with how good he’s been the last two seasons, there’s still room to sharpen the details. His missed tackle rate is still too high, and there’s a desire to see him improve his track to the football in the pass game. If that part of his game tightens up, the playmaking should follow.
The expectation for 2026 is basically “keep doing what you’re doing,” but with room for more. Shuler plays with heart, brings leadership, and has already shown he can make clutch plays.
A standard step forward from second-year starter to third-year starter would already make him one of the better safeties in college football. Notre Dame should have that kind of player in him.
But there’s a case for more than ordinary progress. Shuler is smart, talented and still capable of being more productive, especially as a run defender.
Better angles to the ball, more control, and cleaner tackling could raise his impact quickly. The same goes for the pass game, where he started to show more decisiveness late in 2025 by driving on routes and taking away throws.
If that next layer shows up, Shuler won’t just be a solid veteran safety. He’ll have a real shot to be a major playmaker for what should be one of the best defenses in the country.
A good season for Shuler would mean continued growth as both a player and a playmaker. Normal year-to-year improvement would already put him among the better safeties in the country and make him a key piece of a defense that should be special. If he takes another step beyond that, he could be a legitimate All-American.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
College football analyst David Pollack has Notre Dames linebacker group drawing real national attention heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why. The Fighting Irish bring back a unit built around Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, three players who were central to the teams tackling production last season and helped make linebackers one of the defining strengths of the defense.
That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]
Former Walk-On Luke Talich Has Become A Notre Dame Difference Maker
Luke Talichs rise has been one of the quieter success stories in South Bend, the kind that usually starts on special teams and slowly works its way into the defensive conversation. The senior safety came in as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and kept building trust with the staff by showing up in the right spots and doing the little things that keep a defense steady.
Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]