Jaylen Sneed’s return gives Notre Dame something more than depth at linebacker. It gives the Irish a veteran who has already lived through the slow climb, the uneven early reps, and the kind of development that only shows up after a player sticks around long enough to become part of the core.
When Sneed met with reporters during spring practice, the obvious question hung in the air: why come back for a fifth season? His answer was direct.
"All my guys stayed. I just know in my heart that we have a chance at winning a national championship," said Sneed to all of the above.
"That's been my ultimate goal since I got here. Just coming back for this fifth year, I felt like this is probably one of our best teams I've been a part of.
Especially with all the people on offense, all the people on defense coming back, I feel like it would be stupid of me not to come back and try to play for a national championship."
That kind of confidence makes sense now, but Sneed’s path to this point was anything but smooth. He went from freshman scout team work to late-season snaps in 2022, then into a bigger but still uneven role in third-down packages in 2023.
The talent was always there. The consistency took longer.
By 2024, the picture changed. Sneed became a key part of Notre Dame’s four-man linebacker rotation and, by the program’s own standards, one of its best “Money Down” defenders behind Xavier Watts.
He also put himself in the captaincy conversation last fall, and that could happen again this August even with Notre Dame bringing back two defensive captains, including linebacker Drayk Bowen. All-American cornerback Leonard Moore appears to be a third.
Now, with injuries thinning the group this spring, Sneed has taken on a leadership role that goes beyond his own spot. He’s helping guide younger linebackers while also sharpening his own game under first-year linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary.
"We actually did this thing called partners," Sneed noted of first-year linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary's approach during the spring. "We basically tell each other what we can get better at. Me and Aus (Jaiden Ausberry) are partners.
"He told me I need to get better with my footwork and then finishing on plays. Finishing tackles inside-out, keeping my feet apart, making sure I'm shuffling, making sure I'm coming downhill the right way and stuff like that."
Sneed had feedback for Ausberry too.
"I told him just being violent at the POA, violent at the point of contact, better with his strikes, better with his hands, and footwork too," said Sneed. "I feel like every linebacker can be better at footwork, because that's a really big part of our position."
That exchange reflects how far Sneed has come. Early in his career, he was learning from veterans like JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau, and especially Jack Kiser, and he remembers how much harder it was to grow without regular game action.
"My freshman year, I got a couple reps, but definitely not as much as they were getting," Sneed offered. "It's definitely a lot harder, because the only way to get good at football is playing football…I just feel like playing 11-on-11 gives you that experience. The college game is so much faster than the high school game, I just feel like in practice you need to see it."
That experience is now part of Notre Dame’s present. Sneed, Ausberry, Bowen, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and Madden Faraimo - the only linebacker listed on our Countdown to Date to date (#33) - are all expected to get plenty of 11-on-11 work this fall.
At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, Sneed enters Marcus Freeman’s fifth season in South Bend as an unexpected but potentially gamechanging addition. After everything it took to get here, he’s no longer just part of the linebacker room. He’s one of the reasons it matters.
In Other News...
Notre Dames 2028 QB Hunt Just Got More Uncomfortable
Notre Dames 2028 quarterback board has narrowed quickly, and not in the way the Irish would have wanted. Trey Tagliaferris decommitment and move to Oklahoma already thinned the group, and with only four offers out there, two targets headed elsewhere and another expected to announce soon, Lukas Prock is now the lone quarterback target holding an offer from Notre Dame.
Prock has said he may have to make his decision earlier than he originally planned because other top 2028 quarterbacks are already starting to come off the board. Notre Dame has not made another move at the position, which leaves the Irish in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: still in the mix with Prock, but now trying to keep pace with schools like Ohio State and Indiana while the timeline keeps getting tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Hartman Faces Another Defining Test In His NFL Fight
Sam Hartman is back in a familiar setting this summer, training at Oceanside Collegiate Academy as he gets ready for the next round of his NFL battle. The former Notre Dame quarterback is working alongside Drake Maye and Sam Howell ahead of training camps, using the workout group to sharpen his game before the Washington Commanders open up their fall evaluations.
For Hartman, the challenge is bigger than just staying in shape. He finished last season as Washingtons third-string quarterback after signing as an undrafted free agent, and the roster picture has only gotten tighter as camp approaches. With a spot still there to be won, this stretch is another important test for a player who knows every rep matters. [Read more 🡒]