Junior Tuihalamaka’s first stretch at LSU has come with a twist. The Notre Dame transfer has barely touched the defense through the Tigers’ first two wins, but he has found a steady lane onto the field anyway: special teams.
Through LSU’s first two games in 2026, Tuihalamaka has played all but two snaps on special teams. That’s a notable shift for a player who spent all 286 of his snaps at Notre Dame last season on defense and did not appear in that phase of the game in 2025.
Still, special teams isn’t foreign territory for him. During his time in South Bend from 2022-24, he logged 397 combined special teams plays, so LSU’s decision to use him there makes sense as a way to get him involved while he learns the Tigers’ system.
Tuihalamaka arrived at LSU just over a week before the regular season began, which meant he had to move quickly after originally hoping to return to Notre Dame. That comeback never came together, with Marcus Freeman saying the timing didn’t work out for the Irish to bring him back.
His first defensive action for LSU came against Louisiana Tech, where he played two snaps and made a tackle. How much more he’ll see on the front line remains unclear.
The path to playing time is crowded. LSU’s defensive line already includes five other transfers - Princewill Umanmielen from Ole Miss, Malik Blocton from Auburn, Jordan Ross from Tennessee, Stephiylan Green from Clemson, and Jaylen Brown from South Carolina - along with a highly regarded freshman group of Lamar Brown, Deuce Geralds, and Richard Anderson. That mix gives the Tigers plenty of bodies up front and leaves Tuihalamaka in position to add depth while Kiffin and his defensive staff sort out the rotation.
Even with a limited role so far, Tuihalamaka seems to be settling in. Notre Dame linebacker Jaiden Ausberry said he spoke with his former teammate by phone a few days before the season opener and that Tuihalamaka is happy in Baton Rouge.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Sent A Strong Message In The Scheduling Debate
Notre Dame keeps adding to a nonconference slate that already carries more weight than most, and the latest move brings Nebraska back onto the schedule for the first time since 2001. The schools announced a two-game home-and-home series, with the first meeting set for Oct. 30, 2032, in Lincoln and the return game on Oct. 29, 2033, in South Bend. It is another notable addition for a program that has had to work to secure Power 4 opponents while protecting the kind of schedule its fans and playoff rsum demand.
The matchup also restores a familiar intersection between two storied brands that have not played often enough in recent years to lose its appeal. Nebraska has won the last three meetings, which gives the series a little extra edge before either side even gets to the field. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of scheduling decision that keeps the Irish in the national conversation, even as the sports calendar gets harder to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Added A Future Matchup That Will Split Fans
Notre Dames future schedule picked up another big-name addition with Nebraska officially locking in a home-and-home series for the 2032 and 2033 seasons. The Cornhuskers will host the Irish on Oct. 30, 2032, then head to South Bend on Oct. 29, 2033, giving both programs another marquee non-conference matchup to circle well in advance.
The series, announced by Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen, fits into the Huskers broader scheduling plans and gives Notre Dame another heavyweight opponent on the horizon. For Irish fans, it is the kind of intersectional series that will draw plenty of interest, even if the long runway means plenty can change before either game is played. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is Starting To Make Its Doubters Look Ridiculous
Two weeks into the season, Notre Dame has already forced a rethink of where it belongs in the national conversation. ESPNs Bill Connelly SP+ has the Irish sitting No. 3 overall, behind only Georgia and Ohio State, with an offense that grades out No. 1 in the country and a defense that checks in at No. 6. In a sport where early opinions can calcify quickly, that kind of start carries real weight, especially when it puts Notre Dame ahead of teams like Texas, Miami and Indiana in the same broad metrics.
For a program that lives under constant scrutiny, these numbers are the sort that make preseason skepticism look a little overdone. The Irish have not just been winning the argument on the field, but doing it in a way that stands up analytically across both sides of the ball. The larger question now is how long that standing can last once the schedule starts asking more demanding questions. [Read more 🡒]