Notre Dame showed up in a big way on Athlon Sports’ preseason All-American teams, with seven Fighting Irish players earning spots across four different units.
Cornerback Leonard Moore was the headliner, landing on the first team as Notre Dame’s lone representative at that level. The unanimous All-American in 2025 was limited to 11 games because of an ankle injury, but he still stacked up 31 tackles, seven pass deflections, a forced fumble and five interceptions. That interception total tied him for fifth nationally.
Moore’s 2025 season only strengthened the case. He earned the top coverage grade among Power Four cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, and was a finalist for both the Nagurski Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award.
Offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp was the Irish player on Athlon’s second team. Knapp started 27 games over the past two seasons at left tackle, grew into a freshman All-American and a team leader, and then moved inside this spring. The switch to guard is expected to fit him better, and that’s a big reason he’s drawing preseason All-American buzz and attention as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Notre Dame placed two defenders on the third team: safety Adon Shuler and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.
Shuler was one of the Irish’s most productive players in 2025, finishing second on the team with 53 tackles. He added 3.0 tackles for loss, a sack, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Viliamu-Asa was even more disruptive in 10 games, posting 48 tackles with 7.5 for loss, 3.0 sacks, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and an interception. At 6-foot-3, he stood out as one of Notre Dame’s best pass rushers, run defenders and coverage players.
His season ended with a torn ACL in Notre Dame’s 70-7 win over Syracuse, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back to full strength. Once he is, he could be the best linebacker in the country, which is part of why he hasn’t cracked first-team All-American lists despite being viewed as a projected first-round pick.
The fourth team included two more Irish defenders and one offensive player. Linebacker Drayk Bowen led Notre Dame with 65 tackles in 2025, while also finishing with 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four pass deflections. Edge rusher Boubacar Traore was the team’s sack leader with 6.5 and added 10.0 tackles for loss plus a forced fumble.
Quarterback CJ Carr rounded out Notre Dame’s selections. In his first year as the starter, Carr guided the Irish to a 10-2 record while completing 66.7% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He also scored three times on the ground and posted an 83.4 QBR, which ranked eighth in the nation. Even more notable, he did it while facing blitzes on 36.7% of his dropbacks, according to ESPN.
Athlon also included eight members of Notre Dame’s 2026 opponents on its preseason All-American list.
First-Team Offense All-Purpose Malachi Toney, Miami
Third-Team Offense RB LJ Martin, BYU RB Mark Fletcher, Miami
Fourth-Team Offense WR Cooper Barkate, Miami OL PJ Williams, SMU
Fourth-Team Defense DL Ahmad Moten, Miami
LB Cade Uluave, BYU S Faletau Satuala, BYU
In Other News...
Notre Dames Summer OL Riser Is Forcing A Real Fall Debate
Matty Augustine has spent the summer turning a quiet developmental track into something Notre Dame has to pay attention to. The redshirt freshman offensive lineman was already on the radar after holding his own in limited snaps last season, and his spring work at right tackle only strengthened the sense that he is not just filling a camp body role. With offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock noting that Augustine is in the mix for one of the five starting jobs, the Irish suddenly have a legitimate young lineman adding pressure to an already competitive room.
The bigger question now is where that path actually leads. Augustines best route to the field may not be at tackle if those spots stay largely spoken for, which makes the interior worth watching as fall approaches. He has earned the kind of consideration that can force a real conversation, and Notre Dame still has to sort out whether his growth turns into a clearer role when the lineup decisions get real. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Most Important Transfer Isnt The One Fans Expected
Micah Shrewsberrys fourth season at Notre Dame comes with the usual pressure attached to a program still searching for traction, but the offseason churn did not leave the Irish empty-handed. They held onto important pieces like Braeden Shrewsberry and Brady Koehler, added four-star recruit Jonathan Sanderson, and also brought in a transfer who looks positioned to matter more than the headline-grabbing names around him.
That player is Braeden Smith, a 6-foot point guard from Seattle who gives Notre Dame a veteran option in the backcourt and a needed dose of scoring and leadership. His path has already included a strong run at Colgate before a quieter stop at Gonzaga, and for a team that watched Markus Burton, Cole Certa, and Jalen Haralson leave through the portal, Smiths role could end up being central to how far this roster can go. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame May Finally Have Its Freeman-Era Title Edge
For all the turnover that usually comes with a new era, Notre Dame heads into 2026 with a rare kind of stability where it matters most. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the combination of continuity at quarterback and offensive coordinator as a major reason the Irish look like a real national title threat, with CJ Carr back as the starter and Mike Denbrock still steering the offense.
McElroy also framed the defense as a major part of the equation, noting the kind of experience Notre Dame is bringing back on that side of the ball, with Leonard Moore among the names setting the tone. Just as important, the Irish still have the memory of being on the outside looking in a year ago despite a strong close, and that kind of unresolved finish can be a powerful edge once preseason arrives. [Read more 🡒]