Notre Dame placed three juniors on the 2026 Walter Camp Preseason All-America Team on Tuesday, with Anthonie Knapp and Leonard Moore earning first-team recognition and Kyngston Viliamu-Asa landing on the second team.
The selection gives the Irish a notable showing in a group that carries real weight in the sport. Walter Camp has been naming All-America teams since 1889, making it the nation’s oldest such honor, and it remains one of the five teams used in consensus and unanimous All-America decisions. Notre Dame is also one of only six schools with at least three players on the preseason list.
Knapp is on the Walter Camp preseason team for the first time after starting 27 games on the Irish offensive line over the last two seasons. He helped anchor a Notre Dame ground game that rolled up 5.7 yards per carry, tied for third-best in the FBS last season. Behind him, the Irish averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game and 7.3 yards per play.
Moore’s spot on the first team marks the second straight year he has been chosen there. A unanimous All-American last season, he started 10 games and finished as Notre Dame’s interception leader with five, a total that tied for seventh-most in the country. He added 31.0 total tackles, forced a fumble and broke up seven passes.
One of Moore’s biggest moments came against Boise State last October, when he turned in a three-turnover night with two interceptions and a forced fumble. It was his first career multi-interception game, and he also posted six solo tackles in that outing. That performance earned him Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week honors.
Viliamu-Asa picked up his first preseason All-America nod after playing in 11 games a season ago and making two starts before an injury ended his season early. The Inland Empire, California native finished fourth on the team with 48.0 total tackles and added 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries during his sophomore year.
Like Moore, Viliamu-Asa was also named to the Lott Impact Trophy Watch List in May. Moore was added to that watch list last month.
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