Junior captain safety Adon Shuler has been a leading factor in the major turnaround we've seen on Notre Dame's defense. They're a significantly different looking group than the one we saw through the first three games of the season. Currently, the Irish rank No. 28 in the country in points allowed (19.9), No. 12 in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (89.6) and No. 1 in the country in interceptions. Not many, myself included, thought those numbers would be achievable earlier this season.
Nonetheless, this defense has turned around their performance in a big way, and Shuler's performance as the team's second leading tackler and two interceptions on the year have ignited this defense to play at a much higher level. Yesterday, the New Jersey native talked after practice about the state of the defense in November and it's extremely promising.
"It really comes with just trusting in the process and understanding that this is football and we play it," Shuler explained. "We're blessed to play at the highest level; there's always going to be ups and downs. It comes with the sport. Not to dwell on last year, but we started out the season playing A&M, we had two turnovers and the next week we had zero. Every week there's going to be different battles, but we've got to understand that we have to consistently play our game.”
Notre Dame went through a coordinator change on defense from last season with Al Golden to this season with Chris Ash who was under a lot of fire from many due to the poor performance from the defense earlier this season. Many speculated that it was due to the overall scheme change but Shuler sees it a little differently.
"I'll just say it wasn't really a learning stretch," Shuler said. "It was just executing and I feel like we weren’t executing the first two games. As a team we had to realize that it wasn't just about what the coach is calling us, it's about what we're doing on the field. Once we emphasized making sure that we're 100 percent on 100 percent of the things, then everything definitely changed."
The Irish weren't able to force many interceptions through the first quarter of the regular season, but once they hit Boise State, there wasn't much turning back. They tallied three interceptions through the first three games and have generated 13 in their last five, something we were used to seeing last season.
"I didn't even know that," Shuler stated. "We're just trusting the process and doing what the coaches tell us to do. Trusting the game plan, trusting the guys around you and just credit to the defensive line because, without them, it's hard to guard a person all across the field. With them getting pressure and getting to the quarterback and causing him to make decisions that he doesn't want to make is really crucial."
Notre Dame plays Navy for the 98th time this Saturday night inside of Notre Dame stadium. This matchup is always an interesting one for the defense, but Shuler enjoys these types of matchups. His two best games last season, from a tackling numbers aspect, was against the two triple option teams they faced in 2024. The 6-0, 207-pound safety is more than ready for this year's matchup.
"It’s downhill and a physical game,” Shuler explained. “We have to be on our keys and I feel like that’s where I was last year; being on my keys and making sure I knew where I was going and finding the ball."
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