Ausberry transformed from rotation piece to starter, now poised to become a defensive force. His 2026 potential could cement Notre Dame's elite status.
Notre Dame has had one of the most dominant defenses in college football over the last three seasons. Outside of their performance in the first two and a half games in 2025, this has been a top five defense in the country. A lot of the attention goes to players like Leonard Moore, Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler, understandably so. But one of the unsung heroes of the Notre Dame defense in 2024 and 2025 has been linebacker Jaiden Ausberry who's breakout could solidify this defense in 2026.
There's three different levels to a player breaking out. The first level of a breakout season is a player going from not playing a ton to being an integral part of the rotation. The second level of a breakout is a player going from a key rotation guy to a starter. The final level of a breakout is going from a starter to a certified dude on their respective side of the ball.
Ausberry cracked the starting lineup in 2025 in week four when they played the Purdue Boilermakers and held onto that spot for the rest of the regular season. The Louisiana native ended up playing 437 snaps over the course of the year racking up 51 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. Ausberry was credited with 24 run stops which was fourth overall, one spot behind Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and four run stops away from Drayk Bowen who led the team.
The 6-1, 226-pound linebacker was one of the steadier players on defense when they faced Miami in the season opener but he really started to come on during the final half of the regular season. Ausberry missed 10 total tackles this season, only three of them came in the final six games. Half of his total tackles came in the final six games along with one of his sacks and his only forced fumble on the year.
He was more productive in 2025 compared to 2024 where he had his initial breakout. Ausberry finished with five less tackles in 2025 than he did in 2024 but Notre Dame played four less games. He also had 1.5 more sacks and one more forced fumble in 2025 than he did two seasons ago. Now, as a redshirt junior, Ausberry has the opportunity to take his game to another level.
BREAKOUT PREDICTION
With the injury to Viliamu-Asa, some have raised the question about outlook on the Will linebacker position. The 6-1, 226-pound Baton Rouge native might have something to say about that. He started 10 regular season games at that spot alongside Bowen and had arguably his most productive season in the process. Ausberry has also put out enough film for new linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary to digest and evaluate.
Notre Dame is in a unique position since they return all five of their linebackers who were in rotation this past season. Redshirt senior Jaylen Sneed and sophomore Madden Faraimo also return to the linebacking corps alongside Bowen, Ausberry and Viliamu-Asa. With Viliamu-Asa working his way back from a knee injury, Ausberry will be relied on to hold down the Will linebacker spot and likely see the majority of reps.
It would be an easy task with Sneed and Faraimo making the push, and it's likely we'll still see all three players get their opportunity there. But a breakout from Ausberry would further Notre Dame's chances of having an elite defense in 2026. He might not have the same recognition as guys like Bowen and Viliamu-Asa, but he's just as valuable to the rotation. Ausberry breaking out in 2026 could quickly make him a household name amongst the Irish faithful.
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