Boasting a dynamic starting duo and elite ball-hawking depth, the Irish secondary appears poised to claim the mantle of college football’s premier safety unit in 2026.
Notre Dame has quietly become one of the best programs in the country at producing big time safeties, and players that go to the NFL and shine at the position. The 2026 unit will continue that trend, and a case could be made that the Irish safeties are the best group in the country.
We wrap up our Post-Spring Depth Chart breakdowns with a look at the Irish safeties.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Adon Shuler - 53 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INT, 5 break ups, 2 FF
Tae Johnson - 48 tackles, 4 INT, 3 break ups
Luke Talich - 25 tackles, 3 INT, 3 break ups
Ethan Long - 3 tackles, 1 INT
ELITE STARTING DUO
It took two games too long to put both Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson into the starting lineup, but once that move was made they shined together. They averaged more tackles per game than the 2024 duo of Shuler and All-American Xavier Watts. If the duo is going to lock down the No. 1 safety pair in the country spot we'll need to see more consistent tackling from Shuler and even more production on the ball from the pair. Johnson could especially be poised for a big year as he goes into his second season as a starter. Staying healthy is the key for him in 2026.
There is room for improvement, of course, but even if they just repeat last season's performance, and can stay healthy, this is a dynamic safety duo that will be impact players on one of the nation's best defenses.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Veteran Luke Talich has emerged into a very important player for the Notre Dame defense, something he's been since his freshman season on special teams. Talich was extremely productive in limited minutes last season, picking off three passes and breaking up three more on just 136 pass snaps (PFF). He will be a key part of the rotation this season, but as we saw this spring there's also a chance he gets some action in the slot when Notre Dame goes with more a big nickel or big dime look.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The rest of the depth chart is young and unproven, but also talented. Freshman Joey O'Brien arrived as a five-star recruit, and he showed this spring that his recruiting ranking was justified. O'Brien is a smooth, rangy and highly instinctive defender that was getting second team reps already this spring. The big question with him is when will he be healthy. O'Brien was injured in the Blue-Gold Game and that injury required surgery, but Notre Dame has not commented on how long he will be out.
Redshirt freshman Ethan Long is also fighting for a rotation spot. He was quiet for most of the spring and had some ups and downs in the Jersey Scrimmage, but he made some big plays in the Blue-Gold Game. If he can carry that into the fall he'll put himself in position to earn some rotation reps.
It's an overall thin depth chart, which is why Notre Dame needs redshirt freshman Brandon Logan to get back into the groove during the summer. He spent the spring playing baseball, but he's an extremely athletic player that could help if he can pick up the defense and stay healthy, something he was not as a freshman.
PAST DEPTH CHARTS
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