Ethan Long's explosive performance and high PFF grade signal his readiness to cement Notre Dame's deep safety rotation for an elite season.
The Notre Dame secondary is poised for an elite season with players like Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson all returning to the starting lineup. That being said, there's some questions around the depth at certain positions. Not about the talent, just the level of experience and readiness on the back end of the defense. Rising redshirt freshman Ethan Long has the opportunity to solidify the four-man safety rotation and is set for a breakout season 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.
Long appeared in just two games this past season in a blowout win over Arkansas on the road and a resounding 63-point victory over Syracuse at home. We only saw 2025 recruit in two snaps against the Razorbacks but his performance against the Orange on Senior Day really turned some heads. His showing against Syracuse at home in 21 snaps earned him a 97.7 defensive grade on PFF which was the highest of the day.
The Connecticut native recorded a pick six on his first series of the game, but it was eventually called back by a penalty. Later that drive, Long had a 'ball doesn't lie' moment and recorded another interception which stood. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to return it for a score, but it was still impressive nonetheless. He also played on special teams against Navy, Syracuse and Stanford earning a spot in that rotation as well.
BREAKOUT PEDICTION
Over the last couple of seasons, we've seen Notre Dame reach further into their depth chart to round out a true four-man safety rotation. In 2024, the snaps were dominated by Xavier Watts and Shuler, but we saw transfer Rod Heard and Luke Talich work their way in down the stretch of their 16-game season. This past season, the rotation consisted of Shuler, Johnson, Talich and Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Stroman who took on more of a rotational role after starting the first two games of the season.
With Stroman's departure, the Irish are in need of another safety stepping up to fill his void. Likely, Talich steps into the number of snaps that Stroman played in 2025, but who will replace Talich's role? That's where Long enters the rotation. The 6-2, 201-pound safety shares a lot of skills and traits that Talich brings to the table. They're both rangy, not afraid to make plays around the line of scrimmage and have deceptive speed when closing on a ball or ball carrier.
Long was a former four-star recruit by Rivals and started to live up to that ranking as the 2025 offseason progressed. He's a very smooth athlete and was exceptionally productive in high school. Long has a lot of upside on the Notre Dame defensive, but the room was loaded last season which limited his opportunities for playing time. Now, as they prepare for spring practice which kicks off today, Long begins his campaign to solidify himself as a member of the 2026 safety rotation.
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