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Roundtable Sports
DJ McKinney Injury Will Test Notre Dame's Cornerback Depth
- Story byRoundtable Sports
- DJ McKinney Injury Will Test Notre Dame's Cornerback Depth
(Angela Driskell, Irish Breakdown)
Notre Dame's secondary has dealt with some crucial injuries this season, with the latest being the ankle injury to cornerback DJ McKinney. The transfer cornerback went down in the loss to BYU and we won't see him in a Notre Dame uniform for some time. That is just the latest in what has been a challenging season for the Irish secondary.
McKinney is not only out for this weekend's matchup against Navy, he'll also be out for the Miami game on November 7th, and his chance of returning during the regular season is not good.
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"We expect to get him back at some point this year, but he'll be out for quite a while," head coach Marcus Freemansaid during today's press conference.
Notre Dame has also been without preseason All-American safety Brauntae Johnsonsince the opener, and All-American cornerback Leonard Mooremissed the Irish victory over Stanford. That's just the starters, as backup cornerback Mark Zackeryhas missed multiple games with a concussion, classmate Dallas Goldenhas been banged up at times and freshman cornerback Chaz Smithis also out with a season-ending injury.
The loss of McKinney is a significant blow, as the former Colorado standout cover man has been an outstanding player for the Irish this season. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinney has allowed just seven completions for 44 yards on the season. Notre Dame will need to find some answers, both with his replacement and throughout the depth chart.
JAYDEN SANDERS GETS HIS SHOT
With McKinney out, fellow transfer Jayden Sanderswill step into the starting lineup. The sophomore from Texas played his first season with Michigan, where he earned three starts and played over 300 snaps (PFF). This season, Sanders has rotated in at the field cornerback position with McKinney. He struggled a bit in the opener against Wisconsin, but since then he's settled in and played good football. Sanders isn't quite the pure man cover player that McKinney was, but he's been a productive player for the Irish defense this season.
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Sanders is tied for the team lead with five pass break ups, including two in the win over Stanford when he was tasked with replacing Moore in the starting lineup. His crucial 4th quarter interception against BYU gave Notre Dame a chance to put the game away, but the Irish offense couldn't capitalize. He doesn't step into the lineup without experience, or without the understanding of what it takes to thrive in this defense.
During the summer, Sanders was a player that our sources raved about, and he pushed McKinney for a starting job throughout fall camp. In fact, heading into the opener against Wisconsin, Sanders was still pushing for the starting role. Sanders isn't quite the man cover player that McKinney is, but he is a talented player that shows strong all-around athletic skills and instincts that fit well into this defense.
DEPTH QUESTIONS
Behind Sanders and Moore there are questions about the depth chart. In 2025, Notre Dame played multiple corners as part of a rotation, which allowed Zackary and Golden to get plenty of playing time even before injuries thrust them into the line. Neither has played a meaningful down in 2026. The lack of playing time for either player likely means we won't see a three-man cornerback rotation with McKinney out.
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Notre Dame will need to figure out ways to get more cornerbacks ready to play, and it needed to happen starting last week. Zackary is still listed as questionable for this weekend's game, which means either freshman Ayden Pounceyor Golden will need to start getting ready to play should Sanders go down. Golden has spent much of the season at nickel, but he's played outside in the past and has the tools to play the position. Pouncey has only played limited late game snaps during blowouts, but he was one of the more impressive rookies during the spring and sources have raved about his potential.
But establishing the depth chart isn't just about the "next man in" after Sanders. When Moore went down with a concussion against North Carolina, it was Sanders that stepped into the lineup. With him now locked into the field position, someone else will need to step into the lineup should Moore go down again. Notre Dame could move him into the boundary, but this could also present an opportunity for talented rookie Khary Adamsto push for a role.
There are very talented options, but none have any meaningful experience, at least not in 2026. Notre Dame secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator Aaron Henrywill need to work his magic to get enough practice reps for his talented young corners to develop. Perhaps they could get some blowout snaps against Navy, but the triple option offense doesn't really prepare them should their number be called against Miami. But the good news is talent tends to rise to the top, and despise the uncertainty from an experience standpoint, the one thing Notre Dame still has plenty of at cornerback is talent.
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