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Notre Dame 2026 Player Profile: Linebacker Jaylen Sneed
- Story byRoundtable Sports
- Notre Dame 2026 Player Profile: Linebacker Jaylen Sneed
(Angela Driskell, Irish Breakdown)
Notre Dame 's 2026 linebacking corps is loaded with depth, experience and talent. It's hard to have the 'talent' discussion without mentioning one of the highest ranked high school recruits in the room, Jaylen Sneed , who was a former five-star recruit and No. 2 linebacker in the country in the 2022 class by On3. Now, the South Carolina native is gearing up for his fifth and final season in South Bend and is looking to put an emphatic end to his collegiate career.
Here is our 2026 preview and profile for Sneed:
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JAYLEN SNEED PROFILE
Class/Eligibility: 5th/Senior
Height/Weight: 6-2, 227
Hometown/High School: Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head
CAREER STATS
2025: 35 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 FF
2024: 51 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 FF
2023: 14 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF
2022: 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL
CAREER: 107 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 4 FF
2025 SEASON IN REVIEW
Sneed played in all 12 games last season and started the first two against Miami on the road and Texas A&M in the home opener. He played a total of 313 snaps with the most coming against Syracuse (40), Stanford (39), Miami (35) and USC (3`1). Sneed's performance against the Trojans was the best he had in 2025. He finished the game against their rival with six total tackles, three pressures and two run stops. Sneed also had a strong performance against Pitt on the road ending the afternoon with six total tackles and one pressure.
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Last season, the Hilton Head native took a massive step towards becoming an every-down off-ball linebacker. From 2022 to 2024, Sneed was used in a pass rushing role; he was a very flashy player but lacked consistency in his game. Last season, we started to see Sneed grow into an every-down linebacker that could contribute on first and second down, not just in a niche third-down pass rushing situation. Now, his sights are set on finishing that journey in 2026.
FALL CAMP PREVIEW
This spring, the 6-2, 227-pound linebacker picked up where he left off from the fall. Sneed saw exclusive minutes as the starting Will linebacker with the No. 1 defense this spring due to the other injuries in the room. This was far and away the best spring Sneed had since his arrival on campus. He was disciplined and played assignment correct football throughout spring training which made his athleticism shine. The 5th-year senior started alongside Jaiden Ausberry in the spring, and his performance from March through April showed he can be a consistent, every-down backer.
Now, Sneed will have to carry that performance over into summer workouts and fall camp. This is his final go around with the Irish and the expectations for this linebacking corps and the team are sky high. Sneed is one of the few players on the roster that have played in multiple playoff games and the national championship game back in 2024. His experience and leadership will be crucial throughout the remainder of the offseason. If this linebacking unit is going to be what we think it's going to be, they'll need Sneed to capitalize on the remainder of this offseason and lead into the 2026 season.
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2026 EXPECTATIONS
The expectations for Sneed going into the 2026 season are high. He's one of the highest ranked recruits in the room, but has yet to live up to his ranking like we've seen Drayk Bowen , Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Jaiden Ausberrydo. We've seen flashes from Sneed, and when the light bulb is fully on, he's a very talented and explosive playmaker. In other times, it's been inconsistent but based on what we saw from Sneed this past spring, it looks like those days are mostly behind him.
With Viliamu-Asa coming off of an ACL injury he suffered in November of 2025, I expect Sneed to be one of the primary linebackers they use on third down to rush the passer. Outside of Viliamu-Asa, he's the most experienced linebacker in the room in that role. Ausberry will likely be the starting Will, but outside of Bowen at Mike linebacker, I wouldn't pay too much attention to who the 'starter' is. Sneed will play well over 350 snaps this season, especially if the Irish play a 15 to 16 game season. I expect his impact to be felt as a pass rusher and as an off-ball linebacker. He's one of the most physically gifted players in the room.
A GOOD SEASON FOR SNEED WOULD BE ....
One where he puts it all together. We've seen flashes from the South Carolina native throughout his career at Notre Dame. He's been a productive edge rusher on third down, and we've seen flashes from him, dating back to the 2024 playoffs, of him having success as an off-ball linebacker. Last season, it started to come together as a redshirt junior. Now, as a redshirt senior, Sneed will look to put it all together and be effective on all three downs. He has all the physical tools in the world to be an impact talent at Will linebacker. It's now time for Sneed to show it this season.
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