The talent in Notre Dame 's linebacker room is exceptional. They're deep, experienced, athletic and the only room in the country that brings back all five players that were in the rotation in 2025. One of those players is Will linebacker Jaylen Sneed , the oldest and most experienced player in the room.
Sneed was one of Marcus Freeman's first 'big time recruits' on defense early in his tenure. It's been a journey for the South Carolina native, but Sneed has made the most of his opportunities and has turned into a really good, reliable football player for the Notre Dame defense. His journey has fueled his development and it's coming to a head in year five.
"When you first get to Notre Dame, especially coming from South Carolina where I come from, it's different," Sneed shared. "It's a big change. You don't want to change, but the teammates and the coaches you have around you just make it. You have to. If you want to be here, you have to change. You have to become a Notre Dame man. You have to live up to the values that Freeman talks about all the time."
Freeman has stated on multiple occasions to not try and change Notre Dame but let Notre Dame change you. This is a mindset that Sneed has adapted and it's shown in his efforts on and off the football field.
"I would say confidence," Sneed replied when asked how Notre Dame has changed him as a person and as a football player. "I would say maturity. I would say opportunity. I would say just becoming a greater man. Just becoming a young man."
His development off the field has been exceptional and noteworthy, but his development on the field has also caught the attention of many. Going into year two of the Chris Ashdefensive system has helped the 5th-year linebacker to become of the more productive players on the defensive side of the ball.
"I feel like Coach Ash, when he came in, he came in a little late," Sneed stated. "It was definitely hard for him to know exactly what players he had. I feel like this year, he knows exactly what he has. He knows how to use people. Just for everybody from last year to this year, everybody has grown. It's so much easier to talk to him now just because I know him."
Like every person, Sneed has learned through experience, and that experience has turned him into the football player and man we see in 2026.
"I would tell him just let Notre Dame change you," Sneed answered when asked what he would tell his younger self. "That's what I would say. I would say don't fight it. Just let it change you. Let it make you become a better man. Let it make you become a better football player."
Personal journeys like Sneed's is why you love college football. Seeing his development as a person and as a football player has been fun to watch. This season, the 6-1, 227-pound linebacker is 3rd on the team in tackles with 16 and will look to continue that production as the season goes on.
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