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Roundtable Sports
Notre Dame Linebacking Corps Primed For A Dominant Season In 2026
- Story byRoundtable Sports
- Notre Dame Linebacking Corps Primed For A Dominant Season In 2026
(Michael Clubb, USA TODAY Sports)
What are the ingredients for a top position group in the country? You evaluate the level of experience, the overall talent in the room, the production and the overall ceiling of the unit. Stating that the Notre Dame linebacker room is No. 1 in the country ahead of the 2026 season isn't merely conjecture. When you look at the categories broken down above, it's clear who the top linebacking corps is in the country.
Notre Dame returns the most production of any team in college football according to ESPN's Bill Connelly and a good chunk of that production lives in Brian Jean-Mary's linebacker room. Senior middle linebacker and captain Drayk Bowen returns along with 5th-year senior Jaylen Sneed , senior Jaiden Ausberry , junior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and sophomore Madden Faraimo. All five player made impacts on last year's rotation and Ausberry is confident this room will do it again in 2026.
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"I feel like being in the room with them makes everybody better," Ausberry explained. "You know, it always pushes everybody a little harder, but we're always helping each other. We're giving each other tips. But I feel like being in that room with, everybody is really a blessing because if you want to be the best, you've got to be around the best, so that's something that I always have in mind."
Being around the best is something Sneed has a lot of experience in. The South Carolina native is heading into his 5th and final season with the Irish and is accustomed to the way they operate on game day. Playing five linebackers on any given Saturday has to be organized and intentional. Helping, encouraging and coaching your teammates is something Sneed does on gameday, not just in the week of practice.
"I feel like I'm always trying to see what's going on on the field," Sneed shared. "I'm going to get my quick sip of water and then go watch my position. I want to watch it live so I can see how the offense is trying to attack us and what they're trying to do. If he messes up or he does something, I can help coach him up. That's why I just always want to be that coach on the field and help, just because I'm a fifth-year guy and I know so much and I want to be able to help share my wisdom."
One of the key pieces of the rotation, Viliamu-Asa, is one of the most talented pieces in this tremendous room, but is coming off of a season-ending knee injury from 2025. Jean-Mary has first hand experience at returning from a significant knee injury and is impressed with how Viliamu-Asa has handled it.
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"KVA is different," Jean-Mary raved. "He hasn't missed a beat here, and once he gets that first live rep, makes that first tackle, first sack, or makes a play out in open field, I think he's going to be ready to rock and roll. I've told people he's very, very rare in that whatever he does own the field, he's got the same demeanor, same body, same stance, same body positions. And that is different. If we do a walkthrough, he's the same guy."
This linebacking corps is poised for an exceptional season. Notre Dame is one of the favorites nationally to win the CFP championship and the expectations are sky high. If this defense is going to be what we believe it can, this linebacker group is going to have to be what we know it can be and with the level of experience, talent and production they bring to the table, I'm confident they can be that group.
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