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SOUTH BEND — After finishing in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency defense three years running, including No. 1 in 2023 and 2024, the Notre Dame football secondary must somehow find another gear this fall.
It’s up to Aaron Henry, brought in as co-defensive coordinator after Mike Mickens finally headed to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, to make that happen.
“Sometimes we can forget about the past and what took place when it’s something relatively small,” Henry said this spring. “We remember the big things. They remember not making the playoffs. But you may have forgotten a certain technique that you should’ve kept on a certain call that didn’t really cost us the game but cost us the play.”
Preaching the details along with the swagger shouldn’t be too hard when the Irish return the bulk of last year’s secondary starters, including projected NFL first-rounder Leonard Moore at boundary cornerback.
DJ McKinney, a Colorado transfer who started out at Oklahoma State, projects to play field corner as Moore locks down his side of the equation. In 2024, McKinney thrived in that role with two-way Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter on the opposite side of the field.
Two-year starter Christian Gray bumped inside to nickelback in the spring, where he’ll battle a pair of second-year prodigies, Dallas Golden and Michigan transfer Jayden Sanders, for snaps in the slot.
Mark Zackery IV, who started three games as a freshman cornerback, is in the mix as well.
Five burning questions: What Notre Dame football must answer this August
Both starting safeties are back in captain Adon Shuler and breakout star Brauntae "Tae Tae" Johnson. They combined for six of the 21 official interceptions the Irish piled up last season, and that didn’t even include Shuler’s pick-2 at Pittsburgh in mid-November.
Luke Talich, the former walk-on, offers hybrid-role versatility at 6-foot-4, and more length on the back end comes from the youthful trio of Joey O’Brien, Ethan Long and Ayden Pouncey.
“We’re not where I want us to be,” Henry said. “We’re probably never going to be where I want us to be. My job is to push these guys to the limit.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
15 | CB | Leonard Moore | 6-2, 197 | 3Y
2 | CB | DJ McKinney | 6-1, 185 | 5Y
29 | NB | Christian Gray | 6-0, 186 | 4Y
8 | S | Adon Shuler | 6-0, 202 | 4Y
9 | S | Brauntae Johnson | 6-2, 200 | 2Y
1 | CB | Dallas Golden | 6-0, 191 | 2Y
12 | CB | Jayden Sanders | 6-0, 195 | 2Y
28 | S | Luke Talich | 6-4, 204 | 4Y
24 | CB | Mark Zackery IV | 5-10, 184 | 2Y
22 | S | Ethan Long | 6-2, 204 | 2Y
20 | S | Joey O’Brien | 6-5, 203 | 1Y
13 | CB | Ayden Pouncey | 6-3, 180 | 1Y
21 | CB | Khary Adams | 6-1, 187 | 1Y
26 | CB | Chaz Smith | 6-1, 172 | 1Y
32 | CB | Nick Reddish | 5-10, 195 | 1Y
25 | S | Brandon Logan | 5-11, 197 | 2Y
Bold denotes projected starter
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football secondary reaches for more in 2026
Continue reading...
It’s up to Aaron Henry, brought in as co-defensive coordinator after Mike Mickens finally headed to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, to make that happen.
“Sometimes we can forget about the past and what took place when it’s something relatively small,” Henry said this spring. “We remember the big things. They remember not making the playoffs. But you may have forgotten a certain technique that you should’ve kept on a certain call that didn’t really cost us the game but cost us the play.”
Preaching the details along with the swagger shouldn’t be too hard when the Irish return the bulk of last year’s secondary starters, including projected NFL first-rounder Leonard Moore at boundary cornerback.
DJ McKinney, a Colorado transfer who started out at Oklahoma State, projects to play field corner as Moore locks down his side of the equation. In 2024, McKinney thrived in that role with two-way Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter on the opposite side of the field.
Two-year starter Christian Gray bumped inside to nickelback in the spring, where he’ll battle a pair of second-year prodigies, Dallas Golden and Michigan transfer Jayden Sanders, for snaps in the slot.
Mark Zackery IV, who started three games as a freshman cornerback, is in the mix as well.
Five burning questions: What Notre Dame football must answer this August
Both starting safeties are back in captain Adon Shuler and breakout star Brauntae "Tae Tae" Johnson. They combined for six of the 21 official interceptions the Irish piled up last season, and that didn’t even include Shuler’s pick-2 at Pittsburgh in mid-November.
Luke Talich, the former walk-on, offers hybrid-role versatility at 6-foot-4, and more length on the back end comes from the youthful trio of Joey O’Brien, Ethan Long and Ayden Pouncey.
“We’re not where I want us to be,” Henry said. “We’re probably never going to be where I want us to be. My job is to push these guys to the limit.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
Notre Dame football defensive back depth chart
15 | CB | Leonard Moore | 6-2, 197 | 3Y
2 | CB | DJ McKinney | 6-1, 185 | 5Y
29 | NB | Christian Gray | 6-0, 186 | 4Y
8 | S | Adon Shuler | 6-0, 202 | 4Y
9 | S | Brauntae Johnson | 6-2, 200 | 2Y
1 | CB | Dallas Golden | 6-0, 191 | 2Y
12 | CB | Jayden Sanders | 6-0, 195 | 2Y
28 | S | Luke Talich | 6-4, 204 | 4Y
24 | CB | Mark Zackery IV | 5-10, 184 | 2Y
22 | S | Ethan Long | 6-2, 204 | 2Y
20 | S | Joey O’Brien | 6-5, 203 | 1Y
13 | CB | Ayden Pouncey | 6-3, 180 | 1Y
21 | CB | Khary Adams | 6-1, 187 | 1Y
26 | CB | Chaz Smith | 6-1, 172 | 1Y
32 | CB | Nick Reddish | 5-10, 195 | 1Y
25 | S | Brandon Logan | 5-11, 197 | 2Y
Bold denotes projected starter
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football secondary reaches for more in 2026
Continue reading...
