Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 APRIL 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2025 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L O V E R V I E W BY JACK SOBLE I ndiana's game plan in the first round of the College Foot- ball Playoff: Go after the freshman. The Hoosiers thought they could pick on Notre Dame cornerback LEONARD MOORE, targeting him three times in the first quarter. All three pass attempts fell harmlessly to the ground. Moore is not to be messed with, and he proved that during the College Football Playoff. The FWAA Fresh- man Defensive Player of the Year is a recurring char- acter on way-too-early All-American lists. Head coach Marcus Freeman has said the Irish knew that the 6-foot-2, 191-pound Moore was spe- cial from the moment he stepped on campus. The rest of the country knows it now, too. Moore is the face of a Notre Dame sec- ondary that should remain among the nation's best in 2025, despite losing three studs to graduation and the NFL Draft. His counterpart at cornerback, Christian Gray, returns as well. Rebounding from third-and-11 — the go ball to Ohio State wide receiver Jer- emiah Smith that sealed Notre Dame's loss in the national championship — will be a theme of spring ball for Gray. While his consistency did wa- ver at the tail end of an otherwise strong sophomore campaign, he is still the cornerback who pulled in two of the most memorable interceptions in recent program history. Boundary safety Adon Shuler is back, too, hoping to build on a breakout sophomore season of his own. He'll share the back end with two graduate transfers in nickel back DeVonta Smith (Alabama) and field safety Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech). They'll help compensate for the experience Notre Dame lost in Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison and Jordan Clark. One asset the Irish did not lose, however: Defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordina- tor Mike Mickens. Given his per- formance in recent years, he might be the most significant retention of the offseason. Mickens was passed over for a pro- motion when Notre Dame hired Chris Ash as defensive coordinator to replace Al Golden, even though many believed he would be next in line. But he's back, and as long as he remains in South Bend, so should an elite secondary. DEFENSIVE BACKS PERSONNEL UPDATE Position Coach: Mike Mickens (sixth season) Returning Starters: Jr. S Adon Shuler (16 career starts), Jr. CB Christian Gray (15) and So. CB Leonard Moore (10) Departing Starters: Gr. S Xavier Watts (33), Gr. NB Jor- dan Clark (30) and Jr. CB Benjamin Morrison (26) Projected New Starters: Gr. NB DeVonta Smith (11 at Alabama) and Gr. S Jalen Stroman (9 at Virginia Tech) Top Reserves: Jr. S Luke Talich, So. CB Karson Hobbs, So. S Kennedy Urlacher, So. S Tae Johnson, Gr. CB Chance Tucker, Jr. S Ben Minich and So. S Taebron Bennie-Powell Newcomers: Smith, Stroman, Fr. S JaDon Blair, Fr. CB Cree Thomas, Fr. S Ethan Long, Fr. CB Mark Zackery IV, Fr. CB Dallas Golden and Fr. S Brandon Logan POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH FIELD SAFETY As with Rod Heard II last season, Jalen Stroman is expected to start. However, the Irish will leave the door open for an in-house option to blow them away like Adon Shuler did. Between Luke Talich, Kennedy Urlacher, Tae Johnson and even the freshmen, there's a ton of budding talent here. Notre Dame likes to use three safeties on passing downs, so even if Stroman starts, there's room for one of the youngsters to step up. NUMBERS TO KNOW 0 Fumbles lost by Georgia running back Trevor Etienne in his three-year career spanning 360 carries entering the Sugar Bowl. It's now 1, because Adon Shuler forced a massive turnover with a textbook hit on Etienne behind the line of scrimmage in the first quarter with the Bulldogs in the red zone. 36.7 Completion percentage on passes targeted at LEONARD MOORE throughout the final five games of the 2024 season (the CFP + USC). He allowed just 11 receptions on 30 targets for 91 yards (3.03 yards per attempt). Moore was frequently targeted throughout the CFP and rose to the challenge every time. 104.4 Notre Dame's pass efficiency defense, which led the country for the second straight year in 2024. Mike Mickens' presump- tive return as defensive backs coach is as significant a development as any this offseason. A 9s long as the Irish have him their pass defense should be among the nation's best. ALL EYES ON … GRADUATE STUDENT DEVONTA SMITH The annual graduate transfer nickel exercise has generated excellent results so far at an extremely important position. Thomas Harper was good. Jor- dan Clark was better. Now it's Smith's turn, and he was a quality starter at Alabama. If Notre Dame maintains its high level of play in the secondary, Smith will be a big reason why. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER