Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 11, 2025 31 F o r m e r I r i s h co r- n e r b a c k J a d e n Mickey raced out of the visitors' tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium on a sweltering October Saturday carrying the American flag and revel- ing in a chapter in his life he left behind but still cherishes deeply. T h e i n j u re d B o i s e State Bronco also got a reminder of how good that 2024 Irish defense looked when he opted out for a redshirt sea- son and announced his intention to the transfer portal four games into a run that would end in the CFP National Champi- onship Game in Atlanta. While he cheered his heart out for the even- tual runner-up Irish watching on TV. In person, on Oct. 4, Mickey may have gotten a glimpse of what the ceil- ing of the 2025 Notre Dame defense might look like during a 28-7 subduing of first-time opponent Boise State by the Irish, led by a cornerback who was quietly surging when Mickey made the decision to move on. Leonard Moore. A year later he's Notre Dame's best defensive player, and finally healthy af- ter missing the previous two games with a high ankle sprain. "Man, it's different when [No.] 15's out there," Irish sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa offered. "And that's my dog, in the same [recruiting] class. I love seeing him get back healthy. It is a great feeling. You've got guys out there that can play man-to-man and play the ball in the deep part of the field." Leonard played well no matter what part of the field he was on, with 6 solo tackles and 2 of Notre Dame's season- high 4 interceptions. Redshirt junior linebacker Jaylen Sneed had a fifth Irish pick wiped out by a roughing-the- passer penalty. And a defense that was a punchline through the first three games of the sea- son has found some traction in the last two. And against two offenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense, no less. The Irish held Arkansas to 13 points and 365 yards on the road Sept. 27, then topped both with 7 points and 315 total yards allowed versus Boise State. And a season-high 4 sacks. "Shoot, it felt like we were just get- ting our identity in check," Moore said. "We go out there playing fast and play- ing violent. I wouldn't compare it to last year. "It's a new group, a new team. But we went out there, and we played violent." Boise State's 5-foot-10, 207-pound redshirt junior quarterback, Maddux Madsen, felt it in his body and in his numbers. Madsen's 4 picks were not only a ca- reer high, they were one more than he threw over the entirety of the regular- season for the 2024 CFP participant. His 86.6 pass efficiency rating was the second-lowest of his 20 career starts (the lowest came last season in a 37-34 loss at Oregon). And that also repre- sented the best rating the Irish pass defense had held an opposing quar- terback to since triple- option Army concocted a 68.7 throwing 9 passes and amassing 26 yards through the air in an Irish rout last November. P ro Fo o tba l l Fo c u s credited Madsen with a career-low grade of 39.0, the lowest of any offen- sive player for either team in the game and a career low for him. Mickey, out with a concussion himself sus- tained in Boise State's win over Appalachian State Sept. 27, got a first- hand look at Moore's relaunch and what it means to the Notre Dame defense. Moore's light never flickered while he was on the field, which was 68 out of a possible 78 defensive snaps. PFF gave him an elite coverage grade of 90.0. "It shows you he's a special player," Freeman said. "I don't want to say this too loud, because we've got players in here, but practice is important. And we preach how important practice is. "Leonard got enough work that he can go out there and do his job. And it's just a confidence, I think, that we as a coaching staff, the team has, when he's out there." It's rubbing off. And so is the scheme first-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash is teaching, adapting and fixing to fit a team that was elite on that side of the ball. And could evolve into that again? "A huge step," is what Moore was willing to concede. "Obviously, we're not perfect. Obviously, we're going to get back in the film room, and there's a lot of plays we want back. But that's for next week." ✦ Moore's return from injury coincided with Notre Dame's best defensive performance of the season to date — seven points and 315 total yards allowed with 4 sacks and 4 interceptions. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Leonard Moore's Return Boosts Defense Eric Hansen covers Notre Dame athletics for On3, with a focus on Irish football. He can be reached on X @ EHansenND THE DEEP READ ERIC HANSEN