Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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22 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED to see it over time to believe it. Gray made nice strides at nickel in the spring, but can he carry that over into the fall? Or will sophomores Dallas Golden and Jayden Sanders come gunning for playing time? Exiting the spring, it sounded as if Henry still hadn't had it all fleshed out yet. He said he was excited about who was playing there, but it would remain a good battle to determine a starter closer to the season opener. "The goal is just to try to develop depth at that position," Henry said. "I think as you get throughout the course of the sea- son, guys get banged up. When you talk about secondary play, you want guys to be able to slide inside and outside, but that's a very unique position in our defense be- cause we ask that guy to be a good blitzer, to be a really good tackler, to cover really well, right? To get to a flat, to get to a half. And so, it's some intricacies there." If Gray has the intricacies down, he can definitely do enough to earn the starting nod as a senior. If his head is still spinning because it is so different from playing outside, then a guy like Golden who played primarily inside last season could sneak back into the mix and steal the spot away. There is much to be settled in the slot this fall. 2. Is DJ McKinney The Starter At Field Corner? There is a scenario in which Gray is still Notre Dame's starting field cor- nerback. Sure, Notre Dame brought in an experienced player in DJ McKinney to be a starter, but it doesn't mean he has to be. Jalen Stroman got his starting safety designation taken away by a red- shirt freshman last season, for instance. Everything is always on the table. So, again, McKinney not being up to snuff at field corner and Gray getting moved away from nickel and back to the outside is a possibility. So is Sand- ers starting at field corner. There is no pigeonholing a Notre Dame defensive back contingent this deep. McKinney is a part of that depth, though, and, ideally, he's a staple in the top end of it starting alongside Leonard Moore as Notre Dame's go-to outside corners. Head coach Marcus Freeman certainly thinks he's worthy of such a pedestal. "His film from Colorado was gifted," Freeman said. "He's a talented individ- ual. He's smart, he prepares. And so I'm excited to see what he does as we get into fall camp, but there's high expecta- tions for him." 3. Who Will Help Boubacar Traore As A Pass Rusher? It's August, and is anyone sure who will be second in sacks among Notre Dame pass rushers at the end of the season? The obvious answer for the guy who's going to lead the way in that category is Boubacar Traore. But who's next in line? The telling part in all of this is, it could be someone like junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Not a defen- sive tackle, not a defensive end, but a linebacker. It's indicative of the ques- tion marks Notre Dame has along the defensive line. Is Bryce Young ready to make a name Boubacar Traore is a strong candidate to lead Notre Dame in sacks this season, but who will join him in bolstering the Irish pass rush? PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER "This year I know what each individual needs from a coach- ing standpoint, what we need to focus on and make sure we emphasize." ASH