Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 NOV. 7, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Mary Bonner Dalton — Cross Country The junior from Charlotte, N.C., helped No. 7 Notre Dame to a third-place finish with a team-best 26th-place individ- ual showing at the NCAA Pre- National meet Oct. 16 in Terre Haute, Ind. Bonner Dalton finished the 6K race in 20:00.0 to pace all Irish runners for the second straight event. The Pre-National meet was held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, which will host the 2026 NCAA Championships Nov. 21. Izzy Engle — Soccer The junior midfielder/for- ward from Edina, Minn., scored both goals in No. 17 Notre Dame's 2-0 win against No. 15 Florida State Oct. 24 in Talla- hassee, Fla. The All-American gave the Irish a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, then capped the scoring just 47 seconds into the second half for her second multi-goal game of the season. Engle was pacing the Irish with 7 goals and 18 points while playing in just nine of their 14 games to date. Daelen Ackley — Cross Country The fifth-year from El Dorado Springs, Mo., earned ACC Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week honors for the second time this season Oct. 20 after leading Notre Dame to a third-place team finish with a fourth-place individual show- ing at the NCAA Pre-National meet Oct. 16 in Terre Haute, Ind. Ackley finished the 8K race at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in 23:20.5 to lead all ACC competitors at the 44-team event. Daniel Knapp — Diving The fifth-year from Mesa, Ariz., earned ACC Male Diver of the Week honors Oct. 19, the second time in his career that the standout has claimed the award. Knapp, a 2025-26 second- team All-American after finish- ing 13th in the 3-meter at the 2026 NCAA Championships, earned his most recent weekly honor after claiming wins in both the 1-meter (380.40) and the 3-meter (350.33) events Oct. 17 in an Irish dual-meet loss to Wisconsin at Madison, Wis. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom ✦ GIMME FIVE Notre Dame's most consistent wide receiver has climbed the ranks of the most consistent wide receivers the Irish have ever had. Senior Jordan Faison has caught a pass in 28 consecutive games he has appeared in, through Notre Dame's loss to BYU Oct. 17. His streak dates back to Notre Dame's victory over Navy on Oct. 26, 2024. It's the third-longest run of consecutive games with a reception in program history by an Irish wide receiver, trailing TJ Jones (40) from 2010-13 and Michael Floyd (33) from 2008-11. With 6 receptions for 64 yards against the Cougars, Faison passed Chris Brown and moved into third on the all-time list. He has five games remaining in the 2026 regular season to catch Floyd, and thanks to the NCAA's recent eligibility reform (otherwise known as five for five), he has the option to return for a fifth year and chase Jones. Junior Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr tends to lean on a different pass catcher each game, depending on what the defense shows him. But the one constant is Faison, who has at least 3 receptions in every game this season. He peaked Oct. 3 at North Carolina, when he caught 8 passes for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns, all of which set or matched his career high. Faison began his career as a walk-on and has earned everything he's been given, including No. 1 wide receiver status and his selection as a team captain. "He's been consistent as a person since the day he walked into our program as a walk-on four years ago," Freeman said. "And so, today is just a reflection of the consistency that he brings." — Jack Soble CHARTING THE IRISH ADON SHULER ENTERS RARE COMPANY Senior safety Adon Shuler has been a fixture in Notre Dame's starting lineup since winning a start- ing job prior to the 2024 season. He started 18 consecutive games until a targeting penalty forced him to miss the first half of Notre Dame's third game of the 2025 season against Purdue. He returned to the starting lineup the following week and extended his latest streak of consecutive starts to 16 in Notre Dame's 28-24 loss to BYU. Shuler's start against the Cougars pushed his career total to 34, which nudged him out of a four-way tie with Xavier Watts (2020-24), Harrison Smith (2008-11) and Joe Johnson (1981-84) with 33 career starts at safety in a Notre Dame uniform. Only two players have started more games at safety in Notre Dame history than Shuler: Tom Zbikowski (48 in 2004-07) and Jalen Elliott (39 in 2016-19). If Shuler starts every remain- ing game of the regular season and one postseason game, he will surpass Elliott for the No. 2 spot. The group of players Shuler passed on the all-time safety starts list at Notre Dame this season includes All-Americans like Watts and Jeff Burris and first- round NFL Draft picks like Smith and Burris. Smith also started 14 games at linebacker during his Irish career. Burris made eight starts as a cornerback. Shuler might not earn All-America honors or be- come a first-round draft pick during his career, but he's played an important role as a two-time captain on talented defenses. Through seven games of the 2026 season, Shuler was second among active players in career tackles (144) and tied for second in career interceptions (6) in a Notre Dame uniform. — Tyler James Senior Jordan Faison notched 6 catches for 64 yards at BYU Oct. 17, extending his reception streak to 28 consecutive appearances — the third-longest by a Notre Dame wide receiver. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER NOTRE DAME CAREER STARTS AT SAFETY Rk. Player Starts Seasons 1. Tom Zbikowski 48 2004-07 2. Jalen Elliott 39 2016-19 3. Adon Shuler 34 2023-26 4. Xavier Watts 33 2020-24 Harrison Smith 33 2008-11 Joe Johnson 33 1981-84 7. Jeff Burris 29 1990-93 Zeke Motta 29 2009-12 George Streeter 29 1985-88 10. Steve Lawrence 28 1983-86 LONGEST RECEPTION STREAKS BY IRISH WIDE RECEIVERS Rk. Player Games Seasons 1. TJ Jones 40 2010-13 2. Michael Floyd 33 2008-11 3. Jordan Faison 28* 2024-26 4. Chris Brown 27 2013-16 5. Will Fuller 26 2014-16 Jeff Samardzija 26 2004-07 * Through Oct. 17