You would be hard-pressed to find a year where Notre Dame football had a deeper safety room than the Fighting Irish will have going into the 2026 college football season.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the defensive staff have done a tremendous job filling gaps on the defensive side of the football, which makes sense given Freeman’s background as a defensive coordinator and overall defensive mind. At safety, the embarrassment of riches will be on display every Saturday this fall.

With fall camp opening up on Aug. 4, this feels like a great time to preview the position and what makes the Notre Dame safety group so special going into 2026. Here are the names to know, the headliners, and more importantly, the depth that can make this unit arguably the best in the entire country.

Adon Shuler and Tae Johnson headline the starters

The starters will be the same faces from last season, with now-redshirt junior Adon Shuler going into potentially his final year before declaring for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Over the last two years, Shuler has become the heartbeat of the defense on the back end, serving as a captain last season. He brings a physical brand of football and plays with incredible instincts and tenacity as a safety. He excels at robbing short zones and always feels like he is around the football.

For how good Shuler is, he has become a little bit underrated this offseason with the ascension we saw in 2025 from now-redshirt sophomore standout Tae Johnson.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety came to Notre Dame as a high school wide receiver and safety before converting fully to the defensive side of the football. His ball skills and instincts to make plays showcase themselves on defense, and that is why he holds several top-50 grades across the NFL.

Despite being just a redshirt sophomore, there is anticipation that if Johnson has another strong season, he could bolt for the NFL and has an opportunity to potentially work himself into being a first-round NFL Draft pick.

His range on the back end will be a huge plus for the Irish, who played a lot of two-high looks last season. It will be worth watching whether, with a year under Johnson’s belt, the team runs a little more single high and man coverage across the board at times. That type of versatility is a tremendous asset for any defensive coordinator, and there will be hope that Chris Ash takes full advantage of it.

Luke Talich, Ethan Long provide impressive depth

While those are the headliners, there are a couple of talented players behind them.

The main backup to Shuler will once again be Luke Talich. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior could start for a lot of football teams on the FBS level, but he has gone from former walk-on to special teams star and important member of this defensive backfield after hauling in three interceptions last season. His size and overall explosiveness bring a lot of opportunity for him to get on the field in several different alignments and capacities.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see some three-safety alignments in 2026, allowing Talich to get on the field more regularly.

Ethan Long is another backup safety worth knowing. At 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds, Long is another lengthy defensive back who has a talent to get around the football, which Notre Dame saw in limited opportunities last fall. The redshirt freshman has gotten some rave reviews behind the scenes, and I expect he is going to get more opportunities now in his second year in South Bend.

True freshman Joey O’Brien is the young gun to watch

The last name to watch in terms of opportunities to play a ton in 2026 is true freshman Joey O’Brien. He was making a name for himself during spring, but unfortunately an injury did derail his offseason slightly.

He is back healthy and ready to go for the 2026 season. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, this is a long, athletic talent on the back end with incredible range and a background on offense that shows in his ball skills. If he can match up physically and add enough weight before the season, he could press for legitimate playing time in 2026, but perhaps 2027 is more of his breakout opportunity.

Having that type of size and range as a backup option at safety is a pretty impressive thing. From top to bottom, this Notre Dame safety room has the depth and talent to be one of the best units in the country, and fall camp will be the first chance to see it all come together.