Going into the 2026 college football season, Notre Dame has a chance to field one of the absolute best secondaries in all of college football.

Head coach Marcus Freeman has done a tremendous job rebuilding the Fighting Irish defense since arriving in South Bend, and former secondary coach Mike Mickens transformed a maddeningly inconsistent room into one of the best producers of defensive back talent in the country.

Now, new secondary coach Aaron Henry looks to continue that impact on the back end.

With fall camp approaching, the cornerback position stands out as a group that could be the best in the entire country. Here are the players to know, the intriguing depth pieces, and how things should shake out once camp begins.

Leonard Moore leads the way

The conversation starts with All-American cornerback Leonard Moore, who returns to the boundary for Notre Dame.

Viewed as a potential top-5 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, Moore made an early impact despite being recruited as just a three-star player. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound coverman has an incredible combination of length, speed, and fluidity for a player his size. Barring something unforeseen, this will be his last season in South Bend before he heads to the NFL.

For now, he has a chance to lead arguably the best Notre Dame secondary this century.

DJ McKinney brings an impactful addition at field corner

On the other side, Colorado transfer DJ McKinney is expected to hold down the field cornerback spot. If not for a banged-up 2025 season, McKinney probably would have been a top-100 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he returned to college and utilized the transfer portal to join Notre Dame’s secondary.

When healthy, McKinney has an outstanding combination of physicality and twitch. If he’s able to stay healthy and deliver a more consistent version of himself on a snap-to-snap basis, he has the chance to be a huge riser in the 2027 NFL Draft class.

Christian Gray slides inside to nickel

The addition of McKinney has allowed Christian Gray to move inside to the nickel position. A two-year starter at field corner, Gray has been an up-and-down player during his time in the role.

At his best, he has a propensity for making big plays and creating turnovers. There is a hope that his confidence returns playing inside at nickel, where he has shown he is more than capable of fitting against the run and jumping short passing windows.

With the new 5-for-5 rule, Gray could technically return for another year in 2027, but for now this is expected to be his final season with Notre Dame. He carries some mid-round NFL Draft grades from evaluators around the league.

Depth that sets this group apart

Behind those three assumed starters, there is a ton of depth to get excited about.

Keep a close eye on sophomore Dallas Golden, who played a good amount inside last season due to injury. The Irish could also use him at outside corner, mixing and matching with cross-training between both spots. Mark Zachary IV also played a ton in 2025 at the field position and should be the main backup there.

Those are the five players you should see most from Notre Dame heading into 2026, and the depth is impressive. This is probably the deepest cornerback group in South Bend in a few years.

True freshman Khary Adams and Jayden Sanders battle for boundary backup role

One player to keep a close eye on out of the true freshman class is Khary Adams.

He has been banged up this offseason but was considered a five-star player in the 2026 recruiting class. Now healthy, Adams carries a lot of intrigue because there is a vacancy at boundary corner as a backup to Moore. Could he fight Michigan transfer Jayden Sanders for that spot and become the heir apparent to Moore when the All-American leaves South Bend after this season?

Sanders, a true sophomore, actually played a lot with the Wolverines last season. He showed a lot of upside this past spring, particularly during the Blue-Gold Game, where he played inside at nickel and on the outside.

That versatility should be a big help for a potentially elite Notre Dame secondary.