Notre Dame’s safety room looks loaded behind Shuler and Johnson

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Irish return veteran leadership in Adon Shuler, while Tae Johnson gives the unit a rising playmaker with a knack for takeaways. Together, the duo could provide Notre Dame with a strong foundation on the back end of its defense heading into the new season.

Shuler stands out as the unit’s top returner, who served as a captain last season and finished second on the team in total tackles. He started 11 games and added two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five pass breakups, giving Notre Dame an experienced presence in the secondary.

Behind him, Johnson emerged as one of the team’s breakout players as a freshman in 2025. He played in 10 games with eight starts and finished with 48 tackles, four interceptions and a pick-six. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and later earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors. Notre Dame said Johnson was the only Power 4 freshman to record four interceptions last season, further highlighting his early impact.

“It’s definitely a mindset thing,” Johnson said. “You need to come into practice, games, anything — knowing you want to take the ball away.”
Shuler said he hopes leadership continues to be a major part of his role as he continues to grow within the program.

“Behind the closed doors you have to do a lot of leading and make a lot of sacrifices and be the bigger person, be the consistent person every day,” Shuler said. “I feel like that’s what I’ve been learning.”

The safety room also includes other young talent in Luke Talich and Ethan Long, adding to the depth Notre Dame will need during the season. With spring practice continuing, it will be interesting to see how this group shapes out.