Adon Shuler Is Poised For A Big Jump In His Second Season As A Starter

Over the past several seasons, the safety position at Notre Dame has remained a consistent strength for the defense. From 2019-2021, Kyle Hamilton gave opposing offensive coordinators nightmares. Then, from 2022-2024, Xavier Watts put together, arguably, the best performance from an Irish defensive back in program history. Now, rising junior Adon Shuler has the opportunity to follow in their footsteps and maintain Notre Dame's level of dominance at the safety position. 

In 2024, Shuler started and played in all 16 games for Notre Dame. During their run to the national title game, he tallied 768 total snaps which was third overall on defense, 59 total tackles, five passes defended, three interceptions, one pick six and one forced fumble. Shuler was a key piece in solidifying the back end of Al Golden's defense, and his experience playing alongside Watts for 16 consecutive games will prove to be invaluable experience. 

Shuler is projected to have a breakout season this fall; he has the opportunity to take the jump from being an impact player to a star on Chris Ash's defense in 2025. This jump would be par for the course from what we have seen from the Notre Dame safeties in the past from year one to year two in the starting lineup. 

In 2019, Hamilton put together a stellar freshman season as he recorded 41 total tackles, had six passes defended and recorded four interceptions. However, in 2020, Hamilton played some of his best football and became an all around elite defender. In two less games, he recorded 22 more tackles (63) and one more pass defended. Hamilton didn't allow a single passing touchdown between either year, but recorded eight more stops his second year in the starting lineup compared to his first according to PFF. 

A similar conversation can be had around Watts. In 2022, he entered the starting lineup the final four games of the regular season. Watts finished the year with 366 snaps played at safety, 39 total tackles, three passes defended and 1.0 sack. His second year in the starting lineup is where he truly blossomed. Watts finished the season with 52 total tackles, four passes defended and recorded seven interceptions in 2023. His performance earned him the Bronko Nagurski Award when the season was over with. Watts elected to return to South Bend for his final year of eligibility in 2024 and continued to improve as a player. 

So what does all of this mean? This isn't a proclamation stating that Shuler will be the next Watts or Hamilton. Shuler has the opportunity in 2025 to be the best version of himself in the starting lineup, and a jump from year one to year two would be consistent from what we've seen from Notre Dame's previous two standout safeties. If he can put it all together this season, the Irish will have another dominant force at the safety position this fall.