Al Golden gives a glimpse into “the window of the soul” for his elite Notre Dame defensive unit

“Sometimes the window to your soul on defense is how well your defensive backs tackle,” Coach Golden said. “And right now, whether it’s corners or nickels or safeties, they’re leading by example. They’re not afraid to throw it in there.”

If you think back to the 49-14 victory over Army, who was the No. 19 overall team in the country, it was cornerback Christian Gray who helped to set the tone early on in the first drive. In the past, tackling in space has been an issue for the Irish, but it has mostly been superb this season.

Following the victory, sophomore safety Adon Shuler was named the player of the game by the team. The New Jersey native ended that contest with eight total tackles. Moving out from the shadows of All-American safety Xavier Watts, we have seen Shuler really take a massive step forward over the course of the season. He earned some high remarks from Coach Golden.

“I see a different person, and I see confidence,” Golden stated. “He’s become emboldened by his confidence and his growth. Not arrogant, not cocky, and none of us are. That’s what defense is, man. Defense can humble you in a second.”

Boy, how times have changed. It wasn’t too far into the distant past that the secondary was a huge cause for concern for the Notre Dame program. It now has a strong argument as one of the elite groups in all of college football.