Max Bullough Sees Continued Growth From Linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry

Notre Dame's linebacking corps has received a lot of attention this offseason, and for good reason. They return four of their five main guys in the rotation with the exception of Jack Kiser who is on his way to the NFL Draft. Linebacker's coach, Max Bullough, has a spoil of riches in his room with middle linebacker and leader Drayk Bowen returning to the lineup for 2025. True freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa played 343 snaps as a true freshman and has one of the higher ceilings in the room and incoming true freshman Madden Faraimo will be an impact player for the Irish for years to come. 

With those players returning, it might be easy for some players like senior Jaylen Sneed or rising junior Jaiden Ausberry to get swept under the rug. Both players combined for over 871 snaps, 107 tackles and 12.5 tackles for a loss last year. Bullough is extremely high on both players and what their roles can be in 2025. 

“To be honest with you, from a holistic perspective we don't really have set positions for guys in that room because of the confidence that we have in the room as a whole," Bullough explained when asked about Sneed and Ausberry's roles. "You don’t have to be Mike, you don't have to be Will and you guys can interchange. That gives them flexibility. Like you saw last year, that allows you to get a bunch of guys out there."

Players and coaches alike are still working out the fine details of what Chris Ash's defense will be. Everyone is working together to build and fully understand what their roles will be in 2025. 

"We’re in spring ball. We’re in the building phase," Bullough stated. "We’re doing concepts. We just want everyone to understand the shell and how our defense is going to work. We’ll get into the matchups, and where you’re going to play as we move towards the season."

Sneed, who is going into his senior year, has really impressed Bullough in the spring. The work he has put in will carry great value when the season hits, and many believe he can be a breakout player on Notre Dame's defense. 

"He’s got himself in that position, and I couldn’t be more excited about him," Bullough said when asked about Sneed's progress. "He’s physical. His feet are more underneath him. He’s able to take on blocks. He doesn’t run in there and get bounced out. He really looks like a linebacker."

Ausberry is another play who Bullough is extremely high on. The 6-2 junior played in 438 snaps last season for Notre Dame and finished the season No. 5 on the team in tackles even though he only started one game last season against Army. 

"Jaiden’s a tough kid," Bullough explained. "He’s got big dreams. He’s seen it before. He knows he comes from a good place. He knows what it takes. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s very efficient and he’s very physical the way he is now. He’s always been good against the run and he's always attacking." 

Both players have the opportunity to be standout defenders for Notre Dame's defense in 2025. When you pair them with players like Bowen, Viliamu-Asa, Faraimo, and some of the younger guys in the room, it gives this linebacking core the opportunity to be one of the best in the nation this upcoming season. They will have to sustain a high level of play to fulfill their aspirations of returning to the National Championship game.