Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Adon Shuler (8) against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Football’s 2025 Breakout Star Revealed by Fox Sports

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 1:11 PM ET

Notre Dame's defense has to replace a few big-time pieces for 2025 as the likes of Xavier Watts, Jack Kiser, and Rylie Mills are off to the NFL, but in their wake are plenty of players set to take the next steps of their Fighting Irish careers.

One such player is Adon Shuler, who Fox Sports named as one of college football's 10 breakout candidates for the 2025 season.

The redshirt sophomore had three interceptions and five passes defended to go along with 59 tackles last season, all while playing 768 snaps.

Shuler will see his role likely increase as Notre Dame is expected to still have among the nation's top secondaries, but will do so without key pieces like Watts and Benjamin Morrison who were both taken in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

I thought Shuler was incredibly underrated last year, but most of that was because of the more hyped talent that was around him in Notre Dame's secondary. He's clearly got skills and can cause headaches in the matchup game for opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks because of his combination of size, speed, and athleticism.

Personally, I would already consider Shuler a defensive star after what he did last season, but I fully understand why Fox Sports is considering him a breakout star candidate for those that might not have watched Notre Dame regularly.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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