When Jaylen Sneed signed with Notre Dame in December 2021, he was billed as a game-changer — a consensus top-100 recruit and the No. 1 player in South Carolina. Sneed achieved 5-star status on some services and gave the Irish a linebacker with the kind of speed and athleticism the position had largely lacked for years. Like many highly touted prospects, though, his path at Notre Dame didn’t start with instant stardom. His first two seasons were more about learning the playbook, adding strength, and mastering the nuances of the position when he couldn’t rely solely on the speed and athleticism that carried him in high school. Almost three years later, it appears everything is finally coming together for the athletic freak, and a full-time role in the Irish base defense is within reach.
Now entering his fourth season (including a “redshirt” campaign in 2022), Sneed is coming off his most complete year and, more importantly, his best offseason — earning strong praise from the Notre Dame coaching staff along the way. While his physical traits have always jumped off the page, it appears the mental part of playing assignment football has caught up, giving new defensive coordinator Chris Ash a different kind of opportunity to unleash Sneed. Al Golden used Sneed as more of a chess piece; Ash might just have a potential every-down game-wrecker on his hands.
Recruitment Hype vs. Early Patience
Sneed arrived at Notre Dame as one of the most coveted linebackers in the country, ranked among the top 100 prospects nationally and the No. 1 player in South Carolina. He capped a stellar high school career at Hilton Head with South Carolina Mr. Football honors in 2021, multiple all-state selections, and a reputation as a sideline-to-sideline defender with elite speed. Most Irish fans expected him to have an instant impact as a game-wrecking linebacker because of that pedigree.
Success was not immediate, however. His freshman season in 2022 was more about development than on-field impact. Sneed appeared in just four games, preserving a year of eligibility, while logging seven tackles. He spent most of his time learning the defense and adjusting to the physicality of the college game. In 2023, Sneed played in all 13 games with one start, but he was still a rotational piece rather than a fixture in the lineup. The highlight of his season came in Notre Dame’s dominating win over USC when he brought down reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams for his first career sack.
Glimpses of a Breakout in 2024
Sneed’s 2024 season was the first time in his career he delivered consistent production. He appeared in all 16 games with six starts, finishing sixth on the team in tackles (51) and fourth in tackles-for-loss (6). He added two forced fumbles, a sack, and several key pressures throughout the season. His raw athleticism finally started to pair with a stronger grasp of the defense and the nuances of the position.
Sneed forced fumbles against Purdue and Florida State and returned another for a touchdown against Navy at MetLife Stadium. His biggest moment of last season, however, came in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. Sneed’s pressure on quarterback Drew Aller forced an errant throw that Christian Gray intercepted, setting up the game-winning field goal. The big plays were there, but they were still a little too few and far between for what most expected of Sneed by his third season after arriving with 5-star expectations.
Coaches See the Leap
There has been too much hype surrounding Jaylen Sneed this offseason to think there won’t be some fire to the smoke once the season starts. Throughout fall camp, Sneed has been seen running with the first-team defense at the WILL position next to starting MIKE and likely captain Drayk Bowen. Most expected sophomore Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to step into that starting spot this season, with Sneed playing a rotational role again. But after arriving to camp bulked up to over 230 pounds — after playing the last three seasons as an undersized backer — it looks like Sneed has seized the opportunity in front of him for a pivotal role in what figures to be one of the best defenses in the country again this year.
Depth at linebacker, like the Irish have assembled, is not something Notre Dame fans are used to. In years past, someone like Sneed would have been thrust into the starting lineup a while ago simply because there were no better options. That’s not the case with Viliamu-Asa, who showed last year he had the talent to play early. If Sneed beats him out as the full-time starter, it will be because he earned it through his work this offseason.
“Now you just have to put in the work and do the details and do all the little things. It’s not just because you’re 235 you’re handed everything,” said linebackers coach Max Bullough this spring. “Now you got the body, you got the framework to do it. And he’s in the best place physically and mentally by far that Jaylen Sneed’s ever been, at least I can say since I’ve been here. I’m very proud of Jaylen Sneed and where he’s at.”
Why 2025 Could Be Jaylen Sneed’s Year
Three years of development have brought Jaylen Sneed to the point where his physical tools and mental preparation have fully converged. The burst that once showed up in short flashes now comes with discipline in his reads, improved tackling form, and the ability to anticipate rather than react. That growth is exactly what new defensive coordinator Chris Ash needs in a linebacker who can both attack the backfield and drop into coverage.
Sneed’s versatility is a weapon for a defense that will use four linebackers in rotation. Even if Sneed is listed ahead of Viliamu-Asa on the depth chart at WILL, he will still play plenty of snaps. His past experience as a ROVER means he can rush off the edge, spy the quarterback, or drop into coverage on athletic tight ends downfield. That flexibility is a huge asset for the Irish defense in disguising its looks. Notre Dame has that with Sneed surrounded by a deep linebacker corps featuring Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. There is so much depth that freshman Madden Faraimo, a five-star recruit, may not see the field outside of mop-up duty or special teams — something that would not have happened in the past.
Notre Dame’s linebacker room might be the most talented group on the roster, and Jaylen Sneed might be the single backer who defines the group’s ceiling in 2025. Once a raw five-star recruit adjusting to the speed and complexity of the college game, he now steps into the season as a proven playmaker. The athletic ability has always been there — now the trust, consistency, and system fit are too.
If his 2024 momentum and the hype coming out of camp carry into the fall, Jaylen Sneed could become the kind of defensive difference-maker Notre Dame has been waiting for since the day he signed. And in a season with playoff aspirations, Notre Dame needs that kind of leap to push itself over the top.
