Notre Dame doesn’t have a starting quarterback yet, but on Monday, they officially named their team captains for the 2025 season. This year’s group features a balanced mix of leadership on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame announced over Twitter earlier today that linebacker Drayk Bowen, safety Adon Shuler, wide receiver Will Pauling, defensive tackle Donovan Hinish, guard Billy Schrauth, and offensive tackle Aamil Wagner will all wear the “C” for the Irish this fall.
Six captains may seem like a lot, but this is already the second time in Freeman’s tenure at Notre Dame that the Irish have chosen six captains – the last coming in his first season in 2022. A year ago, the captain group leaned heavily on the defensive side of the ball. In 2025, the Irish return to a more even split, with three leaders from the offense and three from the defense.
Meet the 2025 Notre Dame Football Captains
- Drayk Bowen (LB, JR) – The former Indiana Mr. Football and Butkus Award winner arrived with high expectations and has steadily grown into one of Notre Dame’s defensive cornerstones. Bowen brings athleticism and intensity to the linebacker room, and his leadership presence was a natural fit.
- Adon Shuler (S,JR) – A New Jersey native with a reputation as a ballhawk, Shuler broke through early in his Irish career with splash plays, including interceptions that flipped momentum in key games. His maturity beyond his years makes him one of the youngest defensive captains in recent memory.
- Will Pauling (WR, SR) – A transfer from Wisconsin and Cincinnati, Pauling has established himself quickly in South Bend. His selection is notable, as transfers at wide receiver rarely earn captaincy, signaling how quickly he earned the respect of teammates.
- Donovan Hinish (DT, SR) – The younger brother of former Irish captain Kurt Hinish, Donovan has forged his own reputation as a relentless worker in the trenches. His selection underscores how much respect he’s earned for toughness and consistency.
- Billy Schrauth (OG, SR) – A steady presence up front, Schrauth has been a plug-and-play starter since early in his career. Known for physicality and reliability, he represents the offensive line’s long tradition of leadership.
- Aamil Wagner (OT, JR) – Wagner adds a second offensive lineman to the captain group. His emergence as a leader at tackle reinforces the importance of trench play for the Irish in 2025.
Offensive Balance Returns
Last season, quarterback Riley Leonard was the lone offensive captain. This year, the Irish selected three offensive leaders — Pauling, Schrauth, and Wagner. It’s an encouraging sign for an offense that will be breaking in a new quarterback – even if we don’t officially know who that quarterback is yet. Having leadership in the receiver room and across the offensive line should help stabilize things early in the season.
Pauling’s inclusion is particularly noteworthy. Transfers don’t often step right into leadership roles at Notre Dame, but his work ethic and approach resonated quickly. Pairing him with Schrauth and Wagner gives the Irish strong voices in both the skill and line positions. This is the third year in a row that a transfer has been named a captain, although it’s the first time under Freeman that a non-quarterback transfer has been named a captain. Leonard was a captain a year ago and Sam Hartman was as well in 2023.
Defensive Tone-Setters
The defensive side is anchored by Bowen, Shuler, and Hinish – leadership at each level of the Irish defense. Bowen has long been viewed as a future leader, dating back to his recruitment when his blend of production and personality made him a centerpiece for Freeman’s defense.
Shuler’s rapid rise shows how quickly young players can earn trust if they combine on-field performance with consistency off it. For a secondary that lost Xavier Watts, Jordan Clark, and Benjamin Morrison to the NFL, Shuler’s leadership will be invaluable.
Hinish rounds out the group with a classic interior lineman’s grit. Much like his brother Kurt (2021 captain), Donovan’s path has been built on effort, energy, and toughness. His captaincy is a testament to the respect he commands inside the locker room from the work he puts in on and off the field.
Captaincy in Context
The move back to six captains mirrors Freeman’s first year in 2022, when he leaned on a deep group of veterans to steady the program during his first season as a head coach. In 2023, Notre Dame went with four captains, while last year the team selected five, with defense dominating the leadership ranks.
Here’s a look at the captains since Freeman took over:
| Season | Number of Captains | Offensive Captains | Defensive Captains |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 3 (Pauling, Schrauth, Wagner) | 3 (Bowen, Shuler, Hinish) |
| 2024 | 5 | 1 (Riley Leonard) | 4 (Jack Kiser, Rylie Mills, Ben Morrison, Zavier Watts) |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 (Joe Alt, Sam Hartman) | 2 (JD Bertrand, Cam Hart) |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 (Jarrett Patterson, Michael Mayer, Avery Davis) | 3 (Isaiah Foskey, JD Bertrand, Bo Bauer) |
With captains spread evenly across the roster at every level — from receiver to safety, and from linebacker to offensive line — the Irish will take the field in Miami with a strong leadership foundation already in place.
Now, if they would just name a starting quarterback.
