SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The 975-mile leap-of-faith move away from home, that didn’t seem so far in the dead of winter 14 months ago, suddenly last fall felt like a different planet than the one in which Jaiden Ausberry so wholeheartedly invested.
An assignment to Notre Dame football’s scout team in late August changed everything. And eventually it changed everything all over again — for the better.
“At first, I was a little bit down. I really didn't expect it,” the Irish sophomore linebacker said of the perceived demotion to a practice role in which he and others deep reserves mimic an upcoming opponent’s defense to prepare Notre Dame’s No. 1 offense for game day.
With little hope of translating that to game action for themselves,
“But then I started to really embrace the role and take it as every rep is an opportunity,” the Baton Rouge, La., product said, “especially going against our offense — going against Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, Audric Estimé. Just really embracing that and trying to maximize my full potential going against them.
“So, as the season went on, I started to really maximize those reps, and it actually started to be really fun. Like, I would always look forward to scout team, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, because that's when we’d be in pads.”
And that investment as a freshman at the bottom of the depth chart has opened the door for a transformative spring, as the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Ausberry ramps up for his sophomore season with ND’s 15 spring practices.
The final one of those will be the annual Blue-Gold Game, April 20 at Notre Dame Stadium (1 p.m. EDT, Peacock streaming).
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“So, Jaiden is a guy that, quite frankly, he's put himself in a position, both physically and mentally,” Irish linebackers coach Max Bullough said, “where he makes us, as a coaching staff, stop the film and say, 'All right, how do we implement and use this guy?'
“And that's because of the way practices, because of the way that he's playing, because of what he's built himself up to in the weight room. So, my point is we had the conversation where we've got to find a spot for this guy in that field. Right now, to be honest, it's a few different spots, but he's done a great job with it.”
His primary spot is Rover, the linebacker position former Irish All-American Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah essentially perfected with no one since being able to turn it into a three-down job. The nickel position in recent seasons rotates in on third down, and the Rover goes to the sideline.
But Ausberry is working at nickel too this spring. And in some packages as a safety. And the Aztec position in Notre Dame’s “spear” package in the role departed safety DJ Brown has vacated.
“I feel there’s a value in playing everything,” Ausberry said, “because that's the best way to get on the field as fast as possible. And also, in high school, I played every position on defense, too. “So, I wouldn't say it's really anything new. The only difference is you’re guarding better receivers, faster receivers. So, I probably just have to get used to that. But I don't think it would be a problem.”
Maybe the bigger problem is junior Jaylen Sneed is ahead of him at rover. And maybe it’s not a big problem. Bullough seems open to the concept of a deeper rotation at all the linebacker positions, including the middle linebacker and weakside spots at which sophomore Drayk Bowen and sixth-year grad Jack Kiser currently top the depth chart.
“I hope to have as many guys ready to play as possible, so that we can roll those guys, keep them fresh and get the boys going,” Bullough said. “I'm not married to it, that it has to be these two or three. I think It was different last year when I got here, because we had guys that have been here forever.
“We had younger guys behind. It's different this year. We're a little bit more by committee. We've got guys that can move. We're flying around. We're gonna keep them fresh.”
And Ausberry’s push has, in turn, made Sneed better.
“I think the competition in the room plays a factor in that, obviously,” Bullough said of the highest-rated player on either side of the ball in ND’s 2022 recruiting class. “We've got guys in there that want to play football and are very capable.
“Jaylen Sneed, from when we ended bowl practice to now, has made the biggest jump, maybe of anybody in terms of being locked, in terms of playing. Starting it in [his] stance, moving with purpose.
“All those little things that Jaylen knows, 'If I can do those things, the sky's the limit. If I can focus in on the details and do the little things, I can make the plays.' And that's something I'm really proud of him for.
“He's done it on first, second down. He's done it on third down. We're still working, but he is someone who has flipped the switch and understands what's at stake here.”
So does Ausberry. For him, it’s about finding consistency. And for that, he watches tape of Owusu-Koramoah.
“I watch him a lot,” Ausberry said. “That’s who I try to model my game after. When I was getting recruited, I would always look at his film and see how he played. That was their pitch to me. So, I'm really starting to fill into that role.”
With more work ahead, in that and all his new roles.
“We have one or two good plays,” Bullough said of Ausberry. “We can't have that third one be a bad one. And we'll go watch the tape today. I think it was better today, but to me, it's the consistency. And it's hard, because he's playing different positions. But that's what we expect, and that's what he knows he has to do to play.”
Ausberry played sparingly enough — four regular-season games and the Sun Bowl — to preserve a redshirt year last season. He accumulated three tackles, over 40 special teams plays and 21 snaps on defense, only six of which came after September.
“I would say the game has slowed down 100%,” Ausberry said of his spring. “The plays are a lot easier. The game is moving slow. I feel like my techniques have gotten better. My mind is starting to really process the game better.
“So, I think I made a tremendous jump from last spring to now, which is really good.”
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