Why Jaylen Sneed's latest evolution may produce best version yet

The former top 50 recruit from Hilton Head Island, S.C., started to evolve his game into the more sustainable version that college coaches covet last season as a junior. He’s paired that with a physical transformation this offseason that’s shown up on the scale.

“He’s done an incredible job,” said Notre Dame linebackers coach Max Bullough. “He’s a guy that before this year was never able to stay above 220 [pounds]. He’d get to 221 and be 213 the next morning.

“Now he’s put himself in a position where he’s consistently above 230. He’s right around 235 right now. The cap’s actually 240, so make sure the next time you talk to him he’s staying underneath that.”

“It’s completely transformed what Jaylen Sneed can be. It’s transformed his ceiling. It’s made him into really what I think he’s viewed himself as his whole life. And that’s as good as it gets.”

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That should be a frightful development for opposing offenses on Notre Dame’s 2025 schedule. The 6-foot-2 Sneed, who Rivals ranked as the No. 4 outside linebacker and No. 46 overall in the 2022 recruiting class, finished last season sixth on the team with 51 tackles. He added six tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one recovered fumble and two quarterback hurries.

Those numbers may skyrocket if Sneed puts everything together in the way Bullough described Wednesday after ND’s seventh spring practice.

“Now you just have to put in the work and do the details and do all the little things,” Bullough said of Sneed. “It’s not just because you’re 235 you’re handed everything. But 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.”

Bullough joined Notre Dame’s staff as a graduate assistant in early 2023, so he’s seen every part of Sneed’s development after his freshman season. The strength and weight gains made by Sneed are felt on the field.

“I feel like it’s impacted my game so much,” Sneed said. “Like, I feel so much more explosive. I feel stronger. I feel I can actually move guys back now, and it’s been amazing to play linebacker and not feel like you’re the smaller guy out there, be weaker than the alignment.”

Because of how much Sneed played during Notre Dame’s College Playoff run, which ended on Jan. 20 with a 34-23 loss to Ohio State in the national championship, he landed on the list of players whose workload will be managed this spring. Nonetheless, Sneed was ready to go when spring practice started March 19.

“It’s been amazing because it felt like we didn’t even get a break from football,” Sneed said. “It feels like we’re right back into it. Honestly for me, I love it.

“I feel like that’s all I wanted to do is get back to work as soon as we lost that game, so I feel like it’s been a great opportunity for all of us to get back to work and just get better this spring.”

Notre Dame moved Sneed around quite a bit last season, which included special packages on obvious passing downs. That’s when Sneed essentially became a defensive linemen as an outside linebacker lined up on the line of scrimmage. More than one-third of Sneed’s defensive snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus, came in those alignments. That kind of role hasn’t been a big part of Sneed’s spring, because the Irish have mostly been running base packages through the first half of spring with new defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

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Notre Dame has the luxury of so much returning experience at linebacker despite losing Jack Kiser, who played the most games in program history (70) and led the Irish in tackles last season (90). Sneed, who started six games last season, could take Kiser’s spot in the starting lineup at will linebacker alongside mike linebacker Drayk Bowen, who started all 16 games as a sophomore.

Sneed’s previous rover linebacker role didn’t get as much run in the starting lineup, because the Irish opted to play with a nickelback to start most games. That will probably be the same in 2025, which is why it’s important for Sneed and junior-to-be Jaiden Ausberry (6-2, 222) to continue to prove they can play in the box.

Bullough wants his linebacker rotation, which also included a heavy dose of Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa last year as a freshman, to be interchangeable not only in terms of first and second units but also between will and mike linebacker. Sneed’s looking more natural at the position by the practice.

“He’s physical,” Bullough said. “His feet are more underneath him. He’s able to take on blocks. He doesn’t run in there and bounce out. He really looks like a linebacker.”

Sneed admitted that he didn’t know what to expect out of last season from a linebacker crew that featured a lot of inexperience from himself, Bowen, Ausberry and Viliamu-Asa. But they’ve gained confidence from playing so much and it going so well last season for a defense that finished tied for fourth in the FBS scoring defense and No. 11 in total defense.

As Notre Dame’s eldest linebacker heading into his senior season, Sneed wants to take on a leadership role. With the way he’s improved himself, that responsibility has been earned.

“I feel like Jack Kiser was the leader last year of the defense, and I feel like since I’m a senior now, that’s my role to take over,” Sneed said. “I can’t wait to be a leader on the defense and just be able to show the younger guys, because when the older guys were here that’s what they did for me when I was a younger guy.

“I’ve gotten to know all the younger guys. I’ve been talking to them in the locker room and talking to the older guys, just trying to get to know everybody. Just making sure that everybody knows me and knows what I’m about and who I am.”

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