Not only are the Fighting Irish one of the betting favorites to win the National Championship this season, but many of the preseason publications are also giving the spotlight to some individual players. Athlon Sports has named seven Fighting Irish players to its preseason All-American team.
Cornerback Leonard Moore headlines the group as a first-team defensive back, which may not come as a surprise since he was a unanimous All-American in 2025. Moore’s nomination reinforces that he is one of the premier players in the country and will have the responsibility of shutting down the top receivers in the country.
Joining Moore on the defensive side are safety Adon Shuler and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa who were both named to the third-team. Shuler will be counted on as a versatile back-end defender who is capable of rotating between deep coverage and run support. Viliamu-Asa will be a centerpiece linebacker tasked with the responsibility of keeping mobile quarterbacks in check.
On the offensive side, guard Anthonie Knapp earned second-team recognition. The Irish offensive line is widely considered one of the best in the country and so having a player nominated here should come as no surprise. Knapp’s inclusion speaks to Athlon’s belief that the Irish will more often than not win the battle in the trenches.
Quarterback C.J. Carr, who has been one of the most talked about players in the entire nation during this offseason found himself on the fourth team along with teammates linebacker Drake Bowen and defensive lineman Boubacar Traore to bring the total for the Irish to seven.
For head coach Marcus Freeman the pressure will be on from translating preseason accolades to production on the field.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Leonard Moore leads seven Irish on Athlon Preseason All-America Team
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