# MSU's Biggest Challenge: Notre Dame's Cornerbacks > Michigan State faces Notre Dame's elite cornerbacks in a critical matchup. - Title: MSU's Biggest Challenge: Notre Dame's Cornerbacks | Shortify - Summary: Michigan State faces Notre Dame's elite cornerbacks in a critical matchup. Notre Dame's cornerbacks, especially Leonard Moore, pose the biggest threat to… - Keywords: michigan state, notre dame, michigan state spartans, notre dame fighting irish, leonard moore, corners, nfl draft, college football, fbs, seahawks, michigan state spartans beat writer, jacob cotsonika - Source: Michigan State Spartans On SI — https://si.com/college/michiganstate/spartans-biggest-challenge-faces-mammoth-test-notre-dame - Published: 2026-09-16T10:00:03+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: michigan state, notre dame, michigan state spartans, notre dame fighting irish, leonard moore, corners, nfl draft, college football, fbs, seahawks, michigan state spartans beat writer, jacob cotsonika ## Notre Dame's Cornerbacks Notre Dame's cornerbacks are a top-tier strength, especially with Leonard Moore, a top defensive player. > Notre Dame has great, elite, or All-American players pretty much across the board. ## Leonard Moore's Impact Moore, a junior corner, is a unanimous All-American and a top NFL draft prospect. > Moore was a unanimous All-American last year and is in consideration to win pretty much any award a cornerback can win this season. ## Moore's Defensive Stats Moore intercepted five passes last season and had the best coverage grade among FBS cornerbacks. > He intercepted five passes last season, and his 92.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus was the very best among FBS cornerbacks. ## Moore's Rest Status Moore is well-rested after playing only 14 snaps in Notre Dame's recent win against Rice. > Moore should also be well-rested after only needing to play 14 defensive snaps in the Fighting Irish's 52-0 win against Rice last week. ## Moore's Skills Moore is a physical corner who can tackle and catch the ball, making him rare for his skills. > He's a physical corner; he'll tackle, which sometimes you don't always get that, - he will. And he can catch; he catches the ball. ## Other Notable Corners Notre Dame has DJ McKinney and Christian Gray, both strong cornerbacks for the upcoming game. > Moore isn't the only quality cornerback on Notre Dame's roster. Two other players the Fighting Irish will likely utilize against the Spartans on Saturday are DJ McKinney and Christian Gray. ## DJ McKinney McKinney is a Colorado transfer who made a pick-six against Wisconsin. > He's already made a big difference in the Irish's secondary, running back a pick-six against Wisconsin that pretty much erased any remaining hopes of a Badger upset. ## Christian Gray Gray is a homegrown talent with five career interceptions and 11 pass breakups. > Gray has five career interceptions, and he had a team-high 11 pass breakups last season. ## Safeties Threat Notre Dame's safeties cause problems, including a touchdown in the first 14 seconds of their game against Rice. > Irish safety Adon Schuler delivered a big hit that jarred the ball loose, and Boubacar Traore returned it for a Notre Dame touchdown just 14 seconds in. ## MSU's Weakness Michigan State has struggled with pass coverage, especially against MAC teams. > A major concern through the first two weeks of Michigan State's season has been a lack of separation from the Spartans' wide receivers. ## Game Impact Notre Dame's corners will challenge Michigan State's ability to hang around for four quarters. > That plays into one of Michigan State's biggest weaknesses and will make it difficult for the Spartans to truly hang around for four quarters. ## Game Date Michigan State faces Notre Dame on Saturday at 7:36 p.m. ET. > Kickoff in South Bend is slated for 7:36 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. ## MSU's Strategy Michigan State needs to improve pass game to have any chance against Notre Dame. > MSU needs to get its pass game going on Saturday to have even a remote shot. ## Author Background Jacob Cotsonika is a 2025 graduate from Michigan State University with experience covering the Spartans. > JACOB COTSONIKA A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. ## Key takeaway Notre Dame's cornerbacks, especially Leonard Moore, pose the biggest threat to Michigan State's season.