Notre Dame’s secondary already has one of the sport’s better safety pairings on paper, and Brauntae Johnson is the reason that conversation could get a lot louder by the end of the 2025 season. The redshirt sophomore from Fort Wayne has already shown the kind of playmaking that turns a good defense into a dangerous one, and now he’s chasing a bigger jump: staying healthy, sharpening the rough edges, and helping push Notre Dame toward its 12th national title.
Johnson’s 2025 line tells the story of a defender who made impact plays in bunches: 48 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 INT, 3 passes defended, 1 pick six and 7 run stops. Across his career, he’s up to 51 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 INT, 3 passes defended, 1 pick six and 9 run stops. Those numbers came after a season that started with a brief appearance at Miami, where he played only nine snaps, and ended with him missing the final two regular-season games against Syracuse and Stanford because of a hand injury.
Even with that missed time, Johnson still made a major imprint. His first real moment in Notre Dame Stadium came when he returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Texas A&M under the lights.
From there, he settled into the starting lineup after that game and held onto the job. He finished tied for No. 2 on the team in interceptions behind Unanimous All-American cornerback Leonard Moore, and his road pick six against Pitt earned him Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week honors.
He also landed on the 2025 FWAA Freshman All-America team.
At 6-2 and 200 pounds, Johnson has the size and range Notre Dame wants on the back end. The bigger question now isn’t talent.
It’s availability and refinement. The only real issues he’s had since arriving in South Bend have been health-related, and the next step is becoming a more complete defender.
Last season, there were moments when he was out of position and a beat late, which is exactly the kind of growing pain you expect from a redshirt freshman learning the starting role. Now he’s entering year two in the Chris Ash system, and that should matter.
The buzz around Johnson is already building. PFF named him the No. 1 returning safety in the nation in one of its offseason rankings, and he’s being talked about as a potential national breakout.
Notre Dame’s defense returns plenty of star power potential, but only one proven star in Moore, which puts even more attention on Johnson and fellow safety Adon Shuler. If Johnson makes the leap people around the program are expecting, that duo could end up as the best safety tandem in the country.
What would count as a strong season for Johnson? One where he becomes a nationally recognized name, keeps stacking the splash plays, and stays steady from week to week.
He flashed big-time ability last season. If the consistency catches up to the highlights, he has a chance to finish 2025 as one of college football’s top safeties.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
College football analyst David Pollack has Notre Dames linebacker group drawing real national attention heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why. The Fighting Irish bring back a unit built around Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, three players who were central to the teams tackling production last season and helped make linebackers one of the defining strengths of the defense.
That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]
Former Walk-On Luke Talich Has Become A Notre Dame Difference Maker
Luke Talichs rise has been one of the quieter success stories in South Bend, the kind that usually starts on special teams and slowly works its way into the defensive conversation. The senior safety came in as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and kept building trust with the staff by showing up in the right spots and doing the little things that keep a defense steady.
Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]