Brauntae Johnson is trying to make one thing clear: the Notre Dame safety who’s been known as “Tae” and “Tae Tae” for years wants people to say his real first name the right way.
It’s pronounced “Bray-ON-tae,” Johnson said Aug. 8 after Notre Dame’s third practice of fall camp. The third-year defensive back said the request is simple. He likes the nickname, but he wants his given name to be the one people know.
“It’s a change I’m asking for,” he said. “I just want the country or everybody, really, just to know who I am.
I like my nickname. I still want to go by Tae Tae, but my real name is Brauntae.
I want people to just know that.”
Notre Dame has already made its preference clear, too. Johnson has been listed as Brauntae on the official roster since arriving ahead of the 2024 season, and the school sent local media an email this week asking: “(P)lease refer to #9 Brauntae Johnson as such and not as Tae. His name on the official roster is Brauntae, and all articles, posts, and content should refer to him as such.”
Johnson’s own explanation was a little less firm than the school’s directive.
“(People) can do what they want with it at the end of the day,” he said. “I just wanted it to be more out there.
My real name is Brauntae. My real name is not Tae Tae, Tae or anything of that (nature).
Tae Tae is a nickname.”
The confusion hasn’t gone away online. Johnson’s Instagram account, @new_era3_, and his X account, @taejohnson1012, still list him as “Tae Tae,” with a combined 17,000 followers across the two accounts.
“All my social media, they have ‘Tae Tae’ on it, which it will probably remain that way,” Johnson said. “But as far as football, just my normal life, I just want everybody to know me as Brauntae.”
Johnson also connected the name preference to where he is in life now. He said having his 17-month-old daughter, Jazora, has helped push him toward a more serious outlook.
“Yeah, that’s part of it too, for sure,” he said. “Just growing up as a young man, having my daughter (Jazora) and stuff like that, I just want to start being more professional and having more of a grown mindset. It’s all just getting older and growing up.”
Even if Johnson wants the name Brauntae to stick, his teammates may need some time.
Running back Kedren Young, who came into Notre Dame in the same recruiting class as Johnson, referred to him as “Tae Tae” three times in one answer Friday Aug. 7 when discussing defensive standouts from the summer.
“I think Tae Tae is a great player,” Young said.
Senior cornerback Christian Gray laughed a little when asked how he’d address Johnson now.
“We call him Tae Tae,” Gray said. “We call him Tae Tae, for sure. But people call him Brauntae.”
If a teammate wants to get his attention, Gray said it probably doesn’t matter much.
“I mean, you can call him that,” Gray said. “You can call him Nine.
He’s going to respond. He’s going to know.”
All-America cornerback Leonard Moore, sitting one table away from Johnson at the Irish Athletics Center, said he’s fine with the shift.
“Being called Brauntae other than Tae Tae?” Moore said.
“I think that’s good for him. I don’t know his rationale behind his decision, but I’m going to call him whatever he wants to be called.
I think he wants to take some pride in his first name.”
Moore, whose full name is Leonard Kevin Moore and who shares his first name with his father, said he doesn’t care whether people use Leonard or Lenny.
“I really don’t care,” said Leonard Kevin Moore, adding he wasn’t aware of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back/flanker Lenny Moore, the Baltimore Colts great who is still going strong at 92.
“Oh, wow; I didn’t know that,” the Irish cornerback said. “I don’t mind that. Most people call me Leonard, but obviously my teammates call me Lenny because … you know.”
In Other News...
Notre Dame Fall Camp Brings One Injury Scare And A Freshman Push
Notre Dames fall camp has brought a little bit of everything so far, from preseason recognition to the kind of early health concern every staff watches closely. Offensive lineman Ashton Craig landed on the Rimington Trophy Watch List for the second straight year, a nod to the veteran centers place on the interior, while junior kicker Spencer Porath also picked up attention by making the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award watch list.
The more immediate camp note came on defense, where safety Adon Shuler briefly left practice after a minor injury but is expected back soon, keeping the concern level low for now. On the other side of the ball, freshman running back Jonaz Walton has already made a strong impression, and the buzz around him has been enough to point toward a real role this season as the Irish keep sorting out their depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is Bringing Back College Footballs Most Polarizing Debate
Notre Dames resurgence under Marcus Freeman has put the program back where it always seems to draw the most attention, right in the middle of college footballs biggest arguments. The Fighting Irish have climbed back into contender status, and with that comes the familiar scrutiny that follows every major decision the school makes, from postseason choices to the way it navigates the sports ever-shifting power structure.
Now the latest flashpoint is a recent agreement that guarantees Notre Dame a playoff spot if it finishes in the top 12, a setup that has only intensified the debate over whether the Irish get a different kind of treatment than everyone else. For a program with Notre Dames brand and history, the discussion was never going away, but this deal has given critics fresh ammunition and put the sport back into one of its oldest and most polarizing conversations. [Read more 🡒]
Leonard Moore Is Already Setting The Tone For Notre Dame's Defense
Leonard Moore is heading into his third season at Notre Dame with plenty of attention already on him, and not just because he has earned recognition as the top cornerback in college football. Under new defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, Moore has been singled out as more than a standout cover man. Henry has pointed to Moores humility, his preparation and his feel for the game, all of which have helped him emerge as one of the key voices on a defense looking to define itself early.
For Notre Dame, that matters as much as any highlight play. Moores approach gives the Irish a built-in standard in a room that will be asked to carry real weight in the chase for a championship. Henrys confidence in him suggests Moore is already shaping the identity of the defense, even as the bigger question is how far that leadership can help carry the group once the season pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]