All-American Safety Brandon Joseph To Transfer To Notre Dame
Notre Dame has added a huge piece to its 2022 defense by landing Northwestern All-American safety Brandon Joseph. The rising senior announced that he has picked Notre Dame over programs like Texas A&M and Ohio State.
Joseph picked Notre Dame because he wanted to be part of an elite defense, and he saw that in South Bend.
"The reason I was in the transfer portal was to join one of the best defenses in the country, I wanted to be surrounded by great players and great coaches that can take my game to the next level," Joseph explained. "That is why Notre Dame is a great fit.
"I believe they can take my game to the next place I envision it can be," he continued. "I am going to be surrounded by dogs on the defense. They can help me excel my game and take it where I want it to be. To join a team like this, being a Fighting Irish is a perfect fit."
Joseph was especially impressed by what returns to Notre Dame up front. He joins an Irish defense that registered 41 sacks this past season, which ranked 12th in the country.
"That was crucial," Joseph said of the defensive line's role in his decision. "It's no question that the defensive line was part of my decision making process. Having a defensive line that can be disruptive takes away so many problems of mine (as a safety) ... They are going to be my best friends this offseason."
Joseph played high school football at College Station (Texas) High School before signing with Northwestern as part of the 2019 class. After a redshirt season in 2019, Joseph had a breakout campaign for the Wildcats during his redshirt freshman season.
During that season, Joseph racked up 52 tackles and intercepted six passes in nine games, which earned him Consensus All-American honors. He was a key part of an elite Northwestern secondary that helped lead the Wildcats to the Big Ten title game. The Wildcats ranked 5th nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 15.9 points per game.
Now he joins a Notre Dame team that not only has a chance to be elite on his side of the ball, but it's one that has a chance to win a national championship during his tenure.
"Every single player told me that this team is right there where it can take it to the national championship level, one little leap," Joseph explained. "For the players to truly believe that, every player truly believes that next year is the year. The coaches are always going to promote that ... but for the players to truly believe that, that constant message, we're going to fight to be a national champion."
As a junior, Joseph registered 80 tackles, broke up four passes and intercepted three more throws. Joseph intercepted nine passes in just 21 games fro the Wildcats. He earned third team All-Big Ten honors after the 2021 season, a year in which the Wildcats struggled as a team.
While team goals are obviously important, for a player like Joseph, with NFL aspirations, part of the process also has to be personal. He needs to find a place where he believes his game not only fits, but somewhere that he feels has a staff in place that can help him maximize his game.
He believes he found that at Notre Dame, and his confidence comes from having seen another Irish safety develop into a star.
"They see me as a Kyle Hamilton replacement," Joseph said. "Kyle was able to do a lot for this defense last year. He made impact plays, I see myself in that role. They are going to move me around and use me in different positions and roles to maximize what I can do to help this defense every way possible.
"I'm ready for them to implement me into this defense and take advantage of myself to become the best player I can be in this system."
Landing Joseph injects big-time playmaking ability into the secondary, which gave up 371 yards and four touchdowns in the air during its 37-35 Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.
Joseph is a ball hawking safety but is also usually a sound tackler. He can play centerfield, shows good man coverage skills and he's effective coming down into the alleys. He is ready to show off his talents to Notre Dame nation.
"I want Notre Dame fans to know I'm here and ready to take this team where they want it to go, which is to win a national championship," a fired up Joseph told Irish Breakdown. "I'm excited to join Coach Freeman and to join Notre Dame nation and to be a Fighting Irish and to represent the Notre Dame name and brand to the best of my abilities.
Of course, Joseph left College Station, Texas a prep player to go to Northwestern to get a top-notch degree. He isn't quite done with his degree, so trying to find a place where he could accomplish all the football goals discussed above and still get an elite degree was something he knew would be a challenge, but also something he hoped he could find.
Notre Dame being elite on and off the field made this a no brainer for him, just like pursuing a safety with his talent and academic pedigree made him a no brainer for the staff.
"It was one of the hardest decisions I had to make, being so close to a Northwestern degree," Joseph explained. "I wasn't going to go to a school that didn't have an education like Notre Dame, or another top-ranked program. That was a huge priority of mine. To be able to join a team that can have academics this like and the football piece it has is insane and a blessing."
Notre Dame will have a great deal of depth at safety next season after it was announced that Houston Griffith and DJ Brown would return for a fifth season. The Irish also return talented rising juniors Ramon Henderson and Xavier Watts, although Watts could move back to wide receiver.
Joseph would clearly be the most proven returning safety, and as a captain for the Wildcats in 2021 he adds leadership on the back end as well.
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