Notre Dame Football Appears to Dodge a Major Bullet With Latest Injury Update

Brauntae Johnson is a key member of the Notre Dame secondary and was in a walking boot by the end of Sunday night's game against Wisconsin

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Tae Johnson (9) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 could have been a disaster for Notre Dame on the injury front but it appears to have gotten out of Wisconsin with just a scare, instead.

Veteran safety Brauntae Johnson left the game Sunday night in a walking boot. Answers were hard to come by initially, and fears about what happened to the potential All-American defender were plenty.

The good news as of Tuesday morning is that it appears Notre Dame has dodged a bullet regarding any major injury to Johnson.

According to veteran reporter Mike Bernadino of the South Bend Tribune, Johnson suffered a minor left foot injury in the Fighting Irish victory.

Bernadino states that fears of the injury being season-ending have subsided, but that Johnson will still likely be out for multiple weeks.

"Tae and Jason are going to be out a couple of weeks," said Marcus Freeman on Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "

Notre Dame's Depth at Safety a Strength

The good news for Notre Dame, beyond the outlook for Johnson being good, is that safety is an incredibly talented group.

Former walk-on Luke Talich stepped into Johnson's role on Sunday night, and based off his career to date, it's fairly safe to assume he'd be a starter on the majority of Power Four teams.

Also with Talich, five-star safety Joey O'Brien made his college debut with a single defensive snap on Sunday.

Add in Ethan Long as another talented underclassman and despite the injury to Johnson, Notre Dame's safety room remains in a very strong place.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts

While injuries are never a good thing, neither being considered season-ending is a positive.

That said, how long are Johnson and Onye going to be out?

This is a prime example of how Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame is different than the program he inherited after the 2021 regular season.

When you look back at 2018 for example, Notre Dame played an outstanding Clemson team in the College Football Playoff. The game was neck-and-neck until star defensive back Julian Love went out, and his substitute was immediately targeted.

The "next man up" philosophy for Notre Dame has brought in a deeper roster. No, Talich, O'Brien, and Long aren't Johnson at this point of their careers, but they're a significant upgrade to what the second players on the depth chart are capable of.

There is going to be attrition by the time the calendar flips to October, then November, and hopefully when Notre Dame is playing in late December.

Can the injuries remain on the less serious side? That's important, but having what appears to be a deeper roster in almost all places is just as important.