Notre Dame lands four-star safety recruit Brauntae Johnson

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame landed one of the top-ranked athletes in the 2024 recruiting class with the addition of four-star recruit Brauntae Johnson. 

The Fort Wayne North Side two-sport standout ultimately decided to commit to the Fighting Irish over finalists Purdue and Tennessee. 

The 6-3, 170-pounder has experience playing on both sides of the ball but is expected to play safety with the Irish, and he will bring some much-needed talent to their secondary, which has been depleted of high-level talent and depth since Kyle Hamilton left for the NFL ahead of the 2022 season.

He has impressive athleticism for a player of his size and should provide a boost to the Irish's passing defense when he's ready to contribute. He has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline and has a knack for making plays against the run. 

The in-state playmaker had 19 total offers and received significant interest from a slew of Division-I schools, including Iowa, Michigan State, and Washington. Many teams interested in Johnson wanted him to play receiver, and it's not hard to see why; He led the North Side Legends with 69 catches for 1,081 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. 

The standout athlete is the highest-rated defensive player in Notre Dame's 2024 recruiting class.

Johnson is ranked 58th overall player and fifth best athlete by Rivals. Meanwhile, he is listed as the 161st-ranked player and 13th-best athlete by 247Sports. 

While Johnson possesses elite upside, he is far from a finished product. He is extremely raw and will need to add more strength before he is ready to take the field, but that is expected out of a player at this stage in his development. 

Notre Dame's 2024 recruiting class is currently ranked fifth in the 247Sports team rankings.