Safety Brauntae Johnson Has All The Tools Needed To Thrive At Notre Dame

North Side head coach Ben Johnson Jr. talks Brauntae Johnson potential fit with Notre Dame

Notre Dame safety recruiting in the 2024 class has been a major question mark, but the staff has a chance to finish strong. Part of that strong finish must include in-state standout Brauntae Johnson, a dynamic two-way and two-sport athlete from Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side.

Fresh off of a very successful official visit to Notre Dame, things are trending in a great direction for the Fighting Irish. Johnson has set a commitment date for June 24th, and Notre Dame has put itself in a strong position in advance of that announcement.

Johnson brings a tantalizing skill set, and his talent plus production is something Notre Dame wants and needs more of at the safety position. Johnson’s head coach at North Side, Ben Johnson Jr., gave some insight into what Notre Dame would be getting in the Indiana native.

"I think he would fit in very well there,” Coach Johnson said. "The thing about Brauntae is that he adapts and overcomes any situation that he is in. There’s no question that he can adapt to the culture and tackle any obstacle that comes in his way.”

Johnson has been through this process with a star pupil and Notre Dame, and it worked out well the last time.

"This isn’t the first time I would have been around a kid who might end up at Notre Dame,” Johnson explained. "I was very close to Jaylon Smith when he was going through the process as well. Brauntae has the chance to handle things as well, if not better than Jaylon did.”

As this recruitment nears an end, it appears that the star safety has been doing his very best to stay level headed. It’s something that his coach admires.

"I feel like he’s been balancing everything very well,” he said. "Going on the visits, coaches coming through, he’s just extremely mature. I’m proud of the young man he is and how he’s handled everything. It speaks volumes about him.”

As a player, the North Side head coach knows that the upside is extremely high.

"There are no limitations to his potential on the field,” stated the North Side head coach. "(Brauntae) could be the best wide receiver in the country or the best safety in the country. There’s nothing he can do that shocks us. We have seen his talent for a long time now. He also has the work ethic to match his gifts; Brauntae works for everything he has.

"You saw it early on,” Johnson continued. "It was his freshman year and we were playing a really good team in Bishop Dwenger. Brauntae caught a screen pass, broke something like seven tackles and took it for a touchdown. He did that as a 14-year old, maybe 150 pounds. We knew he was going to be something special.”

All the tangible traits aren’t what set Johnson apart. The length and speed and explosiveness are impressive, but there is much more that makes Johnson special.

"The mental side of the game for Brauntae is extremely underrated,” Johnson said. "He watches a ton of film and asks a bunch of questions. He also has a great trainer. The importance of preparing himself on all levels means so much. “

Johnson is a two-sport star for North Side, thriving on the basketball court on top of his work on the football field. As a wide receiver and defensive back, Johnson made a tremendous impact as a junior. He led the team with 1,081 yards and 16 touchdowns on 69 receptions. That was good enough for 15.7 yards per reception and 108.1 receiving yards per game.

On defense, Johnson collected 23 total tackles and several pass breakups. He did all that while also making an impact on special teams.

The 6-3, 170-pound athlete is considered a consensus four-star recruit across every major recruiting platform. Johnson ranks highest on the Rivals ranking, where he is currently pegged as the No. 56 overall player and No. 4 athlete in the 2024 recruiting class.

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