While Notre Dame got a win to start its 2026 season, it didn’t come without a few losses along the way.
The Irish saw two players get hurt during the first half, both on defense in safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye. The safety returned to the field, but in a walking boot on his left leg, as the lineman was also seen wearing a boot as well.
On Tuesday, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman gave an update on both of them, and while he wasn’t super specific on the ailments, he did say that both of them would be out for a few weeks. The good news looks like it’s not the season-end variety, as Johnson and Onye are expected to return later this season.
At safety it looks like Luke Talich will get the start in replacing Johnson,
as he was inserted into the game following his injury and the coaching staff has all the confidence in the world that he can get the job done. Pretty impressive from the former walk-on, as he tallied 4 tackles against Wisconsin. Also expect former 5-star freshman Joey O’Brien to get more involved.
As for the line, look for Francis Brewu and Tionne Gray to fill the spot of Onye, as both transfers have worked their way into the rotation early. Both have shown at this level that they can get the job done, but if I had to choose one to get the start it would be Brewu.
While this wasn’t the greatest news for Notre Dame, there are some bright spots, as they can now use the depth that it’s amassed to use. Along with that, getting some of the younger players and transfer extra time will help as the season moves on as well.
Johnson and Onye will both be out "a couple weeks." Both are expected back this season.
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) September 8, 2026
At DT, Freeman was very impressed with Francis Brewu and Tionne Gray this week. They'll play bigger roles alongside Armel Mukam.
At safety: "We view Luke Talich as a starter." https://t.co/sfoyt1yaXm
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Marcus Freeman updates injury status Brauntae Johnson and Jason Onye
