How four-star safety Tae Johnson reignited his interest in Notre Dame
Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side high school rising senior Tae Johnson had his mind made up. And then the Notre Dame 2024 class recruiting target got hurt.
In March, Johnson, a four-star recruit, thought playing wide receiver gave him the best chance to succeed at the collegiate level. So, he cut off his contact with the Fighting Irish, the only program recruiting him as a safety, and turned his attention elsewhere.
Over the last 13 weeks, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound Johnson paid unofficial college recruiting visits to Michigan State, Purdue, Tennessee, Florida, Miami, South Florida and Tennessee.
During the Florida leg of his tour, his trainer Dre Muhammad scheduled workouts for Johnson and the other athletes he mentors at former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s House of Athlete facility. But in one workout, Johnson injured his foot.
So, he had to step away from the game, which helped him reflect on his recruitment. And he discovered he shouldn’t be so determined to play wide receiver in college.
“It really made me realize that safety was best for me,” Johnson said. “I kind of had an idea I was a good safety just from throughout my high school and 7-on-7 career. I played safety and was pretty good at it.
“I’ve played safety my whole life, longer than I played receiver. So really, I am actually really comfortable with safety.”
On3 and the On3 Industry Ranking — a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services — evaluate him as an athlete, which means he has the skill set to play multiple positions at the next level.
The On3 Industry Ranking considers Johnson the No. 283 overall player, No. 12 athlete and No. 5 prospect in Indiana. He has a 91.96 rating. In On3’s own rankings, he is the No. 283 overall player, No. 12 athlete and No. 5 prospect in Indiana and has a 90 rating.
In addition to recruiting media services believing Johnson could play wide receiver or safety at the next level, he had others telling him he was more than just a pass catcher. Johnson said his father and NFL scouts have said he could excel as a safety.
So, about two weeks ago, Johnson reestablished contact with Notre Dame.
“I reached out to them because I hadn’t talked to them in so long,” Johnson said. “They’ve texted me, and I haven’t texted them back and stuff. So I reached out to Coach (Chris) O’Leary, the safeties coach, and told him I’m considering playing safety.
“After that, they really went to work from there. I scheduled my official the next week after that. It was me hitting them and letting them know I’m open to playing safety. And then they did everything else.”
Johnson recaps Notre Dame official visit
Before his official visit, Johnson had previously reported six unofficial college recruiting visits to Notre Dame. But naturally, the three-day official visit was more extensive.
Johnson’s brother and grandma attended his official visit with him. It became a family affair.
“I had a few great moments and highlights from that visit,” he said. “Me being there for three days with my family — it was a family trip. Just how they took my whole family in and made us feel like family.”
And even though Johnson fell out of contact with the Irish for about three months before his visit, they picked right back up where they left off.
“They still had the same energy and message after not talking to them in so long,” he said.
Notre Dame will continue to pitch that playing safety at Notre Dame is the best plan for him while Colorado, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Tennessee make their push.
Johnson’s On3 NIL Valuation annual value is $93,000. That ranks No. 260 among high school football prospects.
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