Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 41-13vs Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#9
Tae Johnson
Sophomore safety on Notre Dame's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 200 lb · Fort Wayne, IN
CFB Index 75 · #67 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Notre Dame for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 198 nationally · Signed with Notre Dame
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 safety on Notre Dame's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Notre Dame in 2024.
In Their Words
97 windows · 2026 fan posts
tae×624.3dame×38.1notre×36.8
Tae Johnson
Erases the deep middle of the field. Third year in the Notre Dame secondary, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Wisconsin — Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Notre Dame4-star out of Fort Wayne North Side
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Notre Dame
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Notre Dame
Played his entire career under Marcus Freeman.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Marcus Freeman — 26-4 over that span.
2024Notre Dame14-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning
2025Notre Dame10-2HC: Marcus Freeman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Notre Dame2-0HC: Marcus Freeman · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Marcus Freeman
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
75 · #67 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #67 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 48 | 35 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 52 | 39 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 41–13
vs Wisconsin
1 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 PD
Dominant 28-point win at home against Wisconsin.
With C. Carr — 239 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 81.3 · -6 rush yds (2 car) · A. Williams — 90 rush yds (20 car) · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Notre Dame
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Notre Dame
Returning around him
- 6 Notre Dame players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -9 net (7 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Notre Dame · Last season: 10-2 (AP #9) · Talent rank #6 · 2026 recruiting class #5
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kaleb Harris’s 2024 season.
Matches Kaleb on
PD rate
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Antarrius Moultrie's sophomore season at Florida Atlantic (2021).
Matches Antarrius on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Antarrius on
TFL rate (lower)
The secondary · Notre Dame
- #8Adon Shuler52 tackles · 2025
- #9Tae Johnson48 tackles · 2025
- #2Dylahn McKinney34 tackles · 2025
- #15Leonard Moore31 tackles · 2025
- #28Luke Talich25 tackles · 2025
13 more on the roster · Notre Dame team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology