Notre Dame Safety Tae Johnson Looks To Push For A Starting Job This Spring

Notre Dame's defense has a handful of tasks this offseason, one of them is finding a suitable replacement for All-American safety Xavier Watts. This won't be the task of one player in particular which means several players will have to step up and perform this spring and into the summer and fall workouts. 

Rising junior Adon Shuler is the one returning starter in the safety room, and with Virginia Tech transfers Jalen Stroman out for the spring, it has opened the door for younger players to battle it out and leave a lasting impression heading into the summer. One of those players is rising sophomore Tae Johnson who played multiple positions last season for the Irish due to necessity. This spring, he's worked mostly at safety and has been turning some heads. 

This spring, he's continue to grow, learn and get stronger within the game of football. 

“I would say for sure my strength," Johnson said when asked about where he's improved the most. "I’m getting a lot stronger compared to last year and I probably gained around 20 pounds from just when I came in. My coverage skills have also improved with the experience I got last season when I played corner. I feel like that has helped me out a lot to be able to guard anybody or guard any type of position, whether it’s a big receiver, small receiver or a tight end. So I would say my strength and then my man to man coverage skills have improved a lot.”

Currently, the safety room is loaded with talent, and it could be easy for some to get distracted by what others have been doing in the room and play the comparison game. Head coach Marcus Freeman's message to the team is simple, focus on yourself and be the best version of you, and that's exactly what Johnson is doing this offseason. 

"I’m just here to work and get better every day and I know my talent will show itself," Johnson explained. "I’m not really worried about anything else. I’m just here to continue to get better and work every day. I don’t really get into who’s going to start or anything like that because I just want to continue to get better. It’s a long time until the season, so we can worry about that when that time comes around. I’m just ready to continue to get better and just perfect my personal craft.”

Johnson has the opportunity to learn from several different coaches on staff. Obviously, he's been alongside Mike Mickens since he's been on campus, but new defensive coordinator, Chris Ash, also has a history of coaching defensive backs. Johnson is taking advantage of learning from two coaches with extensive experience. 

“I feel like it’s been pretty good to be honest because I feel like we can get evaluated critically and I feel that’s the best way to improve my game," Johnson stated. "Being around a coach like him who has a history of coaching defensive backs is great for me. I feel like it’s been a good transition for me because I can get great coaching from him and Coach Mickens. It’s a great chance for me to improve my game how I want it to be.”

Outside of Shuler, everyone in the safety room has a ways to go before the season starts. The room is loaded with talent and guys like Luke Talich, JaDon Blair, Ethan Long, Kennedy Urlacher and Jalen Stroman ,when he's healthy, will be battling alongside Johnson for a spot in the rotation. Replacing Watts won't be an easy task, but the ceiling of this safety room won't take any major steps back with this much talent and athleticism returning for this upcoming season.