The haul at a position group is obviously an impressive one when the son of an NFL Hall of Famer is not the headliner; Indiana native Brauntae Johnson outshines Kennedy Urlacher among Notre Dame’s three safety signees.
BRAUNTAE JOHNSON
North Side High School; Fort Wayne, Ind.
Measurements: 6-foot-3, 175 pounds.
Accolades: A consensus four-star, Johnson is the No. 67 overall prospect in the class and the No. 5 safety, per rivals.com.
Other notable offers: Johnson chose Notre Dame over finalists Michigan State, Tennessee and Purdue, the type of high-profile, in-state prospect that would have ignited some internal angst if he had not arrived in South Bend.
Projected position: Johnson has the athletic profile to pick up where Kyle Hamilton handed off to Xavier Watts. Of course, that kind of stardom may be a couple seasons away, but a two-way star in high school that also averaged a double-double on the basketball court obviously has the physical traits to do just about anything along a defense’s back line.
Quick take: Johnson’s body frame lends itself to some pessimism on his future, sometimes squaring up a tackle and still getting knocked backward. If he develops significant lower-body strength, then scratch that pessimism and see where he can go.
Short-term roster outlook: Notre Dame awaits Watts’s decision on 2024, working hard to convince the unanimous All-American to return for his final season of eligibility. If he returns, then he will lead the Irish defense in all regards, but, looking at the depth chart, it is unclear who his running mate would be. It would be a leap for Johnson, but the opportunity may be there.
Long-term depth chart impact: If Watts heads to the NFL, then Johnson really may see significant playing time in 2024. If that doesn’t happen until 2025, well, then.
RELATED READING: Notre Dame lands consensus four-star safety, rare in-state product Brauntae Johnson
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KENNEDY URLACHER
Chandler High School; Az.
Measurements: 6-foot; 185 pounds.
Accolades: At this point in his life, the first thing anyone will ever mention about Urlacher will continue to be that his father is Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher, even if the younger is also rated the No. 37 safety in the class, per rivals.com.
Other notable offers: The consensus three-star also pondered finalists of TCU, Miami, Penn State, Kansas State and Illinois, the latter perhaps enjoying some geographic weight for a Chicago legend just as Notre Dame did.
Projected position: Urlacher lacks the outright speed or length to be a free safety, a la Hamilton, Watts and probably Johnson. He is physical, though, unsurprising given who his father is, so some work as the safety nearer the tackle box should await him.
Quick take: Urlacher’s ease in tackling and taking the right angles could someday move him up into a linebacker role, something likely hinging on his ability to hold muscle. That is not a thought simply sparked by his father’s career, but one by watching Urlacher’s joy in downhill tackling.
Short-term roster outlook: Lean into Urlacher’s pedigree and anticipate some special teams work from him in 2024, if nothing else.
Long-term depth chart impact: The Irish safety room is in flux, with only current freshman Adon Shuler a clear frontrunner to join Watts as a starter, if Watts even returns. Which is to say, Urlacher will have his chances as soon as 2025.
RELATED READING: Three-star safety Kennedy Urlacher commits to Notre Dame, third notable last name to join Irish class
TAEBRON BENNIE-POWELL
Lakota West High School; West Chester, Ohio.
Measurements: 6-foot-1, 182 pounds.
Accolades: Though Bennie-Powell is a consensus three-star prospect, he is the No. 48 safety in the class, per rivals.com.
Other notable offers: Bennie-Powell was only a one-year starter at safety in high school, solely because his team already had consensus four-star prospects in the class ahead of him. Thus, earning a fleet of scholarship offers largely off his work at linebacker and then shining in recruiting camps should warrant its own notice, teams like Duke, Kentucky and Pittsburgh all seeing enough to pursue the Ohio native despite the recruiting rankings lowered by his limited early high-school chances.
Projected position: Bennie-Powell’s speed played a large part in landing his Notre Dame offer, running something near a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at a camp in South Bend in June. The Irish could already see he was physical, but there they saw he can also move. That may suggest more of a roaming future.
Quick take: Bennie-Powell has plenty of development ahead of him, somewhat the result of coming from such a successful high school program, but his ceiling has yet to be seen.
Short-term roster outlook: Bennie-Powell may preserve a year of eligibility in 2024 to begin the process of developing in pass coverage.
Long-term depth chart impact: But, again, opportunities are not far off at safety for Notre Dame, somehow still a depth worry for the Irish, just a season after seemingly being well-stocked.
RELATED READING: Ohio safety Taebron Bennie-Powell’s commitment gives Notre Dame needed numbers on its back line
