Notre Dame trending for 4-star athlete Tae Johnson

No school has hosted Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side four-star athlete Tae Johnson quite as many times as Notre Dame has. Johnson’s taken the nearly two-hour drive from Fort Wayne to South Bend five times and is set to return again for an official visit on June 4.

As Johnson prepares for that next visit, the Fighting Irish have emerged as the heavy favorite in his recruitment according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Following recent industry updates, Notre Dame sits with an 88.4% chance to land a pledge from the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder. Notre Dame recruiting insider Mike Singer logged an expert prediction on May 30 for the Irish to land Johnson with a 60% confidence level.

On April 25 Johnson dropped a top-10 of Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Colorado, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State, Purdue and Tennessee.

Johnson told Blue and Gold that as of early March, Notre Dame is the only school recruiting him as safety. The other schools recruiting him are looking at him to play as a wide receiver at the next level.

Notre Dame extended an offer to Johnson last June ahead of the Irish Invasion camp.

“I’m trying to go to the National Football League,” Johnson told On3 in early March. “Also, the success rate for after football. Because I’m not going to play football all my life, there’s going to be an end date to that. So I need to know that if I go there, will I still be able to live and function good after football.” 

Johnson is the No. 160 overall prospect and No. 5 athlete in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 3 player in Indiana.

How Johnson would fit in Notre Dame’s 2024 class

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have been busy this cycle as Notre Dame already holds 16 pledges in its 2024 class.

The Fighting Irish currently boast the nation’s No. 8 class. While they don’t have any five-star commitments, they do have nine pledges from four-star prospects including top-40 wide receiver Cam Williams and top-50 quarterback CJ Carr.

A pledge from Johnson would also give Notre Dame a pair of commitments from two safeties in this class. Kennedy Urlacher, the son of former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, announced his commitment to Notre Dame on May 1.

While he could play wide receiver at the next level, a commitment to Notre Dame would have him on the defensive side of the ball.

“I feel like it’s made clear to me that they want me more at safety than receiver,” Johnson told On3 ahead of his spring visits. “Just because of the relationship I got with (safeties) coach (Chris) O’Leary. He texts me the most. I talk to him the most. And when I go there, that’s who I’m with the most.”