Notre Dame Defense Rebuilds Without Key Starters | Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football News

Notre Dame’s defense takes a major hit early as two key starters—All-American safety Brauntae Johnson and emerging defensive lineman Jason Onye—both go down with left foot injuries in the opener against Wisconsin and are expected to miss multiple weeks. Johnson, a standout with 48 tackles and 4 interceptions last year, and Onye, a solid veteran with 53 tackles and 3.5 sacks, leave big shoes to fill. Coach Marcus Freeman remains confident as backups Luke Talich, Joey OBrien, Ethan Long, Francis Brewu, and Tionne Gray step up, with Freeman praising their strong debut performances. The Irish now face the challenge of adapting quickly as they navigate a tough schedule without their defensive anchors. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/239669ad3a14b763