Edit: the starting safety and starting defensive tackle have both been ruled out by Notre Dame for the rest of the game
S Brauntae Johnson and DL Jason Onye are out for the rest of the game tonight against Wisconsin.
— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) September 7, 2026
The Notre Dame offense already hasn’t been giving the defense a ton of help on Sunday night; now it looks like there’s a possibility that defensive back Brauntae Johnson and defensive end Jason Onye could both exit the contest against Wisconsin early.
In a matchup between a Badgers team with nothing to lose and a Fighting Irish team wanting to prove something, Wisconsin has looked like the better team. The Badgers have especially been flying all over the field on defense and completely shut down the Irish offense when it isn’t given an extremely short field.
One reason Notre Dame managed to forge a 13-10 lead at the half is its star-studded defensive unit. Unfortunately, with about three minutes to go until halftime, reports started circulating that starting safety Brauntae Johnson left the field and headed into the locker room.
Johnson wasn’t just trying to beat the rush to the bathroom. He ran entirely off the field while the Irish defense was mounting another defensive stop. And just before the final whistle of the half, it was reported that Onye went into the tunnel early as well.
Notre Dame football loses Brauntae Johnson and Jason Onye to first-half injuries
It’s hard to overstate how big a loss Brauntae Johnson would be if he can’t return after half. He entered the 2026 season as one of the best at his position in the game and someone who has gotten more than his fair share of NFL Mock Drafts that have him as a first-round selection.
Onye doesn’t have quite the draft profile that Johnson does, but he is expected to be a key pass rusher for a Notre Dame defense that expects to rush the passer plenty.
Both losses are also big ones because Wisconsin's offense has been pretty pass-heavy so far, with the running game more of an attempt to keep the Fighting Irish honest than an actual plan of attack. The longest run of the night from the Badgers has been a 7-yard scamper by running back Abu Sama III.
Meanwhile, Colton Joseph and the passing game have looked good at times, including one big broken play that allowed for a 28-yard touchdown pass. However, the Notre Dame defense already has five pass breakups, including one from Johnson, along with one tackle for the safety.
Onye hasn’t made much of an impact yet on Sunday night, with just one tackle, but it would be a serious blow if neither defender can return in the second half. This injury situation is certainly one to watch as the game goes on.
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