Joey O’Brien likely knew his first start for the Notre Dame football team against Purdue might be his only start for a while. On Monday, Marcus Freeman seemingly confirmed that the true freshman safety would return to backup status when the Fighting Irish face off against North Carolina this coming Saturday.
O’Brien started against the Boilermakers because Brauntae Johnson and Luke Talich were both injured. This week’s injury report doesn’t include Talich, meaning the veteran safety will be back and ready to take the field against the Tar Heels.
Talich suffered a left wrist injury on September 19 in the Notre Dame game against Michigan State. Several observers saw him wearing a cast over his left arm and wrist.
Talich served as the starting Field safety in place of Johnson, who has missed the last three games with a left foot injury. Johnson, along with starting defensive tackle Jason Onye (left ankle), has been ruled out for the North Carolina game. Johnson and Onye suffered their respective injuries in the first half of the Wisconsin game and have been sidelined since.
True freshman Joey O'Brien records first career sack as Notre Dame football awaits Brauntae Johnson
With Johnson out again, it stands to reason that, at the very least, O’Brien showed he can hold his own with more playing time. As the Fighting Irish try to figure out who will start and who will play more as the schedule gets stronger, Aaron Henry and Chris Ash could speed up the rotation in the defensive backfield, or have specific sets or matchups where Talich plays and then O’Brien comes in.
As for when both Talich and O’Brien will be relegated to coming off the bench, it’s still unclear. When Johnson went down in Week 1, Freeman said that the injury wasn’t that serious but that the safety would be out for “a couple of weeks.” Last Monday, Freeman made it clear that it will be at least another couple of weeks before Johnson can return.
“Tae is right on track,” Freeman told reporters last Monday. “Like, what we thought. He’s still got another couple weeks to really get back to where he can go full go. And so we’ll just keep trusting the rehab and what he needs to do to get back.”
Notre Dame listed six other players out against North Carolina: sophomore offensive lineman Matty Augustine (right foot); seniors Charles Jagusah and Chris Terek (right knee); sophomore defensive lineman Christopher Burgess Jr. (left tibia); freshman Tiki Hola (right knee); and freshman cornerback Chaz Smith (right wrist). None of them have suited up for a game this season.
Notre Dame football fans can be forgiven if the continued promises that Johnson will be back at some point lead to worry. Freeman gave the same kind of progress reports on wide receiver Quincy Porter before he announced Porter would undergo another surgery this week and be shut down for the rest of the season.
After playing in Weeks 2 and 3, O’Brien had his best game easily as a member of the Fighting Irish against Purdue. Last weekend he recorded 5 tackles and his first career sack.
Before his injury in the Michigan State game, Talich was on pace for his best season with Notre Dame. This year he has 10 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, a sack, and an interception.
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