Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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6 SEPT. 19, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED I f one sideline moment perfectly, yet unfortunately, illustrated Notre Dame's terrific depth this season, it came the night of Sept. 6, in the second half of the 41-13 walloping the Irish put on Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. It happened when NBC television cameras captured star Irish linebacker Ky n gs to n n Vi l i a m u -A sa s ta n d i n g next to preseason All-American safety Brauntae Johnson on the sidelines in the second half, with the former wearing sweats and the latter in a walking boot. Viliamu-Asa was held out of the sea- son opener while he continues to re- cover from ACL surgery. Johnson sustained a foot injury in the second quarter against the Badgers and did not return to the game. That's without mentioning the loss of starting nose tackle Jason Onye, who injured an ankle in the first half against Wisconsin and also spent the second half in a boot and on the sideline. In previous years, trying to survive the loss of two starters and three of your best overall defensive players — one at every level of the unit — would be cause for panic. But not this year. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have built the deepest roster this program has showcased since at least the Lou Holtz era, and maybe ever. Notre Dame didn't miss a beat with its backups against Wisconsin and out- scored the Badgers 28-3 in the second half to break open a competitive game. "That's why you have depth," Free- man said after the lopsided win. Before the Rice game, Freeman revealed his embarrassment of riches at the safety position when he listed three players — that's right, three players — who were qualified to start in Johnson's absence. Experienced senior Luke Talich, who stepped in for Johnson against Wiscon- sin and recorded 4 tackles, earned the starting nod against Rice with plenty of qualified reserves available behind him. Freeman also enjoyed a similar lineup luxury to replace Onye with several capa- ble backups to choose from and rotate in. Playing increased snaps against Wis- consin because of Onye's injury, junior backup Tionne Gray recorded 5 tack- les with 0.5 for loss, and junior Francis Brewu added 3 tackles and 1 sack, earn- ing the highest grade among all Irish defenders from Pro Football Focus in the game, even off the bench. "It was great to see both those guys were difference makers," Freeman said of his two capable backups and offsea- son transfers. If there is such a thing as finding a silver lining after losing two starters, it's the fact that Notre Dame actually played better after it did. And with the way the Irish schedule will unfold — games against Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina and Stan- ford up next — playing without Johnson and Onye might even be a blessing. Notre Dame will be heavily favored in all four games, providing an opportu- nity for the injured starters to recover without being rushed, and the backups to learn and grow in real time. Nothing is guaranteed, but both starters should be back for Notre Dame's highly anticipated game at talented BYU Oct. 17, with the meat of the schedule that includes games against Miami and SMU in November. What's most striking is how Free- man handles his program and builds his depth through enticement and retention, something that Notre Dame does better than any elite program in the country. Remarkably, of the 28 high school re- cruits from the class of 2026 that made campus visits, Notre Dame landed 27 of them. "We were on the right guys," Freeman said. "They bought into what this place has to offer." And while other top programs see their program momentum interrupted every offseason through massive roster reconstruction, Freeman sticks to his formula of recruiting the right guys out of high school, retaining and developing them, and then plugging holes where needed through the transfer portal. The result continues to be terrific roster rhythm and a continuity that produces experienced depth, not just numbers depth, which has been plenty evident already this season. With only seven players added in 2026 from the transfer portal, Notre Dame brought in the fewest transfers among the preseason Associated Press top 10. Georgia was close with eight additions. LSU (43) and Ole Miss (30) were not close, though both of those programs underwent coaching changes. Meanwhile, 16 players transferred away from Notre Dame — most were graduates buried on the depth chart who could start almost anywhere in the country — which tied for the third few- est departures among last week's top 10 teams. Only Texas A&M (13) and na- tional champion Indiana (11) had fewer. As recruiting at Notre Dame reaches quality levels not seen in more than 30 years, and with player development ris- ing right along with it, Freeman's pro- gram has actually reached a place where early-season injuries could actually be beneficial, as strange as that sounds. With a deep playoff run expected — and a 15- or 16-game schedule that will come with it — safety in numbers will be a marked advantage that Notre Dame holds over any other team in the country. ✦ Jason Onye sustained an ankle injury in the first half against Wisconsin Sept. 6 and spent the second half in a boot and on the sideline, but the Fighting Irish didn't miss a beat without him because of their depth. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at toddburlage@gmail.com UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Irish Depth Is Now An Advantage