New Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph details why he picked the Irish
Notre Dame landed a big piece to the future of its secondary, as former Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph announced his transfer to the Fighting Irish on Saturday morning.
The 6-1, 192-pounder spoke to BlueandGold.com about why he chose Notre Dame before making his decision public.
Joseph on why Notre Dame was his choice: “Notre Dame came after me pretty hard the first day I entered the transfer portal. I was on the phone with Coach [Marcus] Freeman right away. From then, I knew it was the right spot for me. He told me that there are 18 starters returning, and they were the No. 5 team in the county. For a team of that caliber, all you need to do is replace a few pieces. I feel like it’s a perfect spot for me to go in and be a piece of the puzzle. I want to take this team to a national championship.”
On being an undergrad transfer to Notre Dame, which rarely happens: “They did tell me that literally last night [Friday] during my official visit. I realize that it’s just that much more of a blessing and opportunity. That shows God’s timing; this doesn’t happen all the time. But there’s a reason I was supposed to end up at Notre Dame.”
On his fit in Notre Dame’s defense: “They see me obviously at safety and moving me around and capitalize on my skillset. They were able to do a lot of things with Kyle Hamilton and put him in different spots to make plays. That was one of the reasons he was so successful. For me to be able to do that same type of thing is what I think they see me doing in their defense.”
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On the academic fit going from Northwestern to Notre Dame being an important factor: “100 percent. It was not easy leaving Northwestern. It was a strong academic school, and I was close to getting that degree. Deciding to leave wasn’t easy. The academic piece was a top priority in my decision-making process. That made Notre Dame even more perfect. They are a high-caliber football team, and I’m able to get a great education. Being a part of the Notre Dame network is huge.”
On what Notre Dame fans need to know about Brandon Joseph: “I’m coming here on a mission to take this team exactly where y’all want to go. To Irish nation, I’m here, and I’m ready to put my head down and get to work. Off the field, I’m ready to represent the Notre Dame name. I’m going to hold myself to the highest standard.”
More details on new Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph
Joseph has three seasons of eligibility left and will enroll in classes at Notre Dame for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10.
He made 80 tackles (1.5 for loss), broke up four passes and grabbed three interceptions in 2021.
His breakout season was a year earlier, though, in his first year as a starter following a redshirt season. Joseph tied for the national lead with six interceptions despite playing just nine games, made 52 tackles (1.0 for loss) and had two pass breakups. Opponents threw at him 24 times and completed just eight of those passes, per Pro Football Focus. He was a consensus All-American and a first-team Associated Press All-Big Ten selection.
Joseph was a three-star recruit in the 2019 class out of College Station (Texas) High, and the On3 Consensus ranked him as the No. 1,036 player in the cycle. He initially committed to Texas Tech before flipping to Northwestern in December 2018. He entered the transfer portal Dec. 30.
