NOTRE DAME TRIPLE THREAT: Ty Washington, Tae Johnson, and Tiki Hola

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 08: Ty Washington #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish scores a touchdown against the Navy Midshipmen at Notre Dame Stadium on November 08, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images Everyone loves to do a player countdown for Notre Dame as we face toward the college football season, but in all fairness, the offseason is much shorter than you think. It’s really only two months in the grand scheme of things, and there will be much more to talk about in the middle of July with media days — so why not deal with the profiles before then?

Welcome to the Triple Threat series. We will profile every player on Notre Dame’s roster, but I’m going to give you three at a time to save some time. Every Triple Threat post will include one offensive player, one defensive player, and one newcomer (freshman or transfer) until we have to do some different combos down the road.

So let’s get started with today’s Triple Threat: TE Ty Washington #7 DB Tae Johnson #9 DL Tiki Hola #55 TY WASHINGTON #7 HEIGHT 6-4 WEIGHT 253 CLASS SENIOR HOMETOWN LEESBURG, GA HIGH SCHOOL LEE COUNTY/ARKANSAS Ty Washington wasn’t on Notre Dame’s recruiting radar while playing high school football in Georgia. His stat sheet wasn’t overflowing with receptions and touchdowns, and the powerful big skill player eventually ended up at Arkansas as an early enrollee. Injuries are a big reason why Washington’s development stalled a bit while with the Razorbacks, but a trip to the transfer portal allowed him to restart his career.

Washington came to Notre Dame as a physical, blocking tight end — and that’s what Mike Denbrock and the Irish offense used him as throughout the season. To think there won’t be more of the same in 2026 is kind of strange. Sure, Ty can catch a few balls here and there and score a TD every once in a while, but the guy is here to crack skulls and open rushing lanes… and I love him for it.