2020 Notre Dame Undrafted Free Agent Tracker
Notre Dame had six players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, ranging from the second to sixth rounds. About six more are expected to sign undrafted free agent contracts and get an invite to training camp this summer.
The selections were tight end Cole Kmet (second round, Chicago Bears), wide receiver Chase Claypool (second, Pittsburgh Steelers), defensive end Julian Okwara (third, Detroit Lions), cornerback Troy Pride Jr. (fourth, Carolina Panthers), defensive end Khalid Kareem (fifth round, Cincinnati Bengals) and safety Alohi Gilman (sixth round, Los Angeles Chargers).
Below is a tracker of the undrafted free agent deals former Notre Dame players have signed with NFL teams. The most recent updates are listed first.
Donte Vaughn Signs With Chargers
The Chargers added a third Notre Dame rookie Saturday, signing former Irish cornerback Donte Vaughn, Notre Dame announced social media. Vaughn joins 2019 teammates Gilman and Asmar Bilal in Los Angeles. He will also reunite with Jerry Tillery, Drue Tranquill and Isaac Rochell, who played for the Chargers last year.
Vaughn had 16 tackles and five passes broken up in 2019. He appeared in 10 games, making three starts. He spent 2017 and 2018 as a deeper reserve, making 19 tackles in 20 total games.
His freshman season, though, was busier. Vaughn started four games and made 22 tackles to go with one interception. He came to Notre Dame in 2016 as a four-star recruit out of Memphis.
Jalen Elliott Signs With Lions
Former Notre Dame safety and team captain Jalen Elliott has signed with the Lions, according to multiple reports.
Elliott was a three-year starter for Notre Dame and ended his career with 172 tackles, 11 passes defended and six interceptions. He appeared in 51 of a possible 51 games during his four years at Notre Dame. He had 49 tackles and two interceptions as a senior.
While considered a consummate leader, Elliott was a fringe draft pick after a disastrous NFL Combine. He ran an official 4.80-second 40-yard dash, which was the lowest among all participating safeties, but he did produce solid numbers in the vertical jump (34 inches) and the broad jump (125 inches).
He attempted to right the ship with a virtual NFL pro day on a vacant rugby field, where he ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash.
During Elliott’s freshman campaign, he was one of several rookie defensive backs to see the field in 2016, mostly playing on special teams. By his sophomore year, he was a regular contributor on the back end of the defense. Many expected him to struggle as a starter in 2018, but Elliott proved his doubters wrong when he recorded 67 tackles four interceptions and seven passes defended.
After the 2019 season, Elliott was invited to participate at the Senior Bowl, where he shined and was even named the North Squad Defensive Practice Player of the Week at defensive back.
Elliott was a four-star recruit in 2016 out of Richmond, Va.
BlueandGold.com's Andrew Mentock contributed.
Tony Jones Jr. Signs With Saints
Tony Jones Jr., Notre Dame’s leading rusher in 2019, is signing with the Saints, per multiple reports.
Jones ran for 857 yards and six touchdowns on 6.0 yards per carry in 2019. It was his lone year as the primary back after spending 2017 as a compliment to Josh Adams and 2018 backing up Dexter Williams.
A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Jones lacks the elite speed expected of an NFL running back, but he adds value as a pass catcher and blocker.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to do things without the ball because that’s what my dad taught me,” Jones said at the NFL Combine. “To be honest, you’ve got to do things without the ball before you ever get the ball. When I got to Notre Dame, because I was behind Josh Adams, I had to find ways to help the team and it helped me.”
Heading into the NFL Combine, he said any time worse than a 4.5-second 40-yard dash would be a disappointment.
Unfortunately, he ran it in 4.68 seconds, which many believed cemented his status as an undrafted free agent.
If it wasn’t for an injured rib suffered in the loss against Michigan Oct. 26, Jones’s 2019 numbers likely would have been even better. His strongest performance of the season came against USC, where he ran for 176 yards on 25 carries.
“I saw my offensive line working hard, I saw my tight ends working hard and I tried to put the team on my back and do whatever I could,” Jones said after the USC game.
Jones finished his Notre Dame career with 298 total touches for 1,754 yards and 14 touchdowns. There was some thought that he would return in 2020 for his final year of eligibility, but he felt he was ready for the next step in his football career.
Andrew Mentock contributed
Jamir Jones Signs With Texans
Ex-Notre Dame defensive lineman Jamir Jones is signing with the Houston Texans, he announced.
Jones ascended to a contributing role as a senior after not playin at all in 2018 and spending his first two years buried on the depth chart at linebacker. He had 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2019.
Jones had 12 total tackles from 2016-17. He arrived as a true freshman in 2016 as a three-star recruit from Rochester, N.Y.
Asmar Bilal Signs With Chargers
Former Notre Dame linebacker Asmar Bilal is headed to the Chargers, per a report from The Indianapolis Star.
Bilal joins Gilman, his former teammate. He is the fifth ex-Notre Dame player on the Chargers roster. Jerry Tillery, Drue Tranquill and Isaac Rochell are under contract with the Chargers and played the 2019 season with them.
Bilal was not invited to the NFL Combine and did not get to work out at Notre Dame’s pro day, which was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. He was a breakout player as a fifth-year senior in 2019, ranking third on Notre Dame with 79 tackles. He also had 10.0 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
After a redshirt year in 2015 and two years as a backup, Bilal slid into the starting lineup in 2018 and made 50 tackles (3.0 for loss) and recovered one fumble.
Bilal was a four-star recruit in 2015 out of Indianapolis.
Chris Finke Signs With 49ers
Chris Finke’s journey from walk-on to NFL player is complete.
The former Notre Dame wide receiver and captain has signed with the San Francisco 49ers, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. He will receive $95,000 guaranteed.
Finke, a native of Dayton, Ohio, spent five years at Notre Dame after walking on before the 2015 season. He ends his career with 106 catches, 1,251 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. In his final two years, he caught 90 passes and six touchdowns. He leaves Notre Dame with a master’s degree.
As a fifth-year senior in 2019, Finke caught 41 passes for 456 yards and four touchdowns. He started nine of 13 games and also averaged 9.0 yards per punt return. In 2018, his first year as a steady member of the rotation at receiver, Finke had 571 yards and two touchdowns to go with a 52-yard punt return.
Finke redshirted in 2015 but earned a small role along with a scholarship in 2016, catching 10 passes. He became Notre Dame’s primary punt returner in 2017 and started the Citrus Bowl in 2017.
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