12/27/2021 football Edit

A look at upcoming Notre Dame fifth-year decisions, including super seniors

Patrick Engel • InsideNDSports

Beat Writer

Barring a surprise Fiesta Bowl week defection, Notre Dame will end the 2021 season with 78 scholarship players. Only four of them are out of eligibility — graduate transfers Jack Coan and Cain Madden, and super seniors Kurt Hinish and Jonathan Doerer. Two others, Kyle Hamilton and Kyren Williams, are foregoing their remaining eligibility and heading to the NFL Draft.

Everyone else on the roster has eligibility left because of the COVID-19 waiver passed last fall, which gave all 2020 student-athletes an extra season.

For some Notre Dame academic seniors or graduate students, the waiver added an option to play in 2022 that previously didn’t exist. For others, it didn’t change their 2022 eligibility status because of previous redshirts, but added a sixth-year option for 2023.

Most of the Notre Dame players in those categories haven’t announced their plans yet, though defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa indicated the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl against No. 9 Oklahoma State (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be his last game with the Irish.

Unlike the 2021 season, bringing back super seniors costs a scholarship spot. Taking the three departing declarations and four exiting seniors into account, Notre Dame has 71 players who can return next season and 21 signees, with an addition or two possible this winter or spring. That’s 92 scholarships, which is seven above the 85-man limit.

There are still players with NFL Draft decisions to make, and further attrition is likely, which will help get closer to 85. Here’s a look at who could return as a super senior and who had prior 2022 eligibility but now face a decision whether to use it. Those decisions could be solely the player's or made by Notre Dame as head coach Marcus Freeman and staff go about managing the roster.

SUPER SENIOR POSSIBILITIES

Players who can return for a sixth year using the COVID-19 waiver

These players have been on a college football roster for five seasons, one of which was a redshirt. Before the waiver, their eligibility was set to expire after 2021.

• Wide receiver Avery Davis

• Offensive tackle Josh Lugg

• Defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa — will not return

• Linebacker Drew White

• Linebacker Isaiah Pryor