Five Notre Dame players earn Phil Steele All-America honors
Phil Steele was kind to Notre Dame in assembling his 2021 postseason All-America teams.
The Irish had five selections across Steele’s four teams — junior safety Kyle Hamilton (first team), senior center Jarrett Patterson (third), sophomore tight end Michael Mayer (third), junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey (third) and graduate student guard Cain Madden (fourth).
It’s the latest honor for Hamilton, who locked up consensus All-American status earlier this week. He made 35 tackles in seven games, along with 2.0 tackles for loss and four passes broken up. His three interceptions are tied for the team lead. He averaged five tackles per game, which ranks second among Notre Dame defensive players — behind only junior linebacker JD Bertrand.
In coverage, Hamilton allowed catches on just 14 of 28 passes thrown his way. Those receptions totaled 176 yards, with one touchdown – a 27-yard completion in an Oct. 2 loss to Cincinnati. Opposing quarterbacks had a 42.3 passer rating when throwing his direction.
As a sophomore, Mayer set the Notre Dame single-season reception record by a tight end. His 64 catches surpassed Tyler Eifert’s 63 in 2011. That number also led all Power Five tight ends in 2021. He totaled 768 yards and five touchdowns. He ended the regular season as Notre Dame’s leader in receptions and yards. Sporting News named him a second-team All-American, while the Associated Press put him on its third team.
Foskey leads Notre Dame in sacks, with 10.0, which is tied for 17th in the FBS. He also posted a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He recovered two fumbles and registered 28 quarterback pressures.
Patterson and Madden have started all 12 games at center and right guard, respectively. No Irish player has logged more snaps this year than Patterson’s 827. Madden is third, with 811.
In three seasons as a starter — spanning 33 games and 2,244 snaps in pass protection — Patterson has not allowed a sack. He surrendered just nine quarterback pressures in 12 regular-season games. His 85.8 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade is the highest among Notre Dame players and best among FBS centers with at least 350 pass blocking snaps.
Madden, meanwhile, has given up just three pressures in his last seven games after allowing 12 with two sacks in his first five starts. The graduate transfer from Marshall has a team-best 84.4 run blocking grade from PFF.
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