Julian Love & Sam Mustipher Earn All-American Honors From FWAA
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All-American honors continue to make their way to Notre Dame with junior cornerback Julian Love and center Sam Mustipher getting name to the 2018 Football Writers Association of America All-America Team.
Love was selected to the first-team while Mustipher made the second-team.
Love was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, honoring the nation's top defensive back, after finishing the 2018 regular season with 61 tackles and 15 pass break ups. His 15 break ups tied for eighth nationally while giving up just one touchdown pass all season.
Mustipher was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, which goes to the nation's top center. The team captain graded out with a 92.5 percent pass blocking grade this season, which led the Irish offense, giving just one sack all season.
Both Love and Mustipher were named to the Associated Press All-American team as first-team selections while Love also was honored by ESPN as a first-team All-American.
Though not official per Notre Dame SID Michael Bertsch, the honor from the FWAA should make Love a consensus All-American with a chance to become unanimous if the Sporting News and American Football Coaches Association also name him to their respective first-teams. He would become the first consensus or unanimous All-American for Notre Dame at cornerback since Shane Walton in 2002.
The Irish will square off against Clemson on Dec. 29 in the College Football Playoff semifinals, and the Tigers were well-represented on this team as well. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins and offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt made the first-team while running back Travis Etienne was selected to the second-team.
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