Mackey Award names Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer a finalist

The junior Mayer, who set every career receiving record for the Irish this season, was named Tuesday as one of three finalists for the annual award given to the best tight end in college football.

A year ago, Mayer did not make the finalist cut for the Mackey Award. Then-Notre Dame tight ends coach John McNulty called the decision "impossible to explain." Mayer's attitude since then was that he would just win it in 2022 instead.

"It's one of my goals," Mayer told Inside ND Sports in July. "I'm not going to be thinking about the entire season, but I'm going to try to win that thing for sure.”

Mayer's case to win the award has plenty of statistics to support it. Through 12 games this season, Mayer led the AP No. 19 Irish (8-4) in receptions (67), receiving yards (809) and receiving touchdowns (9).

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His stats currently rank first among FBS tight ends for receiving touchdowns, second in receiving yards per game and second in receptions per game. Utah's Dalton Kincaid, who wasn't named a Mackey Award finalist, is the only tight end ahead of Mayer in those two categories: 77.3 yards per game and 6 catches per game.

The two finalists alongside Mayer are Georgia's Brock Bowers and Iowa's Sam LaPorta. Bowers, a sophomore, totaled 46 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed six times for 93 yards and three touchdowns for the No. 1 Bulldogs (12-0). LaPorta, a senior, caught 53 passes for 601 yards and one touchdown for the Hawkeyes (7-5).

Only one Notre Dame tight end has won the Mackey Award since its creation in 2000: Tyler Eifert (2012). Mayer broke Eifert's tight end career records in receptions (previously 140) and receiving yards (previously 1,840) and Ken MacAfee's career record in touchdown receptions (previously 15). Mayer's current totals sit at 180 catches for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns.

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