Michael Vinson, Jarrett Patterson join parade of Notre Dame All-Americans

What a year it’s been for Michael “Milk” Vinson.

Almost a year ago to the day — Dec. 16, 2021 — the Notre Dame football walk-on long snapper was awarded a scholarship. Earlier this month, the 6-foot-2, 228-pound Winnetka, Ill., product announced he was invited back and accepted the opportunity to play a sixth season at ND in 2023.

On Wednesday, Notre Dame’s regular snapper on punts, field goals and extra points since the start of the 2020 season was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.

Senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey joined Vinson as an AFCA first-teamer. Irish teammates — junior tight end Michael Mayer, sophomore offensive tackle Joe Alt and grad senior Jarrett Patterson — all were named to the second team.

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Mayer, Foskey and Alt were named first or second team by all five organizations whose All-America teams count toward consensus and unanimous All-America honors. In addition to the AFCA, the others are the Walter Camp Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, the Associated Press, and The Sporting News.

Mayer on Tuesday clinched consensus honors with his third first-team selection, this one by the Sporting News. Foskey, with two first-team selections, had an outside shot, and on Thursday he joined Mayer on the official Consensus All-America team.

That makes the Foskey Notre Dame’s 92st-ever consensus All-American and 108th consensus selection, with 16 Irish players earning the distinction twice. Those numbers include ND’s 30 unanimous All-Americans, of which linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2020 was the most recent.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Antioch, Calif., product is ND's first consensus All-American at the defensive end position since Frank Stams was named at the end of ND's 1988 national championship season.

Vinson, meanwhile, earned All-America honors from the only organization that recognizes the long snapper position, and the AFCA did so for the first time ever in 2022. It was also Patterson’s first All-America honor this season among the big five.

Patterson switched to left guard this season after being a three-year starter at center. After missing the Sept. 3 season-opening loss at Ohio State, Patterson played through a chronic foot injury he sustained in mid-August.

According to Pro Football Focus, Patterson has performed 1,652 pass block sets in his career without allowing a single sack.

Mayer led all FBS tight ends in touchdown receptions in 2022 while posting a team-high 67 receptions for 809 yards — each second-best among FBS tight ends. He holds every major tight end career and single-season school record for Irish tight ends.

Foskey finished the regular season tied for fourth nationally in sacks (11) and set the Irish career record in that category with 26.5.

Alt was Pro Football Focus’ highest-ranked college offensive tackle in run blocking and No. 2 in overall play. In 370 pass block sets this season, Alt allowed five pressures and zero sacks.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., So. Ohio State

WR: Jalin Hyatt, Jr., Tennessee

TE: Brock Bowers, So., Georgia

OL: O’Cyrus Torrence, Jr., Florida

OL: Peter Skoronski, Jr., Northwestern

C: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Gr., Michigan

OL: Paris Johnson Jr., Jr., Ohio State

OL: Steve Avila, Sr., TCU

QB: Caleb Williams, So., USC

RB: Blake Corum, Jr., Michigan

RB: Bijan Robinson, Jr., Texas

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Isaiah Foskey, Jr., Notre Dame

DL: *Jalen Carter, Jr., Georgia

DL: Calijah Kancey, R-Jr., Pitt

DL: Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr.. USC

LB: *Will Anderson Jr., Jr., Alabama

LB: Ivan Pace Jr., Sr., Cincinnati

LB: Jack Campbell, Sr., Iowa

DB: Christopher Smith, Sr., Georgia

DB: Devon Witherspoon, Jr., Illinois

DB: Emmanuel Forbes, Jr., Mississippi State

DB: Clark Phillips III, So., Utah

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS

P: Bryce Baringer, Sr., Michigan State

PK: Christopher Dunn, Gr., NC State

AP: *Deuce Vaughn, Jr., Kansas State

LS: Michael Vinson, Sr., Notre Dame

*–2021 AFCA All-American

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

WR: Nathaniel Dell, Jr., Houston

WR: Xavier Hutchinson, R-Sr., Iowa State

TE: *Michael Mayer, Jr., Notre Dame

OL: Alex Palczewski, Sr.,Illinois

OL: Jarrett Patterson, Sr., Notre Dame

C: John Michael Schmitz, Sr., Minnesota

OL: Joe Alt, So., Notre Dame

OL: Andrew Vorhees, R-Sr., USC

QB: C.J. Stroud, Jr., Ohio State

RB: Chase Brown, Jr., Illinois

RB: Mohamed Ibrahim, Sr., Minnesota

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Byron Young, Sr., Alabama

DL: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Jr., Kansas State

DL: Mike Morris, Sr., Michigan

DL: Tyree Wilson, Sr., Texas Tech

LB: Drew Sanders, Jr., Arkansas

LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, So., Georgia

LB: Nick Herbig, Jr., Wisconsin

DB: *Jordan Battle, Sr., Alabama

DB: Joey Porter Jr., R-Jr., Penn State

DB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, So., Alabama

DB: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Sr., TCU

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS

P: Kai Kroeger, Jr., South Carolina

PK: *Jake Moody, Gr., Michigan

AP: Jaylin Lucas, Fr.,Indiana

LS: Joe Shimko, Jr., NC State

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