Notre Dame's Xavier Watts, Joe Alt go 4-for-4 on major All-America teams
On Monday, Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts and offensive tackle Joe Alt became Notre Dame's 109th and 110th consensus All-America selections, leading all of college football.
On Thursday, they have a chance to reach another level in Notre Dame's rich football history — unanimous All-American. That after both were named to The Sporting News All-America team on Wednesday.
Irish teammates, junior running back Audric Estimé and nose guard Howard Cross III, were each named to the second team by TSN.
There is a plethora of All-America teams that have been released since the end of the regular season, but the five that count toward consensus and unanimous All-America hours are the teams named by the Walter Camp Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, the Associated Press, The Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association.
The fifth and final of those teams — from the AFCA — is set to be released Thursday at 11 a.m. EST. Players who have been named to the first team of all five organizations' All-America squads become unanimous All-Americans. Those with three or more clinch consensus stats.
Alt. who announced Thursday he is declaring for the NFL Draft and opting out of Notre Dame's Sun Bowl matchup, and Watts, after Thursday, are 4-for-4.
Notre Dame's last unanimous All-American was linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2020. There have been a total of five in the 2000s. Watts would be the first-ever Irish safety to earn unanimous honors if he can garner the final honor. Alt would be the second offensive tackle, joining Aaron Taylor (1993) since two-platoon football became permanent in 1965.
Notre Dame has had 30 individuals and 34 unanimous All-Americans in football in its history, with four players earning the distinction twice — Frank Carideo (1929-30), Johnny Lujack (1946-47), John Lattner (1952-53) and Ross Browner (1976-77).
THE SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
First-team offense
QB: Jayden Daniels, LSU
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB: Cody Schrader, Missouri
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR: Rome Odunze, Washington
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
T: Olu Fashanu, Penn State
G: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
C: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
G: Zak Zinter, Michigan
T: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
First-team defense
DL: T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
DL: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL: Jonah Elliss, Utah
EDGE: Dallas Turner, Alabama
EDGE: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
LB: Payton Wilson, NC State
LB: Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
CB: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
S: Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
DB: Mike Sainristil, Michigan
ATH: Travis Hunter, Colorado
First-team specialists
K: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
P: Tory Taylor, Iowa
PR: Zachariah Branch, USC
KR: Barion Brown, Kentucky
Second-team offense
QB: Michael Penix Jr., Washington
RB: Audric Estime, Notre Dame
RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
WR: Troy Franklin, Oregon
WR: Luther Burden III, Missouri
WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
TE: Dallin Holker, Colorado State
OL: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
OL: Christian Haynes, UConn
OL: Zach Frazier, West Virginia
OL: Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
OL: JC Latham, Alabama
Second-team defense
DL: Byron Murphy II, Texas
DL: Mason Graham, Michigan
DL: Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
EDGE: Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
EDGE: Jalen Green, James Madison
LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa
CB: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia
CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
S: Caleb Downs, Alabama
S: Malaki Starks, Georgia
DB: Terrion Arnold, Alabama
ATH: Sione Vaki, Utah
Second-team specialists
K: Will Reichard, Alabama
P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
PR: Xavier Worthy, Texas
KR: Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech