As Xavier Watts continues to ponder a return to Notre Dame in 2024, the accolades continues to pile up around the senior safety.
And so does a chance to make history.
That goes for Irish teammate, junior offensive tackle Joe Alt, who is expected to declare soon for the NFL Draft, as both players clinched consensus All-America honors Monday with their designation as first-team All-Americans by both the Football Writers Association of America and the Associated Press.
Grad senior nose guard Howard Cross III, who on Sunday announced he's coming back to ND in 2024 for a sixth year, was named a second-teamer on both squads.
Three days after the trio was named to the Walter Camp Foundation's All-America teams, the FWAA repeated their selections. The AP added junior running back Audric Estimé as a second-teamers as well.
There have been several All-America teams that have been released in the past week, but the Walter Camp, FWAA and AP teams are three of the five that count toward consensus and unanimous All-America honors. Players who are first-teamers on at least three of the five clinch consensus status.
And that's now the case for both Alt and Watts.
They must be first-teamers on all five for unanimous All-America honors. The other teams in play are the to-be-announced teams from the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News.
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 two first-team honors.
The Irish have had eight consensus All-Americans in the past four seasons combined. Alt and Watts join DE Isaiah Foskey (2022), TE Michael Mayer (2022), S Kyle Hamilton, Owusu-Koramoah (2020), OT Liam Eichenberg (2020) and OG Aaron Banks (2020).
As far as the FWAA team goes, Notre Dame tied for the most All-Americans combined in the first and second teams with Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Washington. Over the past two seasons only Georgia (9) and Iowa (8) have more FWAA All-Americans as does Notre Dame with seven.
FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School Ht Wt. Class Hometown
QB Jayden Daniels, LSU, 6-4, 210, Sr., San Bernardino, Calif.
RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, 6-1, 211, So., Fort Worth, Texas
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State, 6-4, 205, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa.
WR Malik Nabers, LSU, 6-0, 200, Jr., Youngsville, La.
WR Rome Odunze, Washington, 6-3, 215, Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-4, 240, Jr., Napa, Calif.
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame, 6-8, 322, Jr., North Oaks, Minn.
OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, 6-4, 335, Sr., Kansas City, Kan.
OL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State, 6-6, 334, Jr., Tacoma, Wash.
OL Zak Zinter, Michigan, 6-6, 322, Sr., North Andover, Mass.
C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon, 6-3, 320, Jr., Draper, Utah
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School Ht Wt. Class Hometown
DE Jonah Elliss, Utah, 6-2, 246, Jr., Moscow, Idaho
DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA, 6-5, 265, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.
DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois, 6-2, 295, Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla.
DT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, 6-4, 362, Sr., Huntsville, Texas
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa, 6-2, 233, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.
LB Dallas Turner, Alabama, 6-4, 252, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
LB Payton Wilson, N.C. State, 6-4, 238, Gr., Hillsborough, N.C.
DB Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia, 5-10, 181, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa, 6-1, 207, Jr., Odebolt, Iowa
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, So., Jefferson, Ga.
DB Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 5-11, 204, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
Pos. Name, School Ht Wt. Class Hometown
K Jose Pizano, UNLV, 5-9, 220, Sr., Lehi, Utah
P Tory Taylor, Iowa, 6-4, 232, Sr., Melbourne, Australia
KR Jayden Harrison, Marshall, 5-11, 195, Jr., Antioch, Tenn.
PR LaJohntay Wester, Florida Atlantic, 5-11, 167, Jr., Palmetto, Fla.
AP Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-1, 185, So., Suwanee, Ga.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Pos. Name, School
QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
RB Cody Schrader, Missouri
WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
WR Malik Washington, Virginia
TE Dallin Holker, Colorado State
OL Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
OL Troy Fautanu, Washington
OL Javon Foster, Missouri
OL JC Latham, Alabama
C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Pos. Name, School
DE Jalen Green, James Madison
DE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
DT Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
DB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
DB Brylan Green, Liberty
DB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
DB Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
Pos. Name, School
K Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
P Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt
KR Zachariah Branch, USC
PR Xavier Worthy, Texas
AP Ismail Mahdi, Texas State.
AP ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback — Jayden Daniels, fifth-year, LSU.
Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, second-year, Oklahoma State; Cody Schrader, sixth-year, Missouri.
Tackles — Joe Alt, third-year, Notre Dame; Olu Fashanu, fourth-year, Penn State.
Guards — Cooper Beebe, fifth-year, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, fourth-year, Michigan.
Center — Jackson Powers-Johnson, third-year, Oregon.
Tight end — Brock Bowers, third-year, Georgia.
Wide receivers — Malik Nabers, third-year, LSU; Marvin Harrison Jr., third-year, Ohio State; Rome Odunze, fourth-year, Washington.
All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, second-year, Colorado.
Kicker — Graham Nicholson, third-year, Miami (Ohio).
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Edge rushers — Laiatu Latu, fifth-year, UCLA; Jalen Green, fifth-year, James Madison.
Interior linemen — T'Vondre Sweat, fifth-year, Texas; Jer'Zahn Newton, fourth-year, Illinois.
Linebackers — Payton Wilson, sixth-year, North Carolina State; Edgerrin Cooper, fourth-year, Texas A&M; Dallas Turner, third-year, Alabama.
Cornerbacks — Cooper DeJean, third-year, Iowa; Kool-Aid McKinstry, third-year, Alabama.
Safeties — Malaki Starks, second-year, Georgia; Xavier Watts, fourth-year, Notre Dame.
Defensive back — Terrion Arnold, third-year, Alabama.
Punter — Tory Taylor, fourth-year, Iowa.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback — Michael Penix Jr., sixth-year, Washington.
Running backs — Audric Estime, third-year, Notre Dame; Omarion Hampton, second-year, North Carolina.
Tackles — Taliese Fuaga, fourth-year, Oregon State; JC Latham, third-year, Alabama.
Guards — Tate Ratledge, fourth-year, Georgia; Clay Webb, fifth-year, Jacksonville State.
Center — Sedrick Van Pran, fourth-year, Georgia.
Tight ends — Dallin Holker, fifth-year, Colorado State.
Wide receivers — Troy Franklin, third-year, Oregon; Malik Washington, fifth-year, Virginia; Luther Burden III, second-year, Missouri.
All-purpose player — Ashton Jeanty, second-year, Boise State.
Kicker — Jose Pizano, third-year, UNLV.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Edge rushers — Jonah Elliss, third-year, Utah; Jared Verse, fourth-year, Florida State.
Interior linemen — Byron Murphy II, third-year, Texas; Howard Cross III, fifth-year, Notre Dame.
Linebackers — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., third-year, Clemson; Jason Henderson, third-year, Old Dominion; Jay Higgins, fourth-year, Iowa.
Cornerbacks — Quinyon Mitchell, fourth-year, Toledo; Beanie Bishop Jr., sixth-year, West Virginia.
Safeties — Tyler Nubin, fifth-year, Minnesota; Caleb Downs, first-year, Alabama.
Defensive back — Kris Abrams-Draine, fourth-year, Missouri.
Punter — Matthew Hayball, sixth-year, Vanderbilt.
THIRD TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterbacks — Bo Nix, fifth-year, Oregon.
Running backs — Blake Corum, fourth-year, Michigan; Kimani Vidal, fourth-year, Troy.
Tackles — Javon Foster, sixth-year, Missouri; Troy Fautanu, fifth-year, Washington.
Guards — Christian Haynes, sixth-year, UConn; Luke Kandra, fourth-year, Cincinnati.
Center — Zach Frazier, fourth-year, West Virginia.
Tight end — Ben Sinnott, fourth-year, Kansas State.
Wide receivers — Ricky White, fourth-year, UNLV; Brian Thomas Jr., third-year, LSU; Tetairoa McMillan, second-year, Arizona.
All-purpose player — Xavier Worthy, third-year, Texas.
Kicker — Will Reichard, fifth-year, Alabama.
THIRD TEAM DEFENSE
Edge rushers —Chop Robinson, third-year, Penn State; Bralen Trice, fifth-year, Washington.
Interior linemen — Kris Jenkins, fourth-year, Michigan; Braden Fiske, sixth-year, Florida State.
Linebackers — Nathaniel Watson, sixth-year, Mississippi State; Edefuan Ulofoshio, sixth-year, Washington; Danny Stutsman, third-year, Oklahoma.
Cornerbacks — Ricardo Hallman, third-year, Wisconsin; T.J. Tampa, fourth-year, Iowa State.
Safeties — Trey Taylor, fifth-year, Air Force; Dillon Thieneman, first-year, Purdue.
Defensive back — Sebastian Castro, fifth-year, Iowa.
Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, second-year, Boise State.
