Brandon Joseph last January hoped that his transfer to Notre Dame from Northwestern would transform him into a first-round draft pick and repeated those sentiments over the months that ensued.
When that didn’t happen, the senior safety plunged into the NFL Draft pool anyway. He made his announcement via Twitter on Saturday night.
Pro Football Focus lead draft analyst Mike Renner last month on the Inside ND Sports Podcast projected the 6-foot-1, 196-pound College Station, Texas, product as a middle-round draft pick. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. lists Joseph as just outside the top 10 safeties available in the draft,
Jan. 16 is the last day for players with remaining college eligibility to enter the draft. Joseph, because of a redshirt year at Northwestern and a COVID exemption year, leaves behind two seasons of college eligibility.
He played in 10 of Notre Dame’s 13 games this season, missing matchups with Navy (Nov. 12), Boston College (Nov. 19) and Friday’s Gator Bowl win over South Carolina with a high ankle sprain. Joseph, a 2020 All-American at Northwestern, in 2022 made 30 tackles and had one interception, one pass breakup and one forced fumble.
On special teams, Joseph returned 18 punts for a 9.9-yard average with a long of 20 yards.
The three-day, seven-round draft is set for April 27-29 in Kansas City, Mo.
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