Kevin Austin Jr. scored a touchdown on the last catch of his Notre Dame career.
The 25-yard reception with 1:05 remaining in the game gave the Irish faint hope of a last-minute comeback, but Notre Dame’s own blown lead stood in the 37-35 Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.
The senior wide receiver announced Sunday via Instagram that he plans to enter the 2022 NFL Draft instead of returning to Notre Dame for a fifth season.
Austin’s performance Saturday epitomized the legacy of his Notre Dame career. There were moments of brilliance paired with a potential for even more production. Austin caught six passes for 105 yards and one touchdown on 13 targets from quarterback Jack Coan.
The bulk of his NFL résumé will come from this past season, when Austin played in all 13 games for the first time, led the team in receiving yards (888) and tied tight end Michael Mayer for the team-high in receiving touchdowns (7) from a total of 48 receptions.
An early assessment from NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic projects Austin in the third- to fifth-round range.
"Well-built, athletic," Brugler said Sunday. "Was a first-down machine this year."
Austin’s Notre Dame career nearly derailed in his sophomore and junior seasons after catching five passes for 90 yards as a freshman. Austin was suspended for the entirety of his sophomore season. His junior season was marred by a preseason foot injury that was reinjured in practice two games into his return in October. He caught just one pass for 18 yards in that small window of health.
The Irish have entered a tenuous offseason at the wide receiver position. Austin became the first of four upperclassmen to make his stay-or-go decision clear. Senior Braden Lenzy announced his decision to return later Sunday night.
Lenzy played in all 13 games of a season for the first time in his career too. He caught 32 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns.
Graduate senior Avery Davis, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in early November, seems likely to return as well. The 2021 captain still has one year of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility relief.
Senior Joe Wilkins Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. With only 11 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns in his Notre Dame career, Wilkins could opt for a fresh start elsewhere via the transfer portal. The Irish should push for him to return given Austin’s departure.
Notre Dame only has four other scholarship wide receivers currently projected for the 2022 roster: sophomores-to-be Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas. Incoming freshman Tobias Merriweather was the only wide receiver to ink with the Irish during the early signing period for the 2022 class last month.
Notre Dame lost commitments from wide receivers CJ Williams and Amorion Walker (Michigan) late in the recruiting cycle. Three-star wide receiver Justius Lowe, a Utah verbal commit, reported a Notre Dame offer Friday.
The Irish should be busy scouring the 2022 class and transfer portal for reinforcements at wide receiver.
