Preseason All-American aftermath: Who from Notre Dame might ascend in 2024?
As the cascade of preseason watch lists, still-way-too-early mock drafts and preseason All-America teams transitions to actual games and stats — before the midseason watch lists updates hit us — Benjamin Morrison had an admission the other day.
The junior cornerback, who’s been Notre Dame’s most common preseason All-American, confessed that he has taken a peek at all the summer hype surrounding him — buzz that continued Monday with him being named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America second team.
Grad senior safety Xavier Watts and grad senior nose guard Howard Cross III, also popular preseason picks, garnered AP first-team honors. Senior tight end Mitchell Evans joined Morrison on the second team.
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“I'd be lying to tell you that I didn’t see that stuff, but I was that last year. I was preseason All-American,” Morrison said after a recent Irish football practice. “I didn't receive any postseason accolades.
“So, for me, it's just the maturity, growth for me is to understand that last year I could have got caught up in that, but this year, understand that, like that stuff doesn't matter. Xavier Watts last year wasn’t on any of that, and then won the Bronko Nagurski Award.
“Seeing dudes like that. Once you get in that mentality, it doesn't matter. Every single day you’ve got to earn your time. Nothing's ever given to you. So, once I got that mentality, man, I'm just trying to prove myself right every day.”
Watts literally came out of nowhere to become Notre Dame’s first-ever postseason unanimous All-American at the safety position in the era of two-platoon football (1964-present). And impressive individual stats (led nation in interceptions with 7), team success (10-3), big TV moments (effectively ending USC QB Caleb Williams’ Heisman encore bid) and Notre Dame’s standing as the No. 1 team in pass-efficiency defense (first time ever) all figured in.
The five organizations that provide postseason teams that are used to designate consensus and unanimous All-Americans are the AP, The Sporting News, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Foundation.
The lack of team success, or even falling short of team’s expectations can sink chances for a player’s individual honors.
Eleven times out of 24 in the 2000s, Notre Dame has failed to produce a first-team All-American, and that’s factoring in some of the non-Big 5 All-America teams as well — such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated and USA Today. Seven of those 11 seasons (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2019) the Irish didn’t place a player on a single first, second or third team.
Meanwhile, five Notre Dame players have received multiple mentions this preseason. In addition to Morrison, it’s been Watts, Cross, Evans and kick returner Jayden Harrison, a grad transfer from Marshall.
The good news for the Irish players who didn’t get recognition is that the postseason All-America teams tend to have much less of an echo-chamber effect and are based more on results than reputation.
So, who might end up vying for All-America honors in the postseason not on this list?
Here are six players who have a path to do so IF Notre Dame wins 11 regular-season game and makes the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff:
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Rylie Mills, defensive tackle
The 6-5, 295-pound grad senior will get a lift should the Irish defense finish in the top five again nationally in total defense after going 42 years falling below that threshold. Yes, Notre Dame rotates its defensive personnel a lot, but Mills should get enough snaps to put up numbers that support his NFL Draft buzz and being on The Athletic’s annual freaks list.
The question is, would voters be willing to consider both of ND’s interior linemen, with Cross already established as a national name?
Jeremiyah Love, running back
The 6-foot, now 210-pound sophomore is up over 20 pounds from the weight in which he finished the season, and he now seems to have the physicality he lacked to break the tackles that he couldn’t in Notre Dame’s 40-8 romp over Oregon State in the Dec. 29 Sun Bowl.
He’ll have to share carries with, notably, Jadarian Price, among others. But his expanded skill set to include some part-time wide receiver snaps, improved power, elite speed and potential for highlight-reel plays could put him in play.
Riley Leonard, quarterback
The Duke transfer doesn’t have the numbers in his past, but then neither did 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels at LSU last season.
What Leonard has is a big stage. And if he significantly improves his draft equity, if he has big TV moments against Texas A&M, Florida State and USC, if he evolves Notre Dame’s offense, he’ll nudge his way into the conversation.
Already he made five individual preseason watch lists, including a couple of Player of the Year ones.
Jack Kiser, linebacker
Throughout his career, the sixth-year Notre Dame linebacker has been consistently one of the highest-graded Irish players on either side of the ball by Pro Football Focus. However, that hasn’t yet translated into individual accolades outside of that platform or necessarily eventhe kind of playing time that aligned with his production.
But Kiser is bigger and faster than his past iterations. He’s finally playing the position primarily, weakside linebacker, that fits his skillset best. He’s the quarterback of one of the best defenses in the country and he will get the snap counts to put up big numbers.
What will boost his case is if he can amass the sexier numbers – more sacks, more interception, more fumble recoveries.
Billy Schrauth, offensive guard
This only comes into play if Notre Dame’s offensive line collectively becomes a positive surprise storyline. But the 6-foot-5, 315-pound junior is an ascending player on this Irish offense, whether he’s surrounded by similar players in his position group or not.
If he stays on his current trajectory, he’ll be an All-American at some point in his career.
James Rendell, punter
The 24-year-old Australian import has the backstory, the charming accent, the genuine love for vegemite sandwiches and the freakish distance and hang time to garner consideration. If he can do all those things consistently and the Irish have team success, he could crash the All-America conversation.
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AP PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First-Team Offense
Quarterback — Carson Beck, fifth year, Georgia.
Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, third year, Oklahoma State; Omarion Hampton, third year, North Carolina.
Tackles — Will Campbell, third year, LSU; Kelvin Banks Jr., third year, Texas.
Guards — Donovan Jackson, fourth year, Ohio State; Tate Ratledge, fifth year, Georgia.
Center — Parker Brailsford, third year, Alabama.
Tight end — Colston Loveland, third year, Michigan.
Wide receivers — Luther Burden III, third year, Missouri; Tetairoa McMillan, third year, Arizona; Emeka Egbuka, fourth year, Ohio State.
All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, third year, Colorado.
Kicker — Graham Nicholson, fourth year, Alabama.
First-Team Defense
Edge — James Pearce Jr., third year, Tennessee; Ashton Gillotte, fourth year, Louisville.
Tackles — Mason Graham, third year, Michigan; Howard Cross III, sixth year, Notre Dame.
Linebackers — Harold Perkins Jr., third year, LSU; Jay Higgins, fifth year, Iowa; Barrett Carter, fourth year, Clemson.
Cornerbacks — Will Johnson, third year, Michigan; Denzel Burke, fourth year, Ohio State.
Safeties — Malaki Starks, third year, Georgia; Caleb Downs, second year, Ohio State.
Defensive back — Xavier Watts, fifth year, Notre Dame.
Punter — Alex Mastromanno, fifth year, Florida State.
Second-Team Offense
Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, sixth year, Oregon.
Running backs — TreVeyon Henderson, fourth year, Ohio State; Ashton Jeanty, third year, Boise State
Tackles — Ajani Cornelius, fifth year, Oregon; Aireontae Ersery, fifth year, Minnesota.
Guards — Tyler Booker, third year, Alabama; Dylan Fairchild, fourth year, Georgia.
Center — Cooper Mays, fifth year, Tennessee.
Tight end — Mitchell Evans, fourth year, Notre Dame.
Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, fifth year, Oregon; Tre Harris, fifth year, Mississippi; Ricky White III, fifth year, UNLV.
All-purpose player — Zachariah Branch, second year, Southern California.
Kicker — Andres Borregales, fourth year, Miami.
Second-Team Defense
Edge — Nic Scourton, third year, Texas A&M; Abdul Carter, third year, Penn State.
Tackles — Tyleik Williams, fourth year, Ohio State; Deone Walker, third year, Kentucky.
Linebackers — Danny Stutsman, fourth year, Oklahoma; Jason Henderson, fourth year, Old Dominion; Nick Martin, fourth year, Oklahoma State.
Cornerbacks — Benjamin Morrison, third year, Notre Dame; Sebastian Castro, sixth year, Iowa.
Safeties — Dillon Thieneman, second year, Purdue; Billy Bowman, fourth year, Oklahoma.
Defensive back — Ricardo Hallman, fourth year, Wisconsin.
Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, third year, Boise State.
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