Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer moves closer to consensus All-American status

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel12/12/22

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Consensus All-American status is within reach for a departing Notre Dame player. Junior tight end Michael Mayer is now one first-team All-America nomination away from achieving it.

The Associated Press named Mayer and sophomore offensive tackle Joe Alt first-team All-Americans Monday and put senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey on its second team. The AP joined the Walter Camp Football Foundation in selecting Mayer to its first team. Alt also earned second-team honors from the WCFF and the Football Writers Association of America. Foskey was on the WCFF first-team and the FWAA second-team.

Mayer will be a consensus All-American if Sporting News or the American Football Coaches Association tabs him as a first-teamer. Those All-America teams will be released Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

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Consensus status is earned if a player is a first-team pick by three of the five NCAA-recognized All-America selectors. Unanimous All-Americans are those who appear on the first team of all five. Mayer, Alt and Foskey cannot achieve unanimous status because they were named second-teamers by the FWAA.

Mayer caught 67 passes for 809 yards and 9 touchdowns last year, all top-three among FBS tight ends. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award, won by Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Foskey had 11 sacks this season, tied for fourth in the FBS, and tallied 33 quarterback pressures. He is tied for 22nd nationally with 14 tackles for loss.

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Mayer and Foskey have declared for the NFL Draft and will not play for No. 21 Notre Dame in the Dec. 30 Gator Bowl vs. No. 19 South Carolina.

Alt has the highest Pro Football Focus overall grade (91.7) and run-blocking grade (90.8) of any FBS offensive tackle this year. He allowed 0 sacks and 5 pressures in 12 regular-season games. His 85.6 pass-blocking grade is eighth among FBS tackles. He and Foskey will be a consensus All-American if Sporting News and the AFCA name them first-team selections.

If Mayer, Foskey or Alt reach consensus All-American status, they will give Notre Dame at least one consensus choice for the third straight year. Safety Kyle Hamilton earned the honor in 2021, and offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg did in 2020. The Irish’s last unanimous All-American was linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2020.

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