Three Notre Dame players named Walter Camp Football Foundation preseason All-Americans
The first of the five NCAA-recognized All-American selectors released its preseason teams Monday, with three Notre Dame players included. The Walter Camp Football Foundation named center Jarrett Patterson a first-team preseason All-American while slotting tight end Michael Mayer and safety Brandon Joseph on the second team.
Ohio State had the most preseason All-Americans across the two teams (four). Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia had three selections each.
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Patterson, a 34-game starter, put off the NFL Draft to return for a graduate season. He enters his fourth season as a starter on Notre Dame’s offensive line. He has not allowed a sack in his career and earned the highest Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade (85.4) among all FBS centers who logged at least 500 snaps in pass protection.
Mayer led all Power Five tight ends in catches last season (71), adding 840 yards and seven touchdowns. He set the program record for touchdown catches by a tight end in a single season. Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56 catches, 882 yards, 13 touchdowns in 2021) was the first-team tight end.
Joseph was a Walter Camp postseason first-team All-American in 2020 at Northwestern, when he pulled down six interceptions in nine games and made 52 tackles. Opponents had a 2.8 passer rating when throwing his way. As an encore, he made 80 tackles and intercepted three passes in 13 games last year and transferred to Notre Dame in 2021.
Notre Dame’s spring practice indicated he could be closer to that 2020 form than his good-not-elite 2021 play. He had an interception in each of the first seven practices and impressed as a run defender in the Blue-Gold Game.
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Joseph landed in the second-team defensive back group with Appalachian State’s Steven Jones Jr. (a 2021 All-American), Iowa’s Riley Moss and Utah’s Clark Phillips III. South Carolina’s Cam Smith, Alabama’s Eli Ricks, Georgia’s Kelee Ringo and Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson were the first-team defensive backs. Joseph and Johnson are the only safeties in that group.
From a Notre Dame perspective, perhaps the most noteworthy part of the Walter Camp preseason team is a player who was not selected – defensive end Isaiah Foskey. That’s despite his 11.0 sacks last season, which is more than all but four returning FBS players.
Clemson end Bryan Bresee, Georgia tackle Jalen Carter, Washington tackle Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Army end Andre Carter II were the first-team defensive linemen. Pitt tackle Calijah Kancey, Florida tackle Gervon Dexter, Baylor lineman Jaxon Player (a Tulsa transfer) and Michigan State tackle Jacob Slade were the second-team picks.
