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Now that the season is over for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the game of roster management is about to be played in South Bend. On Sunday, The Athletic’s Pete Sampson reported that Notre Dame WR Kevin Austin will be declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
According to multiple sources, Notre Dame receiver Kevin Austin Jr. will declare for the NFL Draft instead of returning for a graduate season. Austin led Notre Dame’s receivers with 48 catches, 888 yards and 7 TDs.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) January 2, 2022
This is unsurprising given the insider reports over the last few months. Austin doesn’t figure to be a selection in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, but he is likely just ready to move on with his life. Austin was one of the most talented and highly ranked wide receiver recruits of the Brian Kelly era, but suspensions and injuries mostly kept him off the field for his first three years. As a senior in 2021, Austin had his one big year for Notre Dame. He will leave Notre Dame with a degree, and with his health — so if this is his final decision — one should wish him well for the future.
Austin had a big day at the Fiesta Bowl with 6 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
2022 Notre Dame Football Scholarship Chart
Position / Year | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 5th/6th Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position / Year | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 5th/6th Year |
Quarterback | Steve Angeli | Tyler Buchner, Ron Powlus III | Drew Pyne | - | - |
Running Back | Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne | Logan Diggs, Audric Estime | Chris Tyree | - | - |
Tight End | Eli Raridon, Holden Staes | Cane Berrong, Mitchell Evans | Michael Mayer, Kevin Bauman | - | - |
Wide Receiver | Tobias Merriweather | Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas | - | - | Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins, Avery Davis, Matt Salerno |
Center | Ashton Craig | Pat Coogan | - | Zeke Correll | Jarrett Patterson |
Guard | Billy Schrauth | Rocco Spindler | - | Andrew Kristofic, | Josh Lugg |
Tackle | Joey Tanona, Ty Chan, Aamil Wagner | Blake Fisher, Joe Alt, Caleb Johnson | Michael Carmody, Tosh Baker | - | - |
Defensive Tackle | Donovan Hinish, Tyson Ford | Gabriel Rubio | Aidan Keanaaina, Rylie Mills | Howard Cross, Jacob Lacey | Jayson Ademilola, Chris Smith |
Defensive End | Aiden Gobaira | Jason Onye, Will Schweitzer | Alexander Ehrensberger, Jordan Botelho | NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Isaiah Foskey, Osita Ekwonu | Justin Ademilola |
Linebacker | Nolan Ziegler, Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka, Jaylen Sneed | Prince Kollie | - | Jack Kiser, Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand | Bo Bauer |
Safety | Jayden Bellamy | Justin Walters | Xavier Watts, Ramon Henderson, Brandon Joesph | - | D.J. Brown, Houston Griffith |
Cornerback | Jayden Mickey, Benjamin Morrison | Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker, Philip Riley | Clarence Lewis | Cam Hart | TaRiq Bracy |
Specialists | Bryce McFerson (P) | Josh Bryan (K) | Alex Peitsch (LS) | - | Michael Vinson (LS), Blake Grupe (K) |
Totals | 22/85 (22) | 45/85 (23) | 60/85 (15) | 71/85 (11) | 86/85 (15) |
For the Irish in 2022, however, this is terrible news. At the current moment, Notre Dame is left with just 4 healthy wide receivers for the spring practice season, and just 7 marked down for the 2022 season. Without question, the Irish will have to hit the transfer portal and/or sign a few more players in the 2022 class in February.
2022 WR Transfer Portal Options for Notre Dame
Name | School | 247 Composite | Stars | PFF 2021 grade | 2021 snaps | Most used as... | Academic Year | Transfer Possible? | Height (in.) | Weight | Did ND offer in HS? | Notes | Career stats |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | School | 247 Composite | Stars | PFF 2021 grade | 2021 snaps | Most used as... | Academic Year | Transfer Possible? | Height (in.) | Weight | Did ND offer in HS? | Notes | Career stats |
Deion Smith | LSU | 0.9691 | 4 | 71.1 | 135 | Wide | Freshman | Maybe | 75 | 203 | No | 11 rec, 186 yards, 2 TD | |
Al'vonte Woodard | Texas | 0.9518 | 4 | 54.7 | 53 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 74 | 193 | No | Dave Peloquin follows on Twitter. | 7 rec, 62 yards, 0 TD |
Trey Palmer | LSU | 0.9499 | 4 | 59.3 | 484 | Slot | Junior | Maybe | 72 | 180 | No | 41 rec, 458 yards, 3 TD | |
Xavier Williams | Alabama | 0.9405 | 4 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Senior | Yes | 73 | 190 | Yes | Graduated; "Medical issues" kept him out of 2021 | 3 rec, 24 yards, 0 TD |
Jalen "Boobie" Curry | Arizona | 0.9209 | 4 | 64.6 | 277 | Wide | Junior | Maybe | 74 | 211 | No | 37 rec, 390 yards, 3 TD | |
Darin Turner | Arkansas | 0.9186 | 4 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Sophomore | No | 75 | 205 | No | Followed by NDFootball on Twitter | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Terrell Bynum | Washington | 0.9105 | 4 | 65.2 | 436 | Slot | Graduate | Yes | 72 | 190 | Yes | 65 rec, 934 yards, 6 TD | |
Taj Harris | Syracuse | 0.9000 | 4 | 68.3 | 169 | Slot | Senior | Maybe, but no | 74 | 180 | No | Recent reports suggested Harris has academic work still to do in order to qualify to play at another school next season. | 151 rec, 2028 yards, 10 TD |
Keveon Mullins | South Carolina | 0.8986 | 4 | n/a | 6 | Kick return | Junior | No | 75 | 242 | No | 3 rec, 110 yards, 0 TD | |
Marquez Ezzard | Georgia Tech | 0.8939 | 4 | 55.1 | 17 | Wide | Senior | Maybe | 74 | 212 | No | 11 rec, 148 yards, 0 TD | |
Jadan Blue | Temple | 0.8900 | 3 | 57.7 | 414 | Slot | Senior | Yes | 72 | 190 | No | Recent offers: Va Tech | 169 rec, 1662 yards, 10 TD |
Ricky White | Michigan State | 0.8860 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Sophomore | No | 73 | 185 | No | Recent offer: USF, Louisville, Memphis, EKU, Troy | 10 rec, 223 yards, 1 TD |
D'Marcus Adams | FAU | 0.8858 | 3 | 59.2 | 132 | Wide | Junior | Maybe | 72 | 180 | No | Previously transferred | 3 rec, 94 yards, 0 TD |
Ke'von Ahmad | UCF | 0.8842 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Senior | Maybe | 72 | 195 | No | 1 rec, 15 yards, 0 TD | |
Demarcus Gregory | South Florida | 0.8791 | 3 | 59.9 | 406 | Wide | Senior | Maybe | 73 | 200 | No | Previously transferred | 17 rec, 296 yards, 1 TD |
Keontez Lewis | UCLA | 0.8788 | 3 | 49.6 | 213 | Wide | Freshman | Maybe | 75 | 197 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Keithron Lee | Texas | 0.8763 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Freshman | Maybe | 70 | 175 | No | Was arrested in June; allegedly strangled girlfriend | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Kundarrius Taylor | UAB | 0.8730 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Junior | Maybe, but no | 75 | 200 | No | JUCO | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Ger-Cari Caldwell | South Carolina | 0.8727 | 3 | 62.5 | 10 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 77 | 200 | No | 1 rec, 5 yards, 0 TD | |
Jafar Armstrong | Illinois | 0.8709 | 3 | 56.5 | 3 | Wide | Graduate | Yes | 73 | 220 | Yes | Previously played for Notre Dame | 30 rec, 294 yards, 0 TD; 135 rush, 513 yards, 9 TD |
Cam Johnson | Vanderbilt | 0.8700 | 3 | 58 | 589 | Slot | Junior | Yes | 72 | 200 | No | Graduated | 124 rec, 1233 yards, 10 TD |
Norval Black | Penn State | 0.8690 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Senior | Maybe | 73 | 178 | No | Community College | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Ian Stewart | Michigan State | 0.8680 | 3 | 57.3 | 30 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 75 | 215 | No | 1 rec, 8 yards, 0 TD | |
Marquez Bell | Cincinnati | 0.8614 | 3 | 56.6 | 12 | Slot | Sophomore | No | 73 | 180 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Justin Marshall | Louisville | 0.8600 | 3 | 64.2 | 507 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 75 | 213 | No | Recent offer: Hawaii, Akron, Florida A&M | 36 rec, 544 yards, 1 TD |
Greg "Deuce" Spann | Illinois | 0.8566 | 3 | 79.4 | 62 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 76 | 194 | No | Listed as a QB on 247 | 5 rec, 124 yards, 2 TD |
Sam Brown | West Virginia | 0.8500 | 3 | 71.4 | 24 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 74 | 200 | No | 10 rec, 108 yards, 0 TD | |
Justin Menard | UCF | 0.8493 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Junior | Maybe | 71 | 180 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Chris Carpenter | Colorado | 0.8485 | 3 | 55.7 | 77 | Slot | Sophomore | No | 73 | 160 | No | 7 rec, 45 yards, 0 TD | |
Kobay White | Boston College | 0.8482 | 3 | 63.3 | 81 | Wide | Graduate | Yes | 71 | 198 | No | 63 rec, 1011 yards, 8 TD | |
Dylan Robinson | Houston | 0.8477 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Sophomore | No | 73 | 185 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Ezeriah Anderson | Iowa State | 0.8465 | 3 | 68.4 | 138 | Wide | Junior | Maybe | 77 | 230 | No | 1 rec, 22 yards, 0 TD | |
Dylan McGill | Minnesota | 0.8443 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Freshman | Maybe | 75 | 210 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Jaden Mitchell | Arizona | 0.8426 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Junior | Maybe | 69 | 180 | No | ACL tears in both knees | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Da'Quan Bailey-Brown | Southern Miss | 0.8401 | 3 | 52.3 | 151 | Slot | Senior | Maybe | 69 | 170 | No | JUCO | 4 rec, 29 yards, 0 TD |
Miles Marshall | Indiana | 0.8400 | 3 | 57.6 | 617 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 76 | 212 | No | Graduated | 57 rec, 797 yards, 2 TD |
RaJae' Johnson | UAB | 0.8400 | 3 | 62.2 | 560 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 76 | 225 | No | Graduated | 25 rec, 414 yards, 1 TD |
Isaiah Esdale | West Virginia | 0.8400 | 3 | 72.3 | 471 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 71 | 202 | No | Graduated | 56 rec, 648 yards, 2 TD |
TJ Steele | TCU | 0.8400 | 3 | n/a | 1 | Kick return | Freshman | Maybe | 72 | 211 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Coye' Fairman | Memphis | 0.8399 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Graduate | Yes | 75 | 203 | No | Opted out of 2020 COVID season | 1 rec, 11 yards, 0 TD |
Sharod Johnson | Syracuse | 0.8383 | 3 | 54.8 | 457 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 71 | 185 | No | Graduate | 26 rec, 322 yards, 0 TD |
Bryson Smith | Houston | 0.8378 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Graduate | Yes | 71 | 170 | No | May have academic issue? | 55 rec, 520 yards, 6 TD |
Nickolas Tshivuadi | USF | 0.8347 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Freshman | Maybe | 76 | 180 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Jessie Parson III | Rutgers | 0.8336 | 3 | 53.4 | 13 | Slot | Sophomore | No | 70 | 170 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Sam Pinckney | Georgia State | 0.8315 | 3 | 65.8 | 556 | Wide | Graduate | Yes | 76 | 210 | No | 113 rec, 1668 yards, 13 TD | |
Jaylen Hall | WMU | 0.8300 | 3 | 70 | 793 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 75 | 185 | No | 85 rec, 1532 yards, 14 TD | |
Amir Abdur-Rahman | Vanderbilt | 0.8300 | 3 | 63.1 | 331 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 76 | 215 | No | 44 rec, 632 yards, 3 TD | |
Tarique Milton | Iowa State | 0.8300 | 3 | 69.4 | 180 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 70 | 195 | No | 99 rec, 1519 yards, 7 TD | |
Koy Moore | LSU | 0.8300 | 3 | 64.8 | 103 | Slot | Sophomore | No | 70 | 174 | No | 27 rec, 248 yards, 0 TD | |
Isaiah Epps | Kentucky | 0.8280 | 3 | 56.3 | 322 | Wide | Graduate | Yes | 74 | 189 | No | 31 rec, 365 yards, 1 TD | |
Aaron Holloway | UNLV | 0.8207 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Freshman | Maybe | 71 | 195 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Russell Thompson-Bishop | Syracuse | 0.8206 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Graduate | Yes | 71 | 247 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Tyrone Howell | Kansas State | 0.8200 | 3 | 60.7 | 299 | Wide | Junior | Maybe | 75 | 200 | No | Community College guy | 7 rec, 98 yards, 0 TD |
Latrell Fordham | Eastern Michigan | 0.8200 | 3 | 63.5 | 100 | Wide | Freshman | Maybe | 76 | 178 | No | 8 rec, 107 yards, 1 TD | |
Jesiah Davis | Virginia | 0.8200 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Freshman | Maybe | 75 | 180 | No | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD | |
Jeremiah Oatsvall | Memphis | 0.8194 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Graduate | Yes | 73 | 200 | No | Played QB at Austin Peay for three years | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
C.J. Hayes | Michigan State | 0.8100 | 3 | n/a | 19 | Punt return | Graduate | Yes | 73 | 205 | No | 14 rec, 154 yards, 0 TD | |
Gregory Clayton Jr. | UTSA | 0.8067 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Graduate | Yes | 70 | 180 | No | Trinity Valley Community College | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Konata Mumpfield | Akron | 0.8051 | 3 | 77.4 | 719 | Wide | Freshman | Maybe | 71 | 180 | No | Recent offer: USC, LSU, Kentucky, Houston, Miss St., Ole Miss, Ga Tech, Indiana | 63 rec, 751 yards, 8 TD |
Blake Aragon | Texas State | 0.8014 | 3 | n/a | 0 | n/a | Senior | Maybe | 76 | 215 | No | 10 rec, 81 yards, 1 TD | |
Jaelon Travis | Kansas State | 0.7900 | 2 | 49.4 | 4 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 72 | 195 | No | Dismissed for violation of team rules | 0 rec, 0 yards, 0 TD |
Isaiah Neyor | Wyoming | 0.7842 | 2 | 82.6 | 674 | Wide | Junior | No | 75 | 210 | No | Recent offers: Va Tech, TCU, Ole Miss, Houston, USC. Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, Baylor, Utah, Wash St, UTSA, Nevada, Utah State | 52 rec, 1126 yards, 12 TD |
Heron Maurisseau | UCONN | 0.7842 | 2 | 57.5 | 205 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 70 | 189 | No | 22 rec, 272 yards, 1 TD | |
Miles Banks | UTEP | 0.7794 | 2 | 42.4 | 10 | Wide | Senior | Yes | 73 | 165 | No | Formerly a defensive back | 3 rec, 22 yards, 0 TD |
Michael Mathison | Akron | 0.7730 | 2 | 74.6 | 630 | Slot | Junior | No | 70 | 175 | No | Recent offer: Hawaii, Ga Southern, UMass, WKU | 98 rec, 1060 yards, 5 TD |
Isiah Cox | Ohio | 0.7682 | 2 | 67.6 | 408 | Wide | Graduate | Yes | 70 | 180 | No | Recent offers: Missouri St., SE LA, Rhode Island, So Alabama, E. Illinois, Samford | 87 rec, 1476, 10 TD |
Jacob Cowing | UTEP | 0.7600 | 2 | 90.3 | 686 | Slot | Junior | No | 71 | 170 | No | Recent offers: Florida, Texas Tech, Louisville, Ole Miss, Va Tech, Liberty, LSU, So Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Miss St., ASU | 141 rec, 2595 yards, 13 TD |
Terrell Warner | New Mexico State | 0.7600 | 2 | 56.1 | 526 | Wide | Senior | Maybe | 74 | 195 | No | 52 rec, 465 yards, 1 TD | |
Tyrin Smith | UTEP | 0.0000 | 2 | 68 | 418 | Wide | Sophomore | No | 70 | 180 | No | Cisco College; Recent offer: WKU | 33 rec, 570 yards, 4 TD |
Nick Mardner | Hawaii | 0.0000 | 2 | 75.6 | 582 | Wide | Senior | Maybe | 78 | 190 | No | Recent offers: Va Tech | 62 rec, 1270 yards, 8 TD |
BJ Busbee | San Diego St | 0.0000 | 2 | 58,6 | 433 | Slot | Graduate | Yes | 68 | 155 | No | Former walk-on | 51 rec, 581 yards, 1 TD |
Yes | 27 | ||||||||||||
Maybe | 25 | ||||||||||||
Maybe, but no | 2 | ||||||||||||
No | 17 | ||||||||||||
Total | 71 |
It’s not an ideal situation.