Notre Dame Football: Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey earn Consensus All-American honors

With the five All-American teams that matter for these sorts of things set and published, Notre Dame adds Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey to Consensus All-American status. The players are the 17th and 108th Consensus All-Americans in Notre Dame Football history, which is #1 in the country.

From the Notre Dame press release:

For Mayer, who was selected as a first-team All-American by three of the five outlets utilized to decide consensus status, his inclusion on the list was automatic. Foskey was a first-team selection from Walter Camp and the American Football Coaches Association and combined with his second-team honors from the other three outlets and a difference in offensive line positions on different All-America teams (edge rushers, defensive line) he earned a consensus label as well.

Michael Mayer

• 2022 Consensus All-American
• 2022 The Sporting News First-Team All-American
• 2022 Associated Press First-Team All-American
• 2022 Walter Camp First-Team All-American
• 2022 AFCA Second-Team All-American
• 2022 Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Second-Team All-American

Mayer led all FBS tight ends in touchdown receptions in 2022 while posting a team-high 67 receptions for 809 yards. The Independence, Kentucky, native finished his career at Notre Dame as the greatest statistical tight end in school history, setting program tight end marks for receptions (180), yards (2,099) and touchdown receptions (18) while also owning the single-season tight end records for receptions (71 in 2021), yards (840 in 2021) and touchdowns (9 in 2022).

Among Mayer’s noteworthy games in 2022 was an 11-catch, 118-yard, two-touchdown performance against No. 16/16 BYU in Las Vegas, a game in which he established a tight end record for receptions in a game. He piled up six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against UNLV, seven catches for 88 yards and a score at North Carolina, four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against No. 5/5 Clemson and eight catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns at No. 5/5 Southern Cal.

Mayer, who has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, led all active FBS tight ends in receptions (180) and yards (2,099). He also finished his career third on Notre Dame’s all-time receptions list while becoming the 13th Irish player to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a career. Mayer ended his time at Notre Dame on a 36-game streak of games with at least one reception which represented every game he suited up in the blue and gold.

Isaiah Foskey

• 2022 Consensus All-American
• 2022 AFCA First-Team All-American
• 2022 Walter Camp First-Team All-American
• 2022 The Sporting News Second-Team All-American
• 2022 Associated Press Second-Team All-American
• 2022 FWAA Second-Team All-American

Foskey piled up 11 sacks for the second consecutive season from his defensive end position and broke the Notre Dame career sack record in 2022. The Antioch, California, has posted 26.5 sacks in his career, besting the school record that stood since 2004. His 11 sacks tied for fourth in FBS this year and he led the Irish with 14 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.

One of the most consistent defenders on the team, Foskey logged at least three tackles in 10 of Notre Dame’s 12 games this season including five at North Carolina (with 1.5 sacks and two hurries) and another five at No. 5/5 Southern Cal with 1.5 sacks.