Top Notre Dame defenseman updates NFL Draft status

Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey has had a breakout season for the Irish this year, upping his NFL Draft stock. But will he stick around for one more year in South Bend under new head coach Marcus Freeman and try to become a first-round pick in 2023?

On Wednesday, the junior said he has yet to make a decision about moving on from Notre Dame, but “he’ll decide long before the mid-January deadline,” via Pete Sampson of The Athletic. 

Foskey plays the Vyper position for the Irish — meaning he will also drop into coverage — and has totaled 10 sacks this year, 3.5 shy of the Irish single-season record held by former defenseman Justin Tuck. He led the nation in sack yardage with 116 yards, 20 yards more than Alabama’s star linebacker Will Anderson. Additionally, Foskey had 47 tackles and forced five fumbles, recovering two of them.

As a sophomore in 2020, Foskey notched 4.5 sacks and 20 tackles, and he started his freshman year making an impact with five tackles and a blocked punt over four games. 

The pass rusher hails from the Bay Area in California and was a four-star recruit according to On3. He ranked No. 204 nationally, No. 30 in his home state and was the No. 14 prospect in the category of edge rusher. He held offers from nearly all of the big programs, including Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, among others.

Irish losing Hamilton to NFL, Tagovailoa-Amosa remains up in the air

Notre Dame opens next season with Ohio State, so having an inexperienced defense on the field against their high-powered offense could be quite the wake up call Labor Day Weekend. 

Star safety Kyle Hamilton has already declared for the NFL Draft, but there is another big name that remains undecided.

Defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa elected to come back to Notre Dame in 2021. Now, he could make that decision again. Tagovailoa-Amosa certainly provides value on the field — he had 20 tackles and a pair of sacks this year plus a 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown — but where he really shines is in the locker room. The captain served as an emotional rock and leader for a very young Irish team in 2021.

The defensive depth at Notre Dame is as healthy as it has been in recent years, but it couldn’t hurt to return a few key playmakers in Tagovailoa-Amosa and Foskey.

On the offensive side of the ball, veteran wide receiver Kevin Austin is apparently in the same boat as Foskey, as Sampson reported on Tuesday that he will make a decision about declaring for the draft after the Fiesta Bowl as well.