Veteran Notre Dame playmaker explains thought process behind NFL decision

Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. isn’t quite sure where he wants to play football next season, and fans will need to hold out a little longer to get a definitive answer.

On Tuesday, Austin said he would “take (his) time” on the decision to declare for the NFL Draft following Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl appearance against Oklahoma State on Jan. 1, per Pete Sampson of The Athletic.

Austin led the team this year in touchdown receptions with six and yardage with 783 yards. He caught 42 passes. Austin averaged 97.8 yards per game in Notre Dame’s final four contests this year, including two performances of at least 125 yards.

The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native has had a tumultuous Irish career. After seeing action in 11 games as a freshman in 2018, Austin was suspended in 2019. He has fractured his foot twice since spring 2020 but has played a full season this year. Entering this season, Austin had just six catches for 108 yards.

Notre Dame plays Oklahoma State on Jan. 1. in the Fiesta Bowl. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Irish WR room in flux

Austin’s decision will have a massive impact on Notre Dame’s offense next season, as it could be heavily reliant on first and second-year players if he leaves.

Tight end Michael Mayer has to stick around in South Bend for another season, and wideouts Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy have the opportunity to stick around, but the future of the Notre Dame wide receiver room lies largely with the young players.

True freshmen Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas were high-level recruits in the 2021 class. Styles had 16 receptions this year, while Colzie had four.

Notre Dame signed four-star wide receiver Tobias Merriweather in their newest class, but he is the only wideout after they lost Amorion Walker to Michigan and CJ Williams decommitted and is likely to be staying home and going to USC.

If Austin leaves, it would open the door for the youngsters to get additional playing time sooner rather than later in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ offense.