A look at 2022 NFL Draft class members with ties to Notre Dame football

This year’s NFL Draft featured the fewest Notre Dame selections since 2017. Just two former Irish players, safety Kyle Hamilton and running back Kyren Williams, were among the 262 picks last weekend.

There was not, though, any shortage of Notre Dame ties in it. The draft has a way of jogging fans’ memories to past recruiting stories and creating “did you know” moments.

Such as?

A current player’s brother was a top-10 pick. A former commit went in the seventh round. Two players who transferred from Notre Dame signed undrafted free agent contracts. A few players who current Irish coaches recruited and worked with at prior stops were selected. Some familiar names from old recruiting cycles were picked.

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Here are the notable picks who were once major recruiting targets or have some type of tie to Notre Dame, its roster or its coaching staff.

Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Garnder (No. 4 overall, New York Jets)

Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and head coach Marcus Freeman recruited Sauce Gardner to Cincinnati when they were on staff there (Mickens in the same position and Freeman as defensive coordinator). Mickens coached him in 2019, when he was named a freshman All-American by several outlets and allowed a 39.4 passer rating when targeted.

Freeman was Gardner’s defensive coordinator for two seasons before coming to Notre Dame in 2021.

North Carolina State tackle Ickey Ekwonu (No. 6 overall, Carolina Panthers)

Notre Dame defensive end Osita Ekwonu’s twin brother, Ickey, was the first offensive player taken in the draft. He became North Carolina State’s starting left tackle as a freshman, played tackle and guard in 2020 and moved back to the edge as a junior. He was considered a candidate to be picked first overall when he initially declared for the draft.

Ickey will begin his career in his and Osita’s hometown of Charlotte.

Baylor wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (second round, New England Patriots)

Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey coached Tyquan Thornton at Baylor last year, his lone season in the same position on the Bears’ staff. Thornton posted career-bests in catches (62), yards (948) and touchdowns (10) last fall, helping Baylor win the Big 12. He ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the fastest of any wide receiver there. The Patriots drafted him 50^th overall.

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Ohio State offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere (third round, Tennessee Titans)

A consensus five-star recruit from Tampa, Nicholas Petit-Frere was one of Notre Dame’s biggest targets in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He took an official visit to Notre Dame and put the Irish in his final five, but chose Ohio State in February 2018. He was the Buckeyes’ starting right tackle the last two seasons. The Titans drafted him 69^th overall.

Cincinnati Cornerback Coby Bryant (fourth round, Seattle Seahawks)

Like Gardner, Freeman helped recruit Bryant to Cincinnati. He was one of the first players to commit to the Bearcats after Freeman and head coach Luke Fickell arrived in December 2016. Mickens joined the staff a year later as cornerbacks coach. Bryant was a four-year starter at Cincinnati and won the Thrope Award as the nation’s best defensive back in 2021. The Seahawks made him the No. 109 pick.

All told, Cincinnati had nine draft picks this year. Freeman coached six of them: Gardner, Bryant, safety Bryan Cook (second round, Kansas City Chiefs), defensive end Myjai Sanders (third round, Arizona Cardinals), linebacker Darrian Beavers (sixth round, New York Giants) and defensive tackle Curtis Brooks (sixth round, Indianapolis Colts).

Missouri cornerback Akayleb Evans (fourth round, Minnesota Vikings)

Notre Dame targeted Akayleb Evans as a grad transfer from Tulsa last spring and hosted him for an official visit. He picked Missouri over the Irish, though, and turned his one season there into a fourth-round selection (118^th overall). He played in 11 games with eight starts, notching 30 tackles, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and interception.

Cal safety Elijah Hicks (seventh round, Chicago Bears)

California native Elijah Hicks committed to Notre Dame in October 2016, but flipped to Cal three months later and enrolled early. He played 54 games (46 starts), beginning his career as a corner and moving to safety in 2020. He made 213 career tackles, broke up 14 passes and snagged five interceptions. The Bears made him the 254^th overall pick.

Undrafted Free Agents

Two former Notre Dame players who left as grad transfers signed rookie free agent contracts. Cincinnati wide receiver Michael Young Jr. signed with the Colts, and Minnesota defensive tackle Micah Dew-Treadway chose the Bears.

Young played the last two seasons at Cincinnati and caught 28 passes for 353 yards in 2021. Dew-Treadway played seven years of college football – four at Notre Dame and three at Minnesota. He was a starter for the Golden Gophers in 2019 and a rotation player the last two seasons. He made 39 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss in his three seasons at Minnesota after making two stops in 21 games at Notre Dame.