Five former Notre Dame football players invited to 2022 NFL Combine
Notre Dame will be well-represented at the NFL’s annual scouting extravaganza.
Five former Irish players were among the 324 draft prospects invited to the 2022 NFL Combine, which will be held March 1-7 in Indianapolis: quarterback Jack Coan, running back Kyren Williams, wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and safety Kyle Hamilton. They range from projected top-10 selections to fringe draft picks.
Hamilton has appeared in the first 10 slots of most mock drafts, with landing spots as high as No. 3 overall. The two-time consensus All-American is considered one of the best defensive players available and is the consensus top safety prospect. If those projections come to fruition, he’d the first Notre Dame defender picked in the top 10 since tackle Bryant Young in 1994. He declared for the draft in December, foregoing his senior year.
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Hamilton played seven games in 2021 before suffering a knee injury, making 35 tackles (2.0 for loss) with four pass breakups and three interceptions. He broke up 16 passes and snatched eight interceptions in three seasons at Notre Dame.
Williams, a projected Day 2 pick, was the first Notre Dame player to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Darius Walker from 2005-06. The junior ran for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games this season and declared for the draft in December. He totaled 2,127 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns from 2020-21, to go with 77 catches for 672 yards.
Austin bypassed a graduate season to declare for the draft after leading Notre Dame in receiving yards (888) and yards per catch (18.5) in 2021. He caught seven touchdowns, which tied for the team lead. He played just two games in the two prior seasons due to injuries and a suspension. He did not participate in a postseason All-Star game.
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Coan and Tagovailoa-Amosa earned combine invites following strong performances at the East-West Shrine Bowl in early February.
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Coan earned the Pat Tillman Award, which goes to a Shrine Bowl participant who best represents intelligence, sportsmanship, and service during the week of practices before the game. He started the game for the West team and went 10-of-13 for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Coan completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,150 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his only season at Notre Dame. He transferred into the program as a graduate student after four years at Wisconsin.
Tagovailoa-Amosa was Notre Dame’s starting strong-side defensive end in 2021, posting 25 tackles (6.0 for loss), 2.0 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures. He played defensive tackle in his first four years at Notre Dame and was a starter there in 2019 and 2020.
The 2022 NFL Draft is April 28-30 in Las Vegas. Notre Dame has 10 players who declared for it or exhausted their eligibility. Linebacker Drew White, nose tackle Kurt Hinish, linebacker Isaiah Pryor, guard Cain Madden and kicker Jonathan Doerer are the other five and were not invited to the combine.
