How playing with Chase Claypool impacted Notre Dame WR Kevin Austin Jr.

Chase Claypool saw it coming two years ago.

Before the former Notre Dame receiver shined at the NFL Combine himself, he offered a definitive prediction about his successor as the Irish’s top target.

“Kevin Austin Jr. is going to be a star,” Claypool told reporters at the 2020 combine. “I’ve been saying it all along.”

It was high praise for a player with one catch in two years who had just served a season-long suspension. Claypool was never shy about offering similar admiration the previous fall, when Austin couldn’t play in games but routinely dominated practices.

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Austin’s own combine outburst March 3, then, is about what Claypool expected.

A 4.43 40-yard dash was one-tenth of a second behind Claypool’s time. His 39-inch vertical jump tied for second among receivers at this year’s combine. His 11-foot broad jump was fifth.

Austin’s route there was littered with obstacles, but in the end, his talent and athletic ability shined through. The widely forecasted breakout went on hiatus in 2020 due to a pair of foot fractures.

“It was hard,” Austin said Wednesday on The Jim Rome Show. “Re-breaking it was the biggest thing. But I understood I had amazing teammates and coaches around me continuing to stay confident in me, telling me when I came back I was going to have a spot and be the guy.”

Claypool wasn’t around that year, but he didn’t have to be. The excitement and belief he previously broadcasted to all stuck with Austin during recovery and beyond.

“It was great hearing Chase say that about me,” Austin said. “I felt like he’s known my potential and what I could be throughout the years of him being here and me being here at the same time. I look up to Chase. I’ve learned a lot of from Chase in terms of mentality and being physical.”

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The impressive combine results ought to make NFL teams take a deeper dive at Austin’s 2021 tape. He was Notre Dame’s leading receiver (888 yards), averaged 18.5 yards per catch and hauled in seven touchdowns, but consistency eluded him early in the year. He caught zero of his eight targets Sept. 18 vs. Purdue. Projected top-20 pick Ahmad Gardner shut him down in a loss to Cincinnati Oct. 2, allowing just one reception.

The latter was a lesson in physicality too. A motivated Austin took it to heart. He ended the season with three 100-yard games in his last five outings. He put together a three-game touchdown streak.

 “Just being consistent every single week and doing the things I needed to do every single week to prepare myself for the next opponent, that was the biggest thing,” Austin said of his second-half surge.

That dedication bled into pre-draft training at Exos in Phoenix, where he worked out with early round wide receiver prospects Garrett Wilson (Ohio State), Jahan Dotson (Penn State) and Wan’Dale Robinson (Kentucky). The competitive juices and shared wisdom flowed.

“These guys all went to big schools and played in big games,” Austin said. “We can all learn from each other.”

Training focused on the 40-yard dash, which Austin long ago identified as a potential strength. A high school track career in talent-rich Fort Lauderdale, Fla. gave him an early indication he had high-end speed. He stood out as a deep threat in 2021 in part because he could run past most corners he faced. He needed a lesson in how to run this specific event most efficiently, though.

“I knew I was fast, but it was learning the technique and understanding everything about it,” Austin said.

All told, his combine performance gave him more belief he made the right move betting on himself by rebuffing a return to school grade from the NFL College Advisory Board. He had earned his degree from Notre Dame. He put forth a strong second half of the season. It was time, he decided. He’s feeling even better about that decision now – and making Claypool look wise.

 “I feel physically and mentally ready to move onto the next level,” Austin said, “and compete at the highest level.”