Skip to main content
notre-dame logo

Three Notre Dame football players earn All-America honors from The Athletic, CBS Sports

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•12/06/23•

tbhorka

estime (27)
Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé and Joe Alt celebrate an Irish touchdown. (Photo by Larry Blankenship)

The Athletic and CBS Sports announced their All-America teams on Wednesday. The two outlets were unanimous on which Notre Dame players to include and where to place them.

Junior left tackle Joe Alt and senior safety Xavier Watts were first-team honorees. Junior running back Audric Estimé received second-team honors.

Watts told reporters on Tuesday that he will play in the upcoming Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl. Alt and Estimé, both highly valued NFL Draft prospects, have not made such declarations. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said Monday that announcements from players on the fence about playing in the bowl game will come throughout the week.

Alt has been regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in college football for the last two seasons. By many’s accounts, he’s the very best. Watts, meanwhile, was tangibly deemed the best defensive player in college football when he won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy earlier this week. Watts led the FBS with 7 interceptions this season.

Estimé was one of 17 FBS players to average at least 100 rushing yards per game. His 25 carries for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in the regular season finale brought him to 210 rushes for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Only two running backs in the FBS had more rushing scores than Estimé.

Last year, Notre Dame had two consensus All-Americans in defensive end Isaiah Foskey and tight end Michael Mayer. There are five outlets that make up consensus status; the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the American Football Coaches Association, The Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Sporting News. To be named a consensus All-American, a player needs to receive first-team status from three of those fives bodies, whose All-America lists will come out soon.

Estimé was beat out on the first teams of The Athletic and CBS Sports by Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II. The OSU tailback rushed for 1,614 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. He’s in the running to be named the best running back in the country by way of winning the Doak Walker Award, which will be handed out at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8.

Alt has a chance to take home some hardware at the awards; he’s one of three finalists to win the Outland Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best lineman on offense or defense.

You may also like