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Notre Dame LT Joe Alt, S Xavier Watts take first step toward consensus All-American status

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•12/09/23•

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alt wats
Notre dame left tackle Joe Alt (left) and safety Xavier Watts (right). (Photos by Chad Weaver)

Notre Dame junior left tackle Joe Alt and senior safety Xavier Watts took their first steps toward consensus All-American status on Friday. They were named First Team All-Americans by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, one of five outlets that determine consensus winners. Irish defensive tackle Howard Cross III was named to the Second Team.

The other four are 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 merits from three of the fives bodies.

Last year, tight end Michael Mayer and defensive end Isaiah Foskey became the 107th and 108th consensus All-Americans in Notre Dame history. The Irish have had at least one consensus All-American in every season since 2020. The honorees since then are offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Liam Eichenberg, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, safety Kyle Hamilton, Mayer and Foskey.

Alt and Watts both have cases to join Notre Dame’s impressive group of consensus All-Americans. The former is widely deemed the best offensive tackle in America, and the latter won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy awarded to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player. Watts led the nation with seven regular season interceptions.

Alt was a finalist for both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. The former is given to the country’s most outstanding lineman. The latter is awarded to the best interior lineman. Alt lost the Lombardi to UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu, and the Outland went to Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat.

As of Saturday morning, Alt had not declared for the 2024 NMFL Draft even though he could be a top-10 pick. Watts has not made a decision on his future, either, but he said earlier this week he would play in Notre Dame’s Sun Bowl matchup vs. Oregon State on Dec. 29. Alt had not issued word on his plans for the game either.

Here is a look at the full 2023 Walter Camp All-America Team.

2023 Walter Camp All-America Team

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State
WR Malik Nabers, LSU
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame
OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
OL Zak Zinter, Michigan
OL Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
QB Michael Penix, Jr., Washington
RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
PK Graham Nicholson, Miami University

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DL Jalen Green, James Madison
DL Jonah Elliss, Utah
DL T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
LB Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
DB Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia
DB Beanie Bishop, West Virginia
P Tory Taylor, Iowa
KR Jayden Harrison, Marshall

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

WR Rome Odunze, Washington
WR Malik Washington, Virginia
TE Dallin Holker, Colorado State
OL JC Latham, Alabama
OL Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
OL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
OL Luke Kandra, Louisville
C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
RB Cody Schrader, Missouri
PK Jose Pizano, UNLV

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
DL Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
DL Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa
LB Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
DB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
DB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
DB Denzel Burke, Ohio State
DB Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
P Matt Hayball, Vanderbilt 6
KR Zachariah Branch, USC

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