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Notre Dame long snapper Michael Vinson named to Mannelly Award Watch List

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•07/31/23•

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Notre Dame long snapper Michael Vinson embraces Irish coach Marcus Freeman during practice Wednesday, July 26 in South Bend. (Chad Weaver, Blue & Gold)

Notre Dame graduate long snapper Michael Vinson was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List on Monday. Vinson was a semifinalist for the award in 2022.

Vinson, a graduate of Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier, was one of 25 players to make the list. The 10 semifinalists will be announced Nov. 13, and then the three finalists will be announced Dec. 9. Former Notre Dame long snapper John Shannon, Vinson’s predecessor, won the inaugural Mannelly Award in 2019.

The award is named after former Duke and Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly, who snapped for the Bears for 16 years before his retirement in 2014, and it benefits the non-profit organization Bernie’s Book Bank. The organization distributes books to nearly 300,000 kids throughout the Chicagoland area.

“We live in the age of the superstar,” the Mannelly Award’s “about” section says. “The big gun. The first pick. The franchise player. But the more we come to understand the game of football, the more we learn to revere the guy who sets every field goal, extra point and punt in motion – including nail-biting field goals that make or break games, seasons and sometimes even careers. It’s time to show some love for the Long Snapper.”

Vinson has been Notre Dame’s primary long snapper since 2020 and has been with the Irish since 2018. This past season, he snapped 117 times without a botched snap or a blocked kick, and he was named an American Football Coaches Association first-team All-American.

A former walk-on commonly known as “Milk” around the program, Vinson announced his decision to return to Notre Dame on Dec. 2.

“Notre Dame is a special place,” Vinson said in a statement on social media. “The brotherhood we have here is something that I will cherish forever. The relationships that I have made here with coaches and players are something I will never take for granted and will forever be grateful for. I love this place with all of my heart and with that being said I look forward to returning to Notre Dame for my 6th year. I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by the best teammates and staff in the country for one last season.”

Vinson is the most experienced specialist at Notre Dame, and he’ll lead an all-new kicking battery for the Fighting Irish. South Florida graduate transfer Spencer Shrader will likely be Notre Dame’s kicker, while sophomore quarterback Dylan Devezin has worked as the holder.

In the punting game, Vinson will likely be snapping to either sophomore Bryce McFerson or Penn graduate transfer Ben Krimm.

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