Which Notre Dame players made midseason All-American teams?

Notre Dame was well-represented on the various midseason All-American teams. BlueandGold.com found eight to work with, and six Irish players made at least one first or second team.

Here’s a complete look at where Notre Dame stands in the midseason All-American slate.

RB Audric Estimé

• ESPN — First team
• CBS Sports — First team
• FOX Sports — First team
• Sporting News — First team
• Pro Football Focus — First team
• Associated Press — First team

Estimé slowed down in recent weeks, but he was unstoppable in the early portion of the season. The junior running back also provided one of college football’s marquee highlights in 2023, with his 30-yard, game-winning touchdown to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Duke.

Estimé has carried 127 times for 787 yards this season, for an average of 6.2 yards per carry, and 9 touchdowns. With freshman Jeremiyah Love and sophomores Gi’Bran Payne and Jadarian Price combining for an additional 88 carries, Estimé should be fresh for the stretch run. 

LT Joe Alt

• ESPN — Second team
• The Athletic — Second team
• CBS Sports — First team
• FOX Sports — First team
• Sporting News — First team
• Pro Football Focus — First team
• USA TODAY Sports — First team
• Associated Press — First team

The only Notre Dame player listed by every outlet (although only ESPN, The Athletic, PFF and the AP included a second team), Alt has been a rock at left tackle again this season. He has allowed only 3 pressures, including 1 sack, in 233 opportunities. His PFF offense grade of 87.8 and pass-blocking grade of 91.8 are fourth and third in the country among offensive tackles.

The junior is almost certainly entering his final four-game stretch at Notre Dame. In a long line of dominant Irish offensive linemen, he will go down as one of the best.

DT Howard Cross III

• ESPN — First team
• The Athletic — Second team
• FOX Sports — First team
• Sporting News — First team
• Pro Football Focus — First team
• USA TODAY Sports — First team
• Associated Press — First team

Cross had been Notre Dame’s most productive defensive player going into the Duke game, but he exploded against the Blue Devils. His 13 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and game-clinching sack helped the Irish escape Durham, N.C. with a 17-14 win, and the graduate student DT has likely played his way into the top-four rounds of the NFL Draft.

Cross is second for the Irish with 45 tackles, which is incredibly rare for an interior defensive lineman. His quick hands and feet make him an electric player who rarely comes off the field.

S Xavier Watts

• The Athletic — Second team

Watts’ most recent game put him on the national radar, but he had quietly been one of the top safeties in the country the whole season. He ranks fourth on Notre Dame with 36 tackles and his 4 interceptions are tied for fourth in the nation (three are tied for the lead with 5). Watts’ closing speed and ability to jump a route make him a dangerous player on the back end of the Irish defense.

Against USC, the senior safety had the game of his life. He picked off junior Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams twice, recovered a fumble forced by graduate cornerback Cam Hart for a touchdown and forced a fumble of his own to lead Notre Dame to a 48-20 win.

DT Rylie Mills

• Pro Football Focus — Second team

Mills hasn’t had the one absolutely bonkers game like Cross and Watts had, and his pass-rush numbers are limited by coming off the field in Notre Dame’s dime personnel package. But he’s had a productive season in his own right.

The senior defensive tackle has 20 pressures — 5 more than Watts — in 53 fewer pass-rush snaps this season. He’s been more than solid against the run, too, with 17 defensive stops.

TE Mitchell Evans

• Pro Football Focus — Second team

Georgia junior Brock Bowers has first-team tight end locked down, and most outlets that published a second team put Ohio State’s Cade Stover on it. But PFF gave the nod to Evans, whose numbers are almost identical to Stover’s (albeit in 1 more game).

Evans leads the Irish with 24 receptions; the next-highest total has 16. He edges out senior slot receiver Chris Tyree with 356 receiving yards to Tyree’s 355. There have been games in which the junior tight end accounts for the majority of Notre Dame’s passing offense, making him worthy of this selection.