Mayer, Alt and Foskey Named Associated Press All-Americans

The Associated Press has announced its 2022 All-Americans which are selected by a panel of Top 25 poll voters. Junior tight end Michael Mayer and sophomore left tackle Joe Alt were named to the first team. Junior edge rusher Isaiah Foskey was named as a second-team All-American by the AP.

Michael Mayer

• 2022 Associated Press First-Team All-American
• 2022 Walter Camp First-Team All-American
• 2022 Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Second-Team All-American

Mayer led all FBS tight ends in touchdown receptions in 2022 while posting a team-high 67 receptions for 809 yards. The Independence, Kentucky, native finished his career at Notre Dame as the greatest statistical tight end in school history, setting program tight end marks for receptions (180), yards (2,099) and touchdown receptions (18) while also owning the single-season tight end records for receptions (71 in 2021), yards (840 in 2021) and touchdowns (9 in 2022). 

Among Mayer’s noteworthy games in 2022 was an 11-catch, 118-yard, two-touchdown performance against No. 16/16 BYU in Las Vegas, a game in which he established a tight end record for receptions in a game. He piled up six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against UNLV, seven catches for 88 yards and a score at North Carolina, four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against No. 5/5 Clemson and eight catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns at No. 5/5 Southern Cal. 

Mayer, who has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, led all active FBS tight ends in receptions (180) and yards (2,099). He also finished his career third on Notre Dame’s all-time receptions list while becoming the 13th Irish player to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a career. Mayer ended his time at Notre Dame on a 36-game streak of games with at least one reception which represented every game he suited up in the blue and gold. 

Joe Alt

• 2022 Associated Press First-Team All-American
• 2022 FWAA Second-Team All-American
• 2022 Walter Camp Second-Team All-American

Alt has quickly developed into one of the top left tackles in the nation after assuming the position in Notre Dame’s lineup midway through the 2021 season. He anchored an Irish line this season that opened the way for six 200-yard rushing performances, including over 250 yards against No. 5/5 Clemson. 

The North Oaks, Minnesota, native is the top-ranked run block offensive tackle in the country according to Pro Football Focus and the second-ranked overall tackle in FBS. Of his 370 pass block sets this season, Alt allowed just five pressures and zero sacks.

Isaiah Foskey

• 2022 Walter Camp First-Team All-American
• 2022 Associated Press Second-Team All-American
• 2022 FWAA Second-Team All-American

Foskey piled up 11 sacks for the second consecutive season from his defensive end position and broke the Notre Dame career sack record in 2022. The Antioch, California, has posted 26.5 sacks in his career, besting the school record that stood since 2004. His 11 sacks tied for fourth in FBS this year and he led the Irish with 14 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. 

One of the most consistent defenders on the team, Foskey logged at least three tackles in 10 of Notre Dame’s 12 games this season including five at North Carolina (with 1.5 sacks and two hurries) and another five at No. 5/5 Southern Cal with 1.5 sacks. 

2002 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Caleb Williams, second-year, Southern California.

Running backs — Bijan Robinson, third-year, Texas; Blake Corum, third-year, Michigan.

Tackles — Peter Skoronski, third-year, Northwestern; Joe Alt, second-year, Notre Dame.

Guard — O’Cyrus Torrence, fourth-year, Florida; Andrew Vorhees, sixth-year, Southern California.

Center — John Michael Schmitz, sixth-year, Minnesota.

Tight end — Michael Mayer, third-year, Notre Dame.

Wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., second-year, Ohio State; Jalin Hyatt, third-year, Tennessee; Xavier Hutchinson, third-year, Iowa State.

All-purpose player — Deuce Vaughn, third-year, Kansas State.

Kicker — Christopher Dunn, fifth-year, North Carolina State.

Defense

Edge rushers — Will Anderson Jr., third-year, Alabama; Tuli Tuipulotu, third-year, Southern California.

Tackles — Jalen Carter, third-year, Georgia; Calijah Kancey, fourth-year, Pittsburgh.

Linebackers — Ivan Pace Jr., fourth-year, Cincinnati; Jack Campbell, fourth-year, Iowa; Drew Sanders, third-year, Arkansas.

Cornerbacks — Clark Phillips III, third-year, Utah; Devon Weatherspoon, fourth-year, Illinois.

Safeties — Kamren Kinchen, second-year, Miami; Christopher Smith, fifth-year, Georgia.

Defensive back — Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, fourth-year, TCU.

Punter — Bryce Baringer, sixth-year, Michigan State.

2002 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB: Max Duggan, fourth-year, TCU
RB: Chase Brown, fifth-year, Illinois
RB: Mohamed Ibrahim, sixth-year, Minnesota
OT: Paris Johnson Jr., third-year, Ohio State
OT: Dawand Jones, fourth-year, Ohio State
OG: Cooper Beebe, fourth-year, Kansas State
OG: Steve Avila, fifth-year, TCU
C: Olusegun Oluwatimi, sixth-year, Michigan
TE: Brock Bowers, second-team, Georgia
WR: Charlie Jones, sixth-year, Purdue
WR: Rashee Rice, fourth-year, SMU
WR: Josh Downs, third-year, North Carolina
AP: Zach Charbonnet, fourth-year, UCLA
K: Jake Moody, fifth-year, Michigan

Defense

EDGE: Tyree Wilson, fifth-year, Texas Tech
EDGE: Isaiah Foskey, fourth-year, Notre Dame
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton, third-year, Illinois
DT: Jonah Tavai, fifth-year, San Diego State
LB: Tommy Eichenberg, fourth-year, Ohio State
LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., second-year, Clemson
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, second-year, Georgia
CB: Emmanuel Forbes, third-year, Mississippi State
CB: Joey Porter Jr., fourth-year, Penn State
S: Kaevon Merriweather, fifth-year, Iowa
S: Ronnie Hickman, fourth-year, Ohio State
DB: Brian Branch, third-year, Alabama
P: Tory Taylor, third-year, Iowa

2002 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM

Offense

QB: Hendon Hooker, sixth-year, Tennessee
RB: DeWayne McBride, third-year, UAB
RB: Israel Abanikanda, third-team, Pittsburgh
OT: Blake Freeland, fourth-year, BYU
OT: Alex Palczewski, sixth-year, Illinois
OG: Jaxson Kirkland, sixth-year, Washington
OG: Christian Haynes, fourth-year, UConn
C: Brett Neilon, sixth-year, USC
TE: Dalton Kincaid, fifth-year, Utah
WR: Nathaniel Dell, fifth-year, Houston
WR: Rome Odunze, third-year, Washington
WR: Zay Flowers, fourth-year, Boston College
AP: Jahmyr Gibbs, third-year, Alabama
K: Joshua Karty, third-year, Stanford

Defense

EDGE: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, third-year, Kansas State
EDGE: Jose Ramirez, fifth-year, Eastern Michigan
DT: Dontay Corleone, second-year, Cincinnati
DT: Mekhi Wingo, second-year, LSU
LB: Jason Henderson, second-year, Old Dominion
LB: Nick Herbig, third-year, Wisconsin
LB: Jaylan Ford, third-year, Texas
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, second-year, Alabama
CB: Mekhi Blackmon, fifth-year, USC
S: Marcus Fuqua, fourth-year, Buffalo
S: Jordan Battle, fourth-year, Alabama
DB: Quinyon Mitchell, third-year, Toledo
P: Mason Fletcher, second-year, Cincinnati