The Sporting News has released its 2022 All-America teams, selecting junior tight end Michael Mayer to its first team while adding junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey and sophomore left tackle Joe Alt to its second team.
As one of the five national outlets (Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America, Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association) that determine consensus All-America status, Mayer’s selection to the first team by The Sporting News should make him the 106th Consensus All-American in Notre Dame Football history.
The final team, named by the AFCA, will be released on Wednesday, December 14, with consensus All-Americans officially declared on Thursday, December 15.
Michael Mayer
- 2022 The Sporting News First-Team All-American
- 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.
Isaiah Foskey
- 2022 Walter Camp First-Team All-American
- 2022 The Sporting News Second-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.
Joe Alt
- 2022 Associated Press First-Team All-American
- 2002 The Sporting News Second-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.
2022 The Sporting News All-America Team
First-Team Offense
QB: Caleb Williams, Southern Cal
RB: Blake Corum, Michigan
RB: Bijan Robinson, Texas
WR: Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State
WR: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
TE: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
T: Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
G: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
C: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
G: Alex Palczewski, Illinois
ATH: Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
First-Team Defense
DL: Tuli Tuipulotu, Southern Cal
DL: Jalen Carter, Georgia
DL: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
EDGE: Will Anderson, Alabama
LB: Jack Campbell, Iowa
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
LB: Ivan Pace, Cincinnati
CB: Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
CB: Clakr Phillips, Utah
S: Kamern Minchens, Miami
First-Team Specialists
K: Joshua Karty, Stanford
P: Adam Korsak, Rutgers
RET: Anthony Gould, Oregon State
Second-Team Offense
QB: Max Duggan, TCU
RB: DeWayne McBride, UAB
RB: Chase Brown, Illinois
WR: Nathaniel Dell, Houston
WR: Charlie Jones, Purdue
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL: Dawand Jones, Ohio State
OL: Andrew Vorhees, USC
C: Brett Neilon, USC
OL: Christian Haynes, UConn
OL: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
ATH: Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Second-Team Defense
DL: Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
DL: Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
DL: Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
EDGE: Bralen Trice, Washington
LB: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
LB: Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB: Cedric Gray, North Carolina
CB: Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
S: Jordan Battle, Alabama
S: Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
Second-Team Specialists
K: Christopher Dunn, NC State
P: Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
RET: Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State