The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has released its 2022 All-America teams and five Fighting Irish student-athletes earned accolades, including first-team selections for junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey and senior long snapper Michael Vinson. Junior tight end Michael Mayer, senior guard Jarrett Patterson and sophomore left tackle Joe Alt also earned second-team honors.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions.
Isaiah Foskey
- 2022 AFCA First-Team All-American
- 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
Living in your backfield.
Thank you, Isaiah. pic.twitter.com/yGAahgJcor
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 8, 2022
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.
MICHAEL VINSON
- 2022 AFCA First-Team All-American
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/wuAa50fjE9
— Michael Vinson (@michaelvinson55) December 2, 2022
The American Football Coaches Association is the only organization to include the long snapper position in its All-America team and the 2022 team marks the position’s debut. Irish senior Michael Vinson has earned the first-ever first-team All-America accolade from the AFCA as a long snapper.
A Patrick Mannelly Award semifinalist, Vinson worked a clean slate in 2022 as the snapper for Notre Dame’s punt and field goal operation. He helped the Irish rank 25th nationally in net punting (40.82) while assisting the field goal operation to finish the regular season 13-for-18, 7-for-8 inside of 40 yards and a perfect 43-for-43 in point-after-touchdown kicks.
Joe Alt
- 2022 Associated Press First-Team All-American
- 2022 AFCA Second-Team All-American
- 2002 The Sporting News Second-Team All-American
- 2022 FWAA Second-Team All-American
- 2022 Walter Camp Second-Team All-American
𝑰𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑨𝒍𝒍-𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 @JoeAlt7 is the Highest-graded Tackle in the FBS: 91.2 (@PFF_College) #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/rHlzEMn5QY
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 2, 2022
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.
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 AFCA Second-Team All-American
- 2022 Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Second-Team All-American
The best to ever do it
Thank you, Michael. pic.twitter.com/lhneFuMvlU
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 7, 2022
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.
Jarrett Patterson
- 2022 AFCA Second-Team All-American
𝑰𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑨𝒍𝒍-𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 @jpattND helped power the Irish to 576 yards of total offense at UNC.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/JvfVy9U2e7
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 27, 2022
One of the top centers in college football throughout his first three active seasons at Notre Dame, Patterson made the switch to left guard this season and helped the Irish offense post six 200-yard rushing performances. The Laguna Hills, California, native served as a team captain in 2022 and returned from a preseason injury to start the last 11 games of the season.
Patterson has performed 1,652 pass block sets in his career without allowing a single sack and only allowed seven pressures all season from his left guard position.
2022 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team – First Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. 6-4 205 So. Ohio State Ryan Day Philadelphia, Pa. (St. Joseph’s Prep)
WR Jalin Hyatt 6-0 185 Jr. Tennessee Josh Heupel Irmo, S.C. (Dutch Fork)
TE Brock Bowers 6-4 230 So. Georgia Kirby Smart Napa, Calif. (Napa)
OL O’Cyrus Torrence 6-5 347 Jr. Florida Billy Napier Greensburg, La. (St. Helena Central)
OL Peter Skoronski 6-4 315 Jr. Northwestern Pat Fitzgerald Park Ridge, Ill. (Maine South)
C Olusegun Oluwatimi 6-3 307 Gr. Michigan Jim Harbaugh Upper Marlboro, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)
OL Paris Johnson Jr. 6-6 310 Jr. Ohio State Ryan Day Cincinnati, Ohio (Princeton)
OL Steve Avila 6-4 330 Sr. TCU Sonny Dykes Arlington, Tex. (South Grand Prairie)
QB Caleb Williams 6-1 215 So. USC Lincoln Riley Washington, D.C. (Gonzaga College HS)
RB Blake Corum 5-8 210 Jr. Michigan Jim Harbaugh Marshall, Va. (St. Frances Academy)
RB Bijan Robinson 6-0 222 Jr. Texas Steve Sarkisian Tucson, Ariz. (Salpointe)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Isaiah Foskey 6-5 265 Jr. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman Antioch, Calif. (De La Salle)
DL *Jalen Carter 6-3 300 Jr. Georgia Kirby Smart Apopka, Fla. (Apopka)
DL Calijah Kancey 6-0 280 R-Jr. Pittsburgh Pat Narduzzi Miami, Fla. (Miami Northwestern)
DL Tuli Tuipulotu 6-4 290 Jr. USC Lincoln Riley Hawthorne, Calif. (Lawndale)
LB *Will Anderson Jr. 6-4 243 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Hampton, Ga. (Dutchtown)
LB Ivan Pace Jr. 6-0 235 Sr. Cincinnati Luke Fickell Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain)
LB Jack Campbell 6-5 246 Sr. Iowa Kirk Ferentz Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls)
DB Christopher Smith 5-11 195 Sr. Georgia Kirby Smart Atlanta, Ga. (Hapeville Charter)
DB Devon Witherspoon 6-0 180 Jr. Illinois Bret Bielema Pensacola, Fla. (Pine Forest)
DB Emmanuel Forbes 6-0 180 Jr. Mississippi State Mike Leach Grenada, Miss. (Grenada)
DB Clark Phillips III 5-10 183 So. Utah Kyle Whittingham Lakewood, Calif. (La Habra)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Bryce Baringer 6-3 215 Sr. Michigan State Mel Tucker Waterford, Mich. (Notre Dame Prep)
PK Christopher Dunn 5-8 170 Gr. NC State Dave Doeren Lexington, N.C. (North Davidson)
AP *Deuce Vaughn 5-6 176 Jr. Kansas State Chris Klieman Round Rock, Tex. (Cedar Ridge)
LS Michael Vinson 6-2 228 Sr. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman Winnetka, Ill. (New Trier)
*–2021 AFCA All-American
2022 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team – Second Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Nathaniel Dell 5-10 165 Jr. Houston Dana Holgorsen Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
WR Xavier Hutchinson 6-3 205 R-Sr. Iowa State Matt Campbell Jacksonville, Fla. (Bartram Trail)
TE *Michael Mayer 6-4 265 Jr. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman Independence, Ky. (Covington Catholic)
OL Alex Palczewski 6-6 315 Sr. Illinois Bret Bielema Mount Prospect, Ill. (Prospect)
OL Jarrett Patterson 6-4 310 Sr. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman Laguna Hills, Calif. (Mission Viejo)
C John Michael Schmitz 6-4 320 Sr. Minnesota P.J. Fleck Flossmoor, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmoor)
OL Joe Alt 6-7 317 So. Notre Dame Marcus Freeman North Oaks, Minn. (Totino-Grace)
OL Andrew Vorhees 6-6 325 R-Sr. USC Lincoln Riley Kingsburg, Calif. (Kingsburg)
QB C.J. Stroud 6-3 218 Jr. Ohio State Ryan Day Inland Empire, Calif. (Rancho Cucamonga)
RB Chase Brown 5-11 205 Jr. Illinois Bret Bielema London, Ontario (St. Stephen’s Episcopal)
RB Mohamed Ibrahim 5-10 210 Sr. Minnesota P.J. Fleck Baltimore, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Byron Young 6-3 292 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Laurel, Miss. (West Jones)
DL Felix Anudike-Uzomah 6-4 255 Jr. Kansas State Chris Klieman Kansas City, Mo. (Lee’s Summit)
DL Mike Morris 6-6 292 Sr. Michigan Jim Harbaugh Belle Glade, Fla. (American Heritage)
DL Tyree Wilson 6-6 275 Sr. Texas Tech Joey McGuire Henderson, Tex. (West Rusk)
LB Drew Sanders 6-5 233 Jr. Arkansas Sam Pittman Denton, Tex. (Ryan)
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson 6-1 245 So. Georgia Kirby Smart Hyattsville, Md. (St. Frances Academy)
LB Nick Herbig 6-2 228 Jr. Wisconsin Jim Leonhard Kauai, Hawaii (Saint Louis School)
DB *Jordan Battle 6-1 206 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
DB Joey Porter Jr. 6-2 194 R-Jr. Penn State James Franklin Bakersfield, Calif. (North Allegheny (Pa.))
DB Kool-Aid McKinstry 6-1 188 So. Alabama Nick Saban Birmingham, Ala. (Pinson Valley)
DB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson 5-9 180 Sr. TCU Sonny Dykes Waco, Tex. (Midway)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Kai Kroeger 6-4 207 Jr. South Carolina Shane Beamer Lake Forest, Ill. (Lake Forest)
PK *Jake Moody 6-1 210 Gr. Michigan Jim Harbaugh Northville, Mich. (Northville)
AP Jaylin Lucas 5-9 170 Fr. Indiana Tom Allen Houma, La. (Edna Karr)
LS Joe Shimko 6-0 220 Jr. NC State Dave Doeren Belmar, N.J. (Wall Township)
*–2021 AFCA All-American