Kevin

Austin Jr.

There’s been little to no buzz about Austin (6'2"/200), who is often mocked in the sixth or seventh round. With numbers like this though, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a late rise in the Draft. His explosion is off the charts, with an 11' broad jump and a 39" vertical, and one of the best 10-yard splits in the 40 in history. Unlike other athletic freaks like D.K. Metcalf and Christian Watson though, Austin also had great agility scores, with a solid shuttle and an elite three-cone. He played very well for Notre Dame in his one year of sustained playing time, leading the team with 888 yards and seven scores. Most notably he had an 18.5 yards per reception, showing he’s an elite deep threat despite ND having a more conservative offense. Those measurables could make Austin the steal of the draft, especially if he indeed goes towards the end.

Austin Jr (6'2"/215) is an interesting prospect. Not having a great quarterback throughout his career with the Irish, he was still able to shine in the deep passing game. When Fennell noted the similarities to Peoples-Jones, it all came together. Both shined when running deep routes and are eerily similar in regards to their physical build. They both will likely be steals on day three, as Peoples-Jones was a 6th-round selection for the Browns.

Austin Jr (6'2/215) was the main vertical threat this year for the Irish and his testing numbers have shown why. His vertical and broad jump both finished above the 90th percentile and showed how good of an athlete he is. With a really solid finish to the week, Austin Jr could make himself a lot of money and solidify himself as a pick on day two.

The Irish will be losing their best receiver as Austin (6'2"/215) will not return for his final year. Austin led the team with 888 receiving yards and capped off his career with 60 receiving yards in the 37-35 loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. He may not hear his name called in April unless he’s really impressive at the combine, but he should find a landing spot as a UDFA.

Austin did most of his damage on one catch, but it was a big one; a 70-yard touchdown connection with Jack Coan that doubled up Notre Dame’s lead to 17-3. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound wideout has his fifth touchdown of the season, and has become the top receiving wideout in this Fighting Irish passing attack. Austin will try and keep up the good work against the Cavaliers of Virginia next weekend.

Austin’s 16-yard third quarter touchdown reception from Drew Pyne, on in relief for an injured Jack Coan, was crucial, as it turned a 17-13 Notre Dame lead (courtesy of Chris Tyree’s 94-yard kick return touchdown earlier in the quarter, Notre Dame’s first kickoff return TD since 2016 against Army) into a 24-13 advantage. That was the first two-possession lead of the afternoon for either side. The Irish outscored the Badgers 31-0 to close the game. Austin inexplicably didn’t have a catch last week, but he’s caught four balls or more in the other three games.

Austin Jr. was a high four star recruit in the 2018 class, but injuries have kept him off the field, with a broken foot costing him all of 2020. He’s reportedly going to be a feature of the Notre Dame offense, and says he is finally full healthy. According to Pete Sampson who spoke with Austin Jr today, Austin is ahead of schedule in his recovery and his confidence is sky-high. Watch out for Austin Jr. to really break out in 2021.

This is great news, as Austin (6'2/215) saw his 2020 season come to a premature end due to a broken foot. The redshirt sophomore began a running program in June, and Austin has recovered to the point where he’s expected to have a featured role within the Fighting Irish offense this fall. Austin was viewed as a player who could fill the shoes of Chase Claypool in 2020, but he didn’t get the chance to do so. That won’t be the case this time around.

Austin (6'2/215) had some breakout hype heading into last year as ND searched for their Chase Claypool replacement, but a foot injury put an end to that speculation. Foot fractures are notoriously fickle injuries, but Austin is still expected to be ready when fall camp opens later this summer. He caught six passes on 10 targets for 118 yards last year.

According to HC Brian Kelly, Austin (6'2/215) is expected to enter a running program upon the team’s return to campus this coming weekend. The redshirt sophomore saw his 2020 season come to an end in October due to a broken foot, two months after he had originally undergone surgery to remedy the issue. Given the time that Austin has missed, and the need for two procedures over the last ten months or so, Notre Dame will likely exercise a significant amount of caution when it comes to bringing him back into the fold.