Sports news announced its 2024 Preseason All-America Team last week, which includes five Notre Dame players. Graduate defensive lineman Howard Cross III, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison and senior safety Xavier Watts were named to the first team. Senior tight end Mitchell Evans and graduate kick returner Jayden Harrison were named to the second team. Watts was named to the first team Sports news All-America Team in 2023. Cross was named to the Sports news second team last season.

Five Notre Dame players make Sporting News All-America team

Xavier Watts

Watts, a unanimous All-American and 2023 Nagurski Trophy winner, is sure to be one of the best defensive backs in college football again this season. He has received many accolades in the preseason, including being on the candidate lists for the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. He led the nation in interceptions last year with seven.

Watts started all 13 games for the Irish in 2023. He finished with 52 tackles, including 30 solo, three tackles for loss and added four pass breakups. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble, which he returned for a touchdown. Watts’ seven interceptions led to 33 points for Notre Dame.

Howard Cross

Cross collected 66 tackles in 2023, ranking second among all Power 5 front-four defensive linemen. Like Watts, Cross’s name appeared on numerous preseason watch lists. He was nominated for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Outland Trophy and the Nagurski Trophy.

Among his standout performances last season, Cross led the Irish with 13 tackles in the comeback win over Duke on Sept. 30. He also forced two fumbles in that game, including the game-winning one with under 30 minutes remaining. For his performance, he was named National Defensive Player of the Week by Walter Camp, received the Bednarik Award and was named to the Senior Bowl.

Benjamin Morrison

Morrison led the Irish with 10 pass defenses in 2023. He recorded 31 tackles, 25 of them solo, and intercepted three passes. In 2022, Morrison set a single-game record with three interceptions in a win over Boston College. He appeared in all 13 games that year, started nine times, and finished the year with 33 tackles. The shutdown cornerback also made the preseason watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and the Bednarik Award.

The All-American award is nothing new for Morrison. In 2022, he was named College Football News Freshman All-American, Focus on professional football Freshman All-American, The athlete True Freshman All-American and the 247 Sports True freshman All-American.

Jayden Harrison

Harrison was selected to the first-team All-American as a kick returner at Marshall in 2023 and ranked second in the country with a 30.7 yards per return average. The transfer portal addition for the Irish was tied for the FBS lead with two kick return touchdowns last season.

In total, Harrison has returned 60 kickoffs for 1,522 yards (an average of 25.4 yards per return) in his college career so far. He has returned three for touchdowns. As a receiver, he has caught 71 passes for 779 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, Harrison played in all 13 games for Marshall. He caught 28 passes for 410 yards (14.6 yards per reception) and one touchdown. In addition to his nomination from Sports newsHarrison is also on the watch lists for the Jet Award and the Hornung Award in 2024.

Mitchell Evans

Despite suffering a torn ACL during the 2023 season, Evans had a stellar year when he was on the field. As a junior, he played in eight games for the Irish, starting seven of them. He finished the season as the team’s leading pass receiver with a 52.8 yards per game average. Evans caught 29 passes for 422 yards and one touchdown for a 14.6 yards per catch average. Evans has fully recovered from his injury and is healthy for fall training camp. He will play a leading role in Notre Dame’s offense this year. Evans is also on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List along with teammate Kris Mitchell.