Notre Dame football: 2022 wide receiver room coming into focus
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team got word that one wide receiver will be back in 2022, while another is headed towards the NFL.
The Notre Dame football got team got some surprisingly good play at wide receiver this season, as we saw the emergence of true freshman Lorenzo Styles Jr. down the stretch. Also, veterans like Braden Lenzy and Kevin Austin Jr. had solid seasons for the Irish, helping the offense look way more multi-dimensional down the stretch.
Heading into 2022, the wide receiver room is one of the biggest question marks on the roster, as the team was able to only get a commitment from one of their three wideout targets for the 2022 recruiting class. That commitment, Tobias Merriweather, has the size and speed to be a special player at the next level, but the group as a whole is pretty thin heading into next season.
On Sunday, the day after the Irish lost their Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the wide receiver room for next season came into focus a bit more.
Notre Dame football getting Braden Lenzy back for 2022.
While Austin Jr. is headed to the NFL, and likely will be a Day 3 draft pick after a solid final season in South Bend, fellow veteran Braden Lenzy is headed back to South Bend. Lenzy will be counted on to be a top-of-the-depth chart guy for the Irish, setting the example for younger players in Merriweather and Styles Jr.
Overall, getting Lenzy back is huge for this Irish offense, as he is an incredible deep threat, and has the talent to be a huge weapon within this offense next season. With Tyler Buchner likely taking over as the starter for this Notre Dame football team, getting one of his top weapons back in Lenzy will prove to be huge for his development, and allow both Styles Jr. and Merriweather to develop at their own pace in 2022.