Notre Dame football: Veteran WRs to lead young group in 2022
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has two solid veterans atop the depth chart, and they will be expected to lead a young group in 2022.
During the 2021 college football season, veteran wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. led the way at the position group, playing well enough to be invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. Austin led all receivers in catches and yards, and while him leaving is a tough blow for this offense, there is a lot of good players returning.
Both Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy return for the Irish, both players who could have entered the 2022 NFL Draft as well, and they will be expected to lead a younger roster at the position group. Davis and Lenzy should man two of the three starting wideout spots, with true sophomore Lorenzo Styles Jr. filling in as the third starter, and there is some solid depth behind them as well.
One key name to keep an eye on is true freshman Tobias Merriweather, the only wideout brought in via the 2022 recruiting class and a player who can flat out get up and find the football. At 6-foot-4, he has the size to dominate this upcoming season and should be a dangerous weapon in the red zone.
Notre Dame football strong at wide receiver entering 2022
The quartet of Davis, Lenzy, Styles Jr. and Merriweather should lead the way in 2022, but there are some talented wideout behind them as well. Joe Wilkins returns for another season, as does true sophomore Deion Colzie, a player who was a four-star recruit during the 2021 cycle as well.
Notre Dame missed on two commits in 2022, CJ Williams and Amorion Walker, so they could be active in the transfer portal still as well. Also, the Irish have an elite tight end in Michael Mayer, so a lot of the passing game is going to revolve around him as well.
There may not be a ton of bodies at this position group, but the talent is outstanding, and they can all beat a defense in so many ways. Merriweather is a guy who should step on campus and make an impact in Year 1, and if what we saw from Styles Jr. as a true freshman is any indication, the future is bright for this tandem in South Bend.