With just over a month until the start of college football fall training camps, the start of the 2024 season is getting ever closer.
On Tuesday, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced its 2024 Preseason All-American team, with four Notre Dame players receiving the honor.
Safety Xavier Watts earned first-team honors after recording seven interceptions last season and earning the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award. His performance in the mid-October win over then-unbeaten USC became the stuff of legend: He intercepted two Caleb Williams passes, forced a fumble and returned another fumble for a touchdown in Notre Dame's blowout win.
Defensive tackle Howard Cross joins Watts on the first team. Cross is returning to the NBA after being one of the best defensive tackles in the country last year. He was outstanding all year, but his September closing performance against Duke was the highlight of his performance, where he recorded 13 tackles and forced two fumbles.
Junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison is projected to be one of the first cornerbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft if he leaves college early, but he was selected only as a second-team pick. Morrison had nine interceptions in his first two seasons at Notre Dame and led the Irish with 10 interceptions last season.
Finally, transfer kick returner Jaeden Harrison was also named to the second team. Harrison transferred from Marshall University in the offseason and tied for the most kickoff returns in the nation with two last year, while his career average of 25.4 yards per return is also impressive.
Watts, Cross, Morrison, Harrison and the rest of the 2024 Notre Dame football team will kick off the 2024 season at Texas A&M University on Aug. 31, with the Irish expected to perform well in the newly expanded 12-team playoff.
Morrison and Watts named top defensive backs in the country
Notre Dame's defense is expected to remain one of the best in the nation in 2024.
