Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 AUGUST 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE S till waiting to prove that he's a viable NFL prospect, former Irish wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. is biding his time and keeping his prospects alive while playing in the United Football League. In the league's inaugural season this spring, Austin capped his first year with the Birmingham Stal- lions with a 25-0 win over the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL Championship Game in St. Louis. The South Florida native became a valuable member of the Stallions' potent receiver rotation, finish- ing the 10-game season with 15 catches for 253 yards — both the fourth-best marks on the team — and 2 touchdowns. It's been an eventful football journey for Austin, 24, all the way back to his time at Notre Dame. A four-star high school recruit out of North Broward Prep in 2018, Austin made a notable impact as an Irish fresh- man, appearing in 11 games and making 5 catches for 90 yards. Austin's college career went sideways when he was suspended academically for his entire sophomore season in 2019 and then missed all but two games of his junior season in 2020 with multiple foot injuries. Needing a breakout year as an Irish senior in 2021, Austin got it when he made 48 receptions for a team- best 888 yards with 7 touchdown catches. A freakish workout at the 2022 NFL Combine made Austin the talk of Indianapolis that week in Feb- ruary, which seemed to raise his player stock, though he still went undrafted. Austin signed with the Jack- sonville Jaguars as a free agent in 2022, and played some during that exhibition season, before being demoted to the Jaguars' practice squad where he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons before signing with Birmingham in January of this year. Still keeping hopes alive of some- day making an NFL roster, Austin was asked what he wants teams and scouts to know about him. "That I'm a really great person and I'm a great football player," he said. "I'm a great teammate, and they can trust me." FORMER IRISH IN THE CFL Through July 9 DaVaris Daniels (Played at Notre Dame from 2011-14), WR, Toronto Argonauts: Now in his ninth season in the CFL, the 31-year-old had 375 recep- tions for 5,687 yards and 38 touchdowns in 102 games … Through three games with the Argos in 2024, he had 9 recep- tions for 108 yards. Nyl e s Mo rga n ( 2 0 14 -17 ) , L B, Edmonton Elks: Now in his fourth CFL season — all with the Elks — the 27-year-old has appeared in 38 games and recorded 242 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 in- terception and 2 forced fumbles … Led Edmonton with 107 tackles in 2023 … Through four games in 2024, he had re- corded 28 tackles. Jack Coan (2021), QB, Saskatch- ewan Roughriders: The 25-year-old is playing his first season in the CFL after he was picked up by the Roughriders following a one-year stint in the XFL … Serving as the third-string quarterback and had yet to appear in a regular-sea- son game. ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Paul Atkinson Jr. (Played at Notre Dame in 2021-22), PF, Kortrijk Spurs (Belgium Pro Basketball League) In 32 games as a backup power forward, the 25-year-old West Palm Beach, Fla., native averaged 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 21.2 minutes per game while shooting a team-best 58 percent from the field last season. The former Irish graduate transfer enjoyed the best game of his season on Nov. 15, 2023, when he tallied 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting with 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Marcus Hammond (2022-23), PG, Lugano Tigers (Swiss Basketball League) The team's starting point guard, the 24-year-old Queens, N.Y., native led the Tigers in scoring with 22.4 points per game, while adding 4.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per outing and shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 41.2 percent on threes and 82.8 percent from the foul line. The former Irish graduate transfer enjoyed the best game of his season March 30, when he tallied 31 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Matt Vierling (2016-18), INF/OF, Detroit Tigers (MLB) During a seven-game stretch from June 26 to July 5, the 27-year-old St. Louis na- tive batted .276 (8 for 29) with 5 runs scored, 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Vierling, who has seen action in the outfield and at third base, is in his second season in Detroit after spending his first two with the Phillies. He was batting .258 with 29 home runs and 117 RBI during his four-year MLB career. Austin notched 15 receptions for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns for the UFL champion Stallions. GRAPHIC COURTESY NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL Kevin Austin Jr. Helps Birmingham Claim UFL Championship