Does Notre Dame Have A Heisman Contender In 2022, And Does It Need One?

Irish Breakdown discusses who might be Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy contenders in 2022

Notre Dame hasn't had a Heisman Trophy winner since 1987 (Tim Brown), and it hasn't even had a player finish in the Top 5 since Manti Te'o back in 2012. Over the last decade there is no doubt that teams who compete for and win championships, much more often than not, have legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders on their team.

In our most recent show we discussed whether or not Notre Dame can be a championship team without a Heisman contender, why that kind of player is important and who those players might be for Notre Dame.

After a brief discussion about a pair of defensive players (Isaiah Foskey, Brandon Joseph), the rest of our conversation focuses on a trio of offensive players. A couple are to be expected, but the third might surprise some people.

Michael Mayer, Tight End - The last time a tight end finished in the Top 5 of the Heisman voting was 1977, the year when former Irish star Ken MacAfee finished third behind running backs Earl Campbell (Texas) and Terry Miller (Oklahoma State). In fact, the number of times a tight end has finished in the Top 10 since then can be counted on one hand, but Mayer is in a unique situation.

To begin, Mayer's production is beyond that of your typical tight end. He set Notre Dame single season records in catches (71) and receiving yards (840) by a tight end. Now a junior, Mayer is poised for his best season yet, and he'll be the No. 1 target by the Irish quarterbacks. The question is can Mayer's supporting cast take enough pressure on him to allow him to put up the monster numbers necessary to be a Heisman contender.

On the plus side, if Notre Dame is a legit title contender the media and the voters will look for someone to hype up, and with Mayer's talent, potential for highlight plays and the fact he's their best player on offense, if his numbers are good enough (1,000+ yards, 10+ touchdowns) he could become that type of player for the Irish.

Tyler Buchner, Quarterback - The Heisman is typically a quarterback and running back award, with a wide receiver occasionally jumping in there and winning it. If Notre Dame is a team that jumps back into the College Football Playoff in 2022 they'll need the offense to be more dynamic than it was in 2018 and 2020. The reason is the Irish play a much tougher schedule this go-round, and the offense will need to be dynamic. 

If that's the case of course the quarterback position will get a lot of national love, and that would be earned because Notre Dame can't be that team without the quarterback playing at a high level. Buchner also brings a different style of play to the table than other top quarterbacks like Bryce Stroud (Alabama), CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Caleb Williams (USC) due to his dual-threat nature. Only Williams (435 yards, 6 touchdowns) showed much as a runner, and Buchner should blow past those numbers on the ground.

If he can become a more impactful passer, similar to the player we saw in high school that passed for 4,474 yards and 58 touchdowns as a junior, Buchner could quickly skyrocket into the national spotlight. It would mean Notre Dame is a dangerous team because the offense would be dynamic.

Chris Tyree, Running Back - This is the dark horse candidate for Notre Dame, and the player that will likely get the most pushback, but I for one would not be shocked to see Tyree have a big year in 2022. Assuming he stays healthy, which is really the only thing holding him back in my view.

The two backs that finished in the Top 10 of Heisman voting in 2021 finished the season with 1,725 all-purpose yards (19 touchdowns) and 1,774 all-purpose yards (23 touchdowns). Tyree battled through injuries in 2021, but when healthy in 2020 he finished with 1,017 total yards thanks to his production as a kick returner, and that's part of why Tyree is on this list.

 Let's say Tyree is healthy and wins the starting running back position. He won't be the workhorse that Kyren Williams was, but Tyree will more than likely average a significantly higher yards per carry than Williams, who was only at 4.9 and 5.3 yards per carry the last two seasons. From 2015-19, Notre Dame's top running back averaged at least 5.9 yards per carry in each season, and Tyree is likely to be much closer to players like Josh Adams (6.9 YPC in 2017) and Dexter Williams (6.3 YPC) in 2018 than Williams.

That means a healthy Tyree can get to 1,000+ rushing yards even in a backfield that will share carries, which is what we expect to see from Notre Dame in 2022. Tyree's home run ability and one-cut style should not only fit very well with the offensive line, which should be much improved, but it also fits very well with Buchner. 

Tyree also showed last season he can be a legit weapon in the pass game. His 55-yard catch and run for a score against Toledo was a huge play, and he went for 115 receiving yards and a score in his only start of the 2021 season (Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma State).

Tyree is also the team's primary kick returner, and we saw what he can bring to the table last season (96-yard kick return for a score against Wisconsin). If Tyree is the lead back and if the line is as good as we think it will be you'll see him hit a lot of home runs this season, and if Brian Mason is as good of a special teams coach as we all hope he'll be then Tyree should also be able to add at least another 500 yards and another score or two on special teams.

So let's say Tyree rushes for 1,000 yards, has another 400 yards receiving and at least 400 yards on kick returns, he'll finish the season with 1,800 all-purpose yards. If he can get to at least 12 total touchdowns don't be shocked if he gets a lot of attention, assuming Notre Dame is a title contender and one of the two players mentioned above isn't having an even bigger season.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule

Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense

Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Follow me on Gettr: @IrishBreakdown
Follow me on Gab: @IrishBreakdown
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter