Notre Dame's Nyles Morgan named to FWAA Freshman All-America Team

SOUTH BEND — A season full of growing pains for Notre Dame freshman Nyles Morgan continues to give way to an offseason flush with promise.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker was named to the Football Writers Association of America All-Freshman Team. It’s the second freshman All-America squad Morgan has made. Earlier The Sporting News honored him.

The FWAA’s team comprises both true freshmen, like Morgan, and redshirt freshmen.

Morgan had to step into a the No. 1 middle linebacker role on Nov. 1, when eventual team MVP Joe Schmidt suffered a season-ending leg injury during a 49-39 win over Navy.

Morgan struggled to manage the duties of getting plays in from the sideline and making pre-snap adjustments, but he ended up with 47 tackles on the season, tied for eighth most in school history by a freshman, with Kory Minor (1995) and Steve Niehaus (1972).

All but four of Morgan’s 47 tackles came over ND’s final six games.

Player, School

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

J.T. Barrett, Ohio State

6-1

225

Wichita Falls, Texas

• Nick Chubb, Georgia

5-10

228

Cedartown, Ga.

• Royce Freeman, Oregon

6-0

229

Imperial, Calif.

• Samaje Perine, Oklahoma

5-11

243

Pflugerville, Texas

• Devonte Boyd, UNLV

6-1

175

Henderson, Nev.

• KD Cannon, Baylor

6-0

170

Mount Pleasant, Texas

• Leonard Fournette, LSU

6-1

230

New Orleans, La.

• Brian Allen, Michigan State

6-2

294

Hinsdale, Ill.

• Mason Cole, Michigan

6-5

292

Tarpon Springs, Fla.

• Tejan Koroma, BYU

6-0

280

Allen, Texas

• Toa Lobendahn, USC

6-3

280

Cerritos, Calif.

Brandon Ray, Western Kentucky

6-3

285

Madison, Ala.

• Cam Robinson, Alabama

6-6

323

Monroe, La.

Player, School

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

• Derek Barnett, Tennessee

6-3

267

Nashville, Tenn.

• Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

6-5

255

Arlington, Texas

• Malik McDowell, Michigan State

6-6

286

Farmington Hills, Mich.

Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State

6-2

224

Mesquite, Texas

Kemoko Turay, Rutgers

6-6

235

Newark, N.J.

• DJ Calhoun, Arizona State

6-0

215

El Cerrito, Calif.

• Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame

6-1

230

Crete, Ill.

Craig Suits, Tulsa

6-0

220

Sunnyvale, Texas

Taylor Young, Baylor

5-10

225

DeSoto, Texas

Mackensie Alexander, Clemson

5-10

190

Immokalee, Fla.

• Adoreé Jackson, USC

5-11

185

Belleville, Ill.

• Quin Blanding, Virginia

6-4

215

Virginia Beach, Va.

Kamari Cotton-Moya, Iowa State

6-1

194

Bakersfield, Calif.

Player, School

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

• JK Scott, Alabama

6-4

185

Denver, Colo.

Matthew McCrane, Kansas State

5-10

165

Brownwood, Texas

• De'Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska

5-9

175

Alexandria, Va.

Darius Phillips, Western Michigan

5-10

179

Dearborn Heights, Mich.