Notre Dame Football: Irish shut out from AP Preseason All-American Team

The AP announced their preseason All-American teams on Tuesday. See who made the first and second teams since no Notre Dame players did.

In a busy week for the Associated Press before college football kicks off in a few short weeks, the Preseason All-American Team was announced on Tuesday with no Notre Dame players being named to the squad.

The team is composed of players from teams who will both be playing and not being playing this fall.

11 players on the AP’s first-team and an additional 12 on the second team won’t see action this season which speaks to the volume of talent that won’t be viewed on college football fields this fall.

Complete First Team:

Pittsburgh DL Jaylen Twyman opts out of 2020 college football season

Another top prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft class is opting out of the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19

The string of top prospects opting out of the 2020 college football season continues.

Pittsburgh defensive lineman Jaylen Twyman announced via Twitter his decision to not play in the upcoming season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twyman is generally viewed as one of the top defensive line prospects in the 2021 draft. After playing in a reserve role for Pittsburgh in 2018, the 6-foot-2, 290-pound lineman broke out last year, tallying 12 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks, the second-highest sack total for an interior defender in the nation.

An athletic and polished defender with a high ceiling at the next level, Twyman could see himself selected as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. He joins top prospects like Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau and Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore as some of the notable players to opt out of the 2020 season.

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Vikings take Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Twyman in Draft Wire mock draft

Draft Wire thinks Minnesota could take an interior defensive lineman in the first round.

Minnesota saw Linval Joseph leave in free agency.

Michael Pierce was signed as a probable replacement, but the defensive tackle spot opposite to him is up in the air.

The incumbent starter, Shamar Stephen, returns, but he hasn’t been stellar in that spot. Vikings Wire recently listed the three-technique defensive tackle spot as a training camp battle to watch in 2020.

But what if the Vikings can’t find anyone suitable for that position this year? Draft Wire not only thinks that could happen, but that Minnesota takes an interior defensive lineman in the first round.

Our friends at Draft Wire tabbed Minnesota to take Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Twyman in a recent 2021 mock draft. Here’s what the outlet said about the pick:

“Michael Pierce should prove to be a fantastic addition to Minnesota’s defensive line, but they still have a hole at the opposing defensive tackle slot. The freakishly athletic and finesse-heavy Twyman would be a fantastic complement to the run-stuffing Pierce and could provide the Vikings with some pass-rushing value along the interior.”

Twyman’s pass-rushing prowess could be helpful for the Vikings defensive line. We’ll have to see if the three-technique defensive tackle spot is a need for the team down the road.

Vikings address both sides of the ball in recent mock draft

Draft Wire had the Vikings drafting for offense and defense in a recent 2021 NFL mock draft.

Minnesota’s needs for the 2021 NFL Draft are hard to determine. Our friends at Draft Wire recently predicted some players the Vikings need, and if these positions turn out to be needs in 2021, the team could be in trouble in 2020.

Draft Wire had the Vikings selecting players on both sides of the ball in the first two rounds of a recent mock draft. The outlet determined the draft position of each NFL team by looking at the latest Super Bowl odds on BetMGM. The Vikings currently have the 11th best odds of winning the Super Bowl in 2020, putting their draft position at No. 22.

Here are those players, followed by brief descriptions of each and an outlook at that position for Minnesota: