Notre Dame Football: 5 freshmen who could become instant starters in 2018

Kevin Austin was one of those early signing period recruits who committed to the Irish in August and decided to ink his Letter of Intent early to make it official. However, he’s not an early enrollee and the only Notre Dame commit to be enrolled early at wide receiver is four-star Micah Jones — he, too, will have a chance to start in 2018.

Austin, a four-star prospect from Pompano Beach, Fla., looks the part of a top collegiate receiver, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at about 200 pounds. He has the size, speed, strong hands, deep-threat ability and athleticism to make him a decent replacement for Equanimeous St. Brown who is leaving early for the NFL.

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With St. Brown gone, the Irish will be relying on guys like Miles Boykin, Chris Finke, C.J. Sanders and Michael Young Jr. to carry the load, returning from last year’s team. That’s where Austin can come in and swipe some snaps from veteran guys.

The Florida-native is ranked the No. 82 overall prospect and 14th-best receiver in the class. Could he break into that starting rotation and open some eyes in 2018?