Opportunity knocks: WR Kevin Austin has learned from mistakes at Notre Dame to grow, mature

Former Notre Dame receiver Kevin Austin was one of the first players the Jacksonville Jaguars signed as an undrafted free agent after the draft.

He was a player that impressed at the NFL combine and has a serious shot to make the roster and add depth to the wide receiver position.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here for me to improve as a player,” Austin said after the first day of rookie minicamp. “The coaching staff and the quarterback, there’s a lot of great people and pieces around here. I just wanted to be a part of that.”

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His career at Notre Dame came on late due to back-to-back foot injuries and an unspecified suspension that kept him out an entire season.

According to Austin, it was the injury that truly hampered his progress because he physically couldn’t perform. To him, his suspension was due to a lack of maturity that he has since found.

“My freshman and sophomore years I was really immature just going to college and not really understanding a lot and just being thrown into college life,” Austin said. “Then just growing throughout Notre Dame, the people there and the coaches really helped me be more mature. I think that’s going to translate to here really well.”

He only played in 17 games in his four-year career at Notre Dame, compiling 54 catches and 996 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. Nearly 900 of those yards came during his senior season, establishing himself as one of the top targets for the Fighting Irish.

Austin has always displayed a high athletic ceiling, even back in his high school days as a 4-star rated receiver in South Florida.

He amassed 119 receptions, 2,495 yards and 36 touchdowns as a receiver and added another 962 rushing yards and nine touchdowns from the backfield in his career.

Some draft experts had him going on the third day of this year’s draft but going undrafted isn’t going to shake his confidence.

“I’ve gotten over it,” Austin said. “I wasn’t really angry or anything. Everything happens for a reason. I’m a God man, so I realize that God does things for a reason. I have no quarrels about not being drafted.”

Jacksonville lacked a consistent deep threat target for Trevor Lawrence to throw to last season.

Austin is a playmaker who can catch passes over defenders and has the speed to get behind the defense.

If he makes the 53-man roster, he’ll have the opportunity to make a splash alongside other pass-catching newcomers Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_.