Howard Cross III

Cross attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in New Jersey where he was a state champion-wrestler and two-way star football player. He was named the 2018 NJ.com State Player of the Year and as a senior, he collected 76 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He was rated a consensus Four-star recruit and committed to Notre Dame University. His father Howard Cross Jr. played 13 games in the NFL for the New York Giants. As a freshman, Cross played in four games in a cleanup role and tallied 7 tackles. During his sophomore season, he saw more snaps and played in 12 games and totaled 13 tackles for the Fighting Irish. In 2021, he played in 11 games, and made his first two starts of his career as he became a part of Notre Dame’s defensive line rotation. He finished the season with 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Last season, he made seven starts and played in 12 games for Notre Dame. He led all interior defensive linemen in tackles with 33 and added two sacks. In 2023, Cross has played in 13 games and has collected 66 tackles, seven TFL, and two sacks. After the season, Cross announced he was returning for a sixth season.