Category: 2021 ND Football

Pro Football Hall of Famer extremely high on Kyle Hamilton

Who is Notre Dame’s best defensive player over the last 30 years?

We’re not even through the 2021 NFL draft yet and we’re already getting some discussions about the 2022 edition.  One recent thought on the 2022 draft came from former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Like any great mind, Brandt is thinking well ahead as he’s closed the book on the 2021 draft and is already looking ahead to 2022 as he released his top-five players for the 2022 edition.

At number two is a current Notre Dame star who is only entering his junior season but clearly has the ability to make the jump to the NFL.

Trailing only defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon, Brandt ranks Fighting Irish safety Kyle Hamilton as the 2022 draft’s second-best player.

Based on the replies I think most people are struggling to understand he’s ranking the players, not projecting what number pick they’ll be selected at.

Hamilton is as good of safety as there is in the nation and clearly has an NFL body.  Although I don’t think there is a chance he’ll go second overall, if Hamilton does go in the top-10 when he’s eventually drafted he’d be the first Notre Dame defender taken that high since Bryant Young went seventh overall to the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.

Related:
All of Notre Dame’s first-round NFL draft picks since 1975
Kyle Hamilton photo gallery

Notre Dame freshmen lineman receive massive praise

A couple of freshmen aren’t acting like freshmen so far this spring.

There are some positions you see as true freshmen who are able to step on the field and be difference makers immediately.

Usually, that doesn’t include the offensive line simply because the time in a college training program hasn’t taken form quite yet and physically players are often overmatched strength-wise.

Known by many as “O-Line U”, Notre Dame brought in another stellar recruiting class on their offense front in 2021.  A pair of those players, Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler, received massive praise from nose guard Kurt Hinish who battles against the offensive line each practice.

Speaking on Fisher and Spindler specifically Saturday, Hinish offered the following:

“Rocco Spindler and Blake Fisher are damn good.  They’re the best two freshman offensive linemen I’ve gone against.  They’re grown men playing against us.” – Kurt Hinish

By no means does that guarantee a starting spot for either by the time September comes around, but it’s quite the praise for a couple of freshmen who have only ten collegiate practices under their belts to date.

Related:

Watch: Blake Fisher get a carry as a seventh-grader

FPI impressed with Notre Dame for 2021

Is Notre Dame top-10 worthy entering 2021?

Football Power Index, whatever the hell that is, isn’t too big of a fan of Notre Dame in 2021.

Here is how ESPN defines their little gadget, FPI:

The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.

Now that you have that in mind, I’ll tell you that the FPI currently ranks Notre Dame 11th nationally.

The top-10 is as follows:

  1. Alabama
    2. Clemson
    3. Oklahoma
    4. Iowa State
    5. Ohio State
    6. Texas A&M
    7. Georgia
    8. Mississippi State
    9. Oklahoma State
    10. Penn State

There are certainly some names that stick out in the top-10 that we could discuss and ponder but that’ll come in time.  What I can’t help but notice is that even at 11, Notre Dame doesn’t have a 2021 opponent that’s ranked above them as North Carolina at 13 is the highest any Irish opponent ranks.

In fact, only Wisconsin at 15 also cracks the top-25 of this power index.

If that’s all to be believed (I’m not buying it, for your information), then you’ll be looking at a Notre Dame team that would theoretically be favored in all twelve games again this coming season.

It’s early and we’re not even sure what a depth chart is going to look like yet, but early on it at least appears the Fighting Irish will benefit from a bit of a break in the schedule.

Related: Early look at Notre Dame’s 2021 football schedule

Notre Dame to add former Texans assistant

Notre Dame adds an up-and-coming offensive coach

Notre Dame is making another addition to their coaching staff as former Houston Texans offensive assistant coach John Aylward is on his way to South Bend.

According to FootballScoop.com, Aylward will replace Pat Kramer at the University as Kramer recently took a job with the Atlanta Falcons.

Aylward started with the Texans as an intern in 2018 before being added into a full-time role on the offensive side of the ball for the 2019 season.

Said Brian Kelly of the Aylward and Chad Bowden hirings:

“We added offensive and defensive analysts, that are focused primarily in recruiting efforts,” Kelly said. “I guess the best way to put it is that they’re offensive and defensive coordinators in recruiting.

“They get the whole staff together, coordinate the efforts in terms of recruiting. Making sure that they’re touching base with recruits, daily. That’s not a 9 to 5 job; that’s late at night.”

Brian Kelly recaps first spring practice of ’21

What is the most interesting storyline this spring?

One down, 14 to go.

That’s the case for Notre Dame football in regards to spring practice that got started over the weekend.

Notre Dame took to the practice fields on Saturday for their first practice of the spring.

Related:  Photos from Notre Dame’s first spring football practice of 2021

10 things to watch in Notre Dame’s spring football practices

Brian Kelly met the media after the first practice session and shared his thoughts on everything from the goal of this camp, thoughts on a few position battles, and the health of some of those who were unable to participate.

See everything the Notre Dame head coach had to say below:

Notre Dame spring football preview

Spring football is finally here and we’re a bit excited. Here’s a guide for Notre Dame fans of what to follow for the next month:

Notre Dame officially opens this 2021 spring football practice period on Saturday as they’ll host their first of 15 practices that concludes with the annual Blue-Gold Game on Saturday, May 1.

Notre Dame has quite the overhaul on their roster after starting last season 10-0 before falling in the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff to Clemson and Alabama, respectively.

It’s unfortunate that practices won’t be able to be viewed by the public or by the media since there are so many storylines and position battles to follow, but we’ll be keeping an extra ear on what is said as it’ll be how we learn about the happenings of everything related to Notre Dame football the next few weeks.

With that all said, here are the ten things we’re most interested in following as Brian Kelly gets set to open his 12th spring practice as Notre Dame’s head coach:

2021 Notre Dame spring football schedule

Get ready, practice officially starts this Saturday!

We knew an announcement was imminent but weren’t sure on the exact day it would be made.

Well, that day is today and we now know Notre Dame football’s practice schedule for this spring as it’s officially set to get started this Saturday.

Notre Dame will practice the following days:

Saturday, March 27 – 11 a.m. ET
Tuesday, March 30 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Thursday, April 1 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Saturday, April 3 – 11 a.m. ET
Tuesday, April 6 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Thursday, April 8 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Saturday, April 10 – 11 a.m. ET
Tuesday, April 12 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Thursday, April 14 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Saturday, April 17 – 11 a.m. ET
Wednesday, April 21 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Saturday, April 24 – 11 a.m. ET
Tuesday, April 27 – 7:50 a.m. ET
Thursday, April 29 – 7:50 a.m. ET

Those 14 practices mean one more is allowed which would seem to mean previous reports about the annual Blue-Gold Game being held on May 1 likely being true.

If you’re interested in such matters the practices will be closed to the public and media but select coaches and players will be available for interviews through Zoom after the majority of practices.

Related:

Player Profiles:  Avery Davis, WR, #3

Player Profiles:  Kyren Williams, RB, #23

Must see: Notre Dame ‘21 football freshman show off their new numbers

Multiple early enrolling freshman have shared what they’ll look like in a Notre Dame uniform, see them all here.

It has become increasingly common for teams to have members of their recruiting classes enroll early and get a head start to their collegiate careers, Notre Dame is no different. This year, Brian Kelly has welcomed in 14 recruits and one transfer, the largest group ever to start their Irish journeys early.

Some of them have gone onto social media and shared their new numbers, as we have already looked into if Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s has anything to do with where he will line up.

[listicle id=18499]

Here are the rest of the players who have posted what they’ll look like in the Blue and Gold.

Notre Dame’s best player to be limited in spring practice

Kyle Hamilton is the best returning player on Notre Dame’s 2021 roster but he won’t be fully available for spring practice this season.

Notre Dame dodged a bullet of sorts in the 2020 season opener as some friendly fire between teammates left star safety, Kyle Hamilton, in a world of pain after a downright scary hit to his leg.

Hamilton would miss just one game with the sprained ankle but would have the injury flare up again before seasons end.

Now Notre Dame will take part in their spring football season largely without the star junior as Pete Sampson reports that Hamilton is having his ankle cleaned up.

It’s not the end of the world or reason to think the sky is falling but obviously with a new defensive coordinator and even the slightest of changes in terminology and scheme you’d have liked to see Hamilton be a full participant.

Hamilton said much praise for his 2020 campaign including a spot on the FWAA’s All-America first-team.

Hamilton finished 2020 with 63 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and six pass breakups.

Related:

Early look at Notre Dame’s 2021 schedule

Notre Dame’s biggest games of 2021

How can Notre Dame make a Playoff run in ‘21? ESPN answers

Is there one answer to this question as to how Notre Dame makes it back to play in a big time bowl game?

The Irish have made the College Football Playoffs two of the last three years and going into the 2021 season, it might be a more difficult task to make it three of the last four. There is always hope going into a season, after all, in college football anything can happen.

Recently, the ESPN staff looked at their way-too-early top 25 teams and how the cards need to fall for them to make the CFP. In Notre Dame’s case, they “are losing quite a bit on offense and defense, so if they’re going to make it back to the playoff or a New Year’s Six bowl, the first thing that must happen is they need to find their quarterback early,” said Tom VanHaaren.

What’s interesting about VanHaaren’s assessment of the position is that he doesn’t mention Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan, naming Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner as his front runners. That doesn’t mean that Coan is not in the mix for the starting job, maybe VanHaaren just forgot about him. Either way he say’s “the coaches need to stabilize that position.” That’s saying it lightly.

Over on the defensive side of the ball, VanHaaren noted that new coordinator Marcus Freeman will need “Kyle Hamilton, Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, among some other veterans on defense, to be its best players.” Losing a high end player like linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and others will definitely hurt, but the talent is there for other players to step up.

When looking at the whole picture for VanHaaren, it’s probably not going to be what Notre Dame fans want to hear “with so much change on the roster and the staff, Notre Dame must have everything fall into place to make it back to where it was this season.” Hopefully everything does fall into place and we see Brian Kelly leading his team to a bowl game on or around New Year’s Day.