Notre Dame’s Best Defender Given Massive Praise

Kyle Hamilton Averaged 34.9 coverage snaps per reception per Pro Football Focus, 35th nationally among all safeties and second among freshmen

Kyle Hamilton went from almost an afterthought of a recruit a few short years ago to an eventual five-star player in the 247Sports ratings and eventually became an impact-freshman in 2019.

Now the sophomore to be will have a lot of national eyes on him as he enters year two at Notre Dame as he’s been named by some in the new as one of the truly elite nationally at his position.

Anthony Treash of ESPN ranked returning safeties in college football ahead of the 2020 season and Hamilton checked in fifth nationally.

“True freshman safety Hamilton could not have done much more in coverage for the Fighting Irish last season. The 6-foot-4 defensive back finished among the five best safeties in the country in PFF coverage grade and had more interceptions plus pass breakups (nine) than catches allowed (seven). That production paved the way to a 1.3 passer rating allowed. Hamilton read quarterbacks like books and made special plays all season. He’ll be a vital piece to the Irish secondary the next couple of seasons.”

Hamilton is a star in the making and despite some secondary losses to the NFL in Troy Pride, Jr., Donte Vaughn Jalen Elliot and Alohi Gilman, Hamilton’s presence along with highly-touted players in both Isaiah Pryor and Houston Griffith make me more optimistic about the secondary than others.

If you want to see Hamilton’s accomplishments and watch 2:30 of his highlights from freshman year then click ahead…