Tag: irish

NFL Highlights: Kyle Hamilton’s Pro Bowl Interception

Putting the bow on a memorable 2023 season for a Notre Dame great

Former Notre Dame All-American safety [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] had a massive showing for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.  The 2022 first round draft pick earned All-Pro status and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.

In that Pro Bowl that was played on the first Sunday of February, Hamilton made a huge play in trying to set up an AFC comeback.  With the NFC leading 64-59 with just over three minutes to go it looked like they were about to score to essentially put an end to the contest.

Instead, Hamilton took advantage of a tipped pass and put the AFC in position to win the game.  Check it out below:

The AFC got deep into NFC territory but was ultimately stopped on fourth and goal.

Hamilton had four interceptions on the year, including a pick-six which was the first of his NFL career.

See the best photos from Hamilton’s 2023-24 season here.

What Does Notre Dame Need To Get Over The Hump?

How can Notre Dame take the step from being a very good program to a really good or great program in 2024?

Notre Dame has been one of the most consistent football programs in the country from 2017 until now in terms of overall record. This in itself is an accomplishment, but not the ultimate one.

Notre Dame fans want trophies.

Major bowl wins.

Playoff wins.

A national championship.

This leaves the Irish in an interesting spot. A perennial top “tenish” team but not much to brag about beyond that point.

Notre Dame’s program is on a stable foundation. Jack Swarbrick and Brian Kelly deserve some credit for that. The mission now is pushing this operation to higher highs. What is keeping Notre Dame from making the jump from really solid to elite or borderline elite?

Let’s examine some obvious answers to this important question.

Happy birthday to a Notre Dame football great!

Which sport was he better at?

In the long history of Notre Dame football, one of the very best wide receivers to ever wear blue and gold never played on Sundays.

Well, football at least.

Jeff Samardzija played at Notre Dame from 2003-2006, earning All-American status in his junior and senior seasons. He totaled 2,593 receiving yards for the Irish; 2,266 of those came in his junior and senior seasons.

Samardzija also starred on Notre Dame’s baseball team as a pitcher and he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2006. He bypassed a career in the NFL, instead making his way to Major League Baseball in 2008 and lasting there until 2020.

Looking back there is a case to be made that Samardzija was the MVP of the first two years of the Charlie Weis era when Notre Dame wound up in back-to-back BCS games.

It’s hard to believe, but the former two-sport star for the Fighting Irish turns 39 today.  Happy birthday to The Shark!

Celebrate by checking out the best photos of him at Notre Dame below:

 

An early look at Notre Dame football’s 2024 schedule

Notre Dame’s record in 2024 will be ________.

We’re already nearing a month since Notre Dame ended the 2023 season with a dominating 40-8 win over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.  It’s a long way to go still but the first steps towards the 2024 college football season have been taken.

So far this off-season things have gone well for Notre Dame.  A stellar recruiting class was brought in, the transfer portal did wonders for the roster, and there is excitement regarding the hires on the coaching staff.

One reason for optimism entering 2024 for Notre Dame fans is the schedule the Irish will play.  It has some big names but in terms of a usual Notre Dame schedule it’s a lot more Irish-friendly than some in recent memory.

So how do things shape up for the Irish entering 2024?  Here is an initial look.

Tommy Rees update in regards to Alabama opening

Roll Tommy?

Thursday we saw news that former Notre Dame quarterback and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees had interviewed for the head coach opening at Alabama.

In the early hours of Friday morning he remains a possibility to be the next head coach but certainly doesn’t appear to be a favorite.

The following is from a 247Sports report by Brandon Marcello:

The names to watch heading into Friday at Alabama are Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees,sources told 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello earlier Thursday.

Rees is viewed as a long-shot.

Rees is only 31 and I’d still be shocked if he ends up getting the job.  My money remains on Lane Kiffin until we hear otherwise, but if Alabama wanted to do the Duke basketball type thing and have Saban still oversee things in a big way but have a younger coach, then Rees becomes what Jon Scheyer does for the Blue Devils.

Just thinking out loud.  Stay tuned as there could be major movement in regards to the next Alabama head coach today.

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Marcus Freeman Linked To Alabama Job: Is He A Good Fit?

Freeman named as a potential Saban replacement – but is he a fit?

Every time things seem to settle down in the world of college football, the next big “thing” happens. The latest news is Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama. This news is not a shock to me after I learned early last year of a mansion Saban purchased near the Tiger Woods compound in Jupiter, Florida.

I took this and the local Jupiter chatter surrounding it as a clear sign.

With more title rings than one hand can handle and a magnificent 206-29 record — six of those losses came in his first year — Saban’s reputation will live forever. But soon the attention will move to the future.

What direction will Alabama go in for their next hire? According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Marcus Freeman is on the candidate list. This is very interesting.

Let’s examine if Freeman would be a fit for Alabama.

Notre Dame Football: Irish Get Special Teams Jolt Through Transfer Portal

Notre Dame special teams got better today.

The transfer portal has been good to Notre Dame so far this winter and they came up with another catch from it Tuesday.  Former Marshall wide receiver and kick returner [autotag]Jayden Harrison[/autotag] is on his way to play for the Fighting Irish.

Harrison is coming off a year where he hauled in 28 receptions for 410 yards and a touchdown which came against North Carolina State, but on kickoff return is where he has done most of his damage.  Returning 23 kickoffs for 705 yards (over 30 yards per return), Harrison returned two for scores and was named a First Walter Camp All-American as a Kick Returner as a result.

This is a major boost for the Notre Dame special teams unit and a win for the Irish over Deion Sanders and Colorado as the Buffaloes were Harrison’s other finalist.

And before you ask, yes, Harrison was on the Marshall team that beat Notre Dame in 2022.  He led the Thundering Herd with 38 receiving yards that day but did not return any kicks.

Harrison originally enrolled at Vanderbilt and played the 2020 season there before spending the last three seasons at Marshall.  He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining with Notre Dame.

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Notre Dame Football: 5 Ways for Irish to Close National Championship Gap

How does Notre Dame truly return to glory and raise another national championship trophy?

Notre Dame football has been one of the best football programs nationally since 2017.  In six of those seven years, the Irish have won 10 or more games, they’ve twice gone to the College Football Playoff, and their recruiting has seen a ratings uptick since [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] was hired.

Yet Notre Dame was out of the College Football Playoff hunt by early October this year.  A home loss to Ohio State coupled with a destruction at the hands of Louisville did them in before having a third loss at Clemson later in the year.

So as good as Notre Dame has been there is still a gap to close.  How close are Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish to closing that and getting Notre Dame to play in a national championship game?

Let’s examine…

Notre Dame Stays Hot in Recruiting – Lands East Coast Safety

There is still almost a year until the early signing period but Notre Dame already has 13 commitments. Find out about the latest one here!

Notre Dame added to their currently top-ranked 2025 recruiting class just hours before the national championship game Monday when they received a commitment from safety Ethan Long of Connecticut.

Long checks in at 6-2, 185-pounds and chose Notre Dame over some big-time programs such as Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and plenty of others.

Long shared the following with 247Sports in regard to his commitment:

“You don’t choose Notre Dame, Notre Dame chooses you,” said Long to 247Sports ahead of his commitment. “I feel like I’m at home every time I step on that campus. My heart has been telling me that this is it. God has guided me. Freeman, O’Leary and Golden are building something special and they want me a part of it and that’s all I can ask for.”

The 247Sports composite rankings list Long as a four-star prospect and the No. 317 overall player in the class.  He joins four-star Ivan Taylor of Florida as safeties in Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class that now has 13 members.

Notre Dame Football: 22 Former Domers in 2024 NFL Playoffs

Notre Dame has a player on 11 of 14 playoff teams this year. Will a former Domer win another Super Bowl?

The NFL’s regular season came to an end Sunday night and the 14 playoff teams are set.

On those 14 teams are 22 players that spent their college years at Notre Dame.

Will any of those 14 find their way to Las Vegas in a few weeks and be playing to join the list of 45 former Golden Domers to win a Super Bowl?

Time will tell on that but 11 of the 14 playoff teams have representation from Notre Dame, including the top seeds in both the AFC and NFC.

So if your favorite NFL team didn’t make the playoffs or if you’re looking for someone to root for in the other conference, here is the list of Notre Dame players on NFL playoff rosters this season.