Notre Dame Football: 5 takeaways from the Irish victory over Duke
By Matt Clark
Kyle Hamilton is critical
Despite being a true freshman, Kyle Hamilton showed last year that he has the makings of a superstar player for the Notre Dame football team for the foreseeable future. Playing in special sub-packages for the Irish defense in 2019, Hamilton routinely came up with big play after big play.
As a result, he was expected to be an integral part of the 2020 defensive unit for Notre Dame. In his first game of the season, the superstar safety did not disappoint Notre Dame football fans. He would finish second on the team with seven total tackles, would add a quarterback hurry, and a pass deflection in the game.
Hamilton exhibited excellent coverage skills, locking down Duke receivers on a regular basis. He was seemingly in on every play in some shape or fashion. That includes the play where he was helping to pursue Duke running back Deon Jackson when Irish linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah forced the running back to fumble.
Unfortunately, Hamilton was close enough in the pursuit that Jackson rolled up on his legs and injured him on the play. As a result, Hamilton was forced to leave the game with over 12 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, leaving Notre Dame fans holding their collective breaths that the injury was not serious.
Luckily, reports indicate that Hamilton suffered a mild lower ankle sprain and could have returned to the game if necessary, but that head coach Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame staff opted to be cautious and keep Hamilton out of the remainder of the game.
The injury scare drove home the importance of Kyle Hamilton to the success of the Notre Dame defensive unit. While the unit certainly has a number of very talented players outside of Hamilton, the playmaking skill that he brings to the defensive secondary cannot be understated.
Given the fact that the Irish lost three starters from last year’s secondary to the National Football League, having Hamilton, who played regularly and spectacularly last season, to anchor the secondary is absolutely crucial. He is the type of player on defense that opposing offensive coordinators must game plan for. His shortened performance yesterday was a further indication of how critical he is to this defensive unit.