Notre Dame Football: Irish will lean on veterans in secondary
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football program is losing some stars on the defensive side of the ball, but two veterans will lead the way in the secondary.
During the 2021 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame Football team lost some key players on the defensive side of the ball, including their leader in linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Upfront, the Irish also lost two key edge rushers in Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes, both of whom were picked up on Day 3.
Heading into next season, some solid vets are coming back along the offensive line, and new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is a master at improving the linebacker group. Overall, the defense should be solid, but it is two players in the defensive backfield that must lead the way.
Notre Dame Football has solid vets in the secondary
In the secondary, the Irish have two veterans who are going to have to step up in a big way in 2021. Sure, Houston Griffith returning is a shot in the arm to the safety group, but it is the other safety, Kyle Hamilton, who is going to have to come in and be the unquestioned leader of not only the secondary, but the defense as a whole.
Hamilton is a player who many believe will end up as a top-5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, which means this is likely his final season in South Bend. In Hamilton, the Irish have one of the elite safeties in football, and a player who will certainly change the outcome of a game or two next season.
At cornerback, Clarence Lewis stepped up in a big way as a true freshman this past season, and will now be in a mentor role with all of the tremendous cornerbacks coming in this season. If he and Hamilton can play at the level they did in 2020, with Lewis being a bit better, they should be fine in the defensive backfield.
In their latest top-25 poll, ESPN had the Irish sitting at No. 12 overall, which was a three-spot jump after the Blue-Gold Game. They should be able to move the ball with some elite weapons on offense, but in 2021, this team is only going to go as far as this defense is going to take them, especially considering they are playing some elite quarterbacks this Fall.