Notre Dame Football: Cam Hart will play a key role for Marcus Freeman in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football program will need some new faces to step up in 2021, and cornerback Cam Hart is taking a liking to Marcus Freeman’s scheme.
Last season, the Notre Dame Football program had the luxury of welcoming Nick McCloud to campus, and he went on to nail down a starting cornerback spot. Formerly of North Carolina State, McCloud played so well that he has signed as an undrafted free agent this offseason, and will look to latch on with the Buffalo Bills at the NFL level.
Also in 2020, true freshman Clarence Lewis came out of nowhere to nail down a starting job as well, and he will be counted on to lead the group in 2021. Next to him should be junior Cam Hart, a big-bodied corner who came to the Irish as a wide receiver, and after a season-ending injury in 2019, has risen the depth chart.
Hart looked the part of a starting cornerback during the Blue-Gold Game, and if he can step into that role in 2021, it eliminates one of the big question marks on this defense moving forward.
Notre Dame Football leaning on veterans on defense
Although the defense lost players like Ade Ogundeji, Daelin Hayes, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to name a few, they should still be elite on that side of the ball. Freeman has a large cast of veterans to work with in his first season in South Bend, and as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, that bodes well for the Irish.
They have a ton of vets up front along the defensive line, including guys like Kurt Hinish and Isaiah Foskey, who will be counted on to continue to move the program in the right direction. Freeman is elite when it comes to the linebacker group, and he has a veteran-laded collection of players there as well, so expect all three levels to be solid in 2021.
For Hart, he has some huge shoes to fill, but he also has the talent to be one of the better press cornerbacks in the country, and help shut down the opposition’s passing game. With Lewis and Hamilton returning, as well as Houston Griffith, the secondary is strong at the top, and do not be surprised if some of the youngsters, especially at cornerback, turn some heads in 2021 as well.