Notre Dame football: 1 Irish player named to top-50 list for 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football program has All-American talent on both sides of the ball but saw only one player listed within the top-50 in a recent ranking.
With the 2021 college football season on the horizon, we are starting to get a good look at what the 2021 Notre Dame football team could look like. The Irish are coming off an undefeated regular season in 2020 but did falter down the stretch, losing in both the ACC title game and the Rose Bowl.
Still, it was a terrific season, and we not only saw 14 players go on to the NFL, but we witnessed the rise of some All-American talent. Also, we saw another tremendous season from Kyle Hamilton, who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the country, and was recently honored by 247Sports.com in their 2021 top-50 players ranking.
For Hamilton, it is an honor, but the list should have included at least one more member of the Irish, as Kyren Williams, Michael Mayer, and Jarrett Patterson are all elite players at their respective position groups.
Notre Dame football star rated No. 7 overall
Overall, Hamilton was ranked as the No. 7 player in all of college football this season and the second defensive back behind Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU. Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was named the top player overall, with Stingley coming in at No. 2. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler was the first offensive player listed, with DeMarvin Leal from Texas A&M coming in at No. 4.
UNC signal-caller Sam Howell, who the Irish will face at home this season, rounded out the top-5, and Ohio State wideout Chris Olave was ranked right before Hamilton. One could argue that Hamilton should have been in the top-5, even before Howell and Olave, but at least he was recognized as a top-10 talent in 2021.
The Notre Dame defense is going to be in great shape under Freeman, who could be the final piece to their championship puzzle. For Hamilton, this is likely his final season on campus, and with another big year in 2021, he is likely destined to be a top-10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
For now, let us just enjoy another season of him patrolling the defensive backfield.