Notre Dame football: Kyle Hamilton declares, destined for 2022 first round
The Notre Dame football team has been without Kyle Hamilton for some time now, and after declaring for the NFL Draft, his time with the Irish is over.
It’s something that most fans have expected since his freshman season, but Notre Dame football All-American safety Kyle Hamilton will be declaring for the NFL Draft, forgoing his senior season. This is no surprise because of his raw talent, which has been obvious for years and should lead to Hamilton being a high first-round draft pick.
In his letter to Notre Dame fans, Kyle Hamilton wrote, “I will always cherish the support you have given me during my time at Notre Dame. Running out of that tunnel to 80,000 screaming fans is something I’ll never forget.”
This, of course, means that Kyle Hamilton won’t be returning for the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State. On the surface, this is a major blow because of the raw talent and athleticism being lost, but Hamilton was injured early in the USC game and hasn’t played ever since. The defense has largely been fine without him, even if they could be better if he were to stay around at play.
It’s all guesswork now, but you’d imagine that Hamilton would have waited to make this announcement if Notre Dame had made the College Football Playoff.
Where does Notre Dame football go without Kyle Hamilton?
The bigger question for Notre Dame is going to be finding a long-term replacement for Kyle Hamilton. The secondary, outside of Hamilton, has been the weak point on the Irish defense, so it’s going to be Marcus Freeman’s job to fill those gaps and better develop defensive back depth for the Irish.
As for Kyle Hamilton, this is going to be the next step in his football journey. Most people expect him to be a top-10, and potentially a top-5 pick in next Spring’s NFL Draft. The things that he does on the field resemble players like Ed Reed, balancing his speed, length, and closing speed. That’s before you consider how hard Kyle Hamilton can hit. So, as long as he stays healthy, Kyle Hamilton feels like a can’t miss prospect.