Notre Dame football: Could other draft prospects skip the Fiesta Bowl?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team will be without Kyle Hamilton and Kyren Williams for the Fiesta Bowl, but could other draft prospects skip the game as well?
The Notre Dame football team will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl on New Years Day, as they look to break their slide in big-time bowl games and playoff appearances. For the Irish, this game has even more meaning now that Marcus Freeman was named the head coach, as he will try and get win No. 1 at the helm of the program.
This week, we saw the Irish roster for that matchup take a hit, as both Kyle Hamilton and Kyren Williams declared for the NFL Draft, and stated they would not be playing in the game. Hamilton was no shock, as he has been hurt since the USC game, but Williams is one that while it was a possibility, you would hope it would not happen.
Now, the Irish have to move on from them, and they have the talent to do so at running back in Logan Diggs, Audric Estime, and Chris Tyree. Replacing Hamilton is tougher, but this defense has done a nice job without him since the USC tilt, so it is status quo in terms of that position group.
The question to ask now is whether or not other draft prospects could declare and decide to skip the bowl game. Both Isaiah Foskey and Jarrett Patterson are considered Day 2 picks next April, and while they have yet to declare, they are two prospects who could decide to forgo the rest of their eligibility.
Both players would be hard to replace, as Patterson is the team’s starting center, and the offensive line is finally playing at an elite level. Foskey is one of the best defensive ends in the country, and a menace in the backfield, so keep an eye on those two players in the next week or two.
Notre Dame football still loaded despite losses
Even with the loss of Hamilton and Williams, this Irish team is loaded going into the Fiesta Bowl, and are favorites to beat the Cowboys. Freeman is going to have this team fired up to go into battle, and based on how they played down the stretch, they are going to be a very tough team to beat.
The Irish can make a real statement on New Years Day by beating the Oklahoma State Cowboys, getting the Marcus Freeman Era off to a great start. They will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes to open the 2022 campaign, which happens to be Freeman’s alma mater, so getting this first win would do a lot for the first-team head coach’s confidence heading into that matchup.