Notre Dame football: Cam Hart could be most important Irish DB in 2022

The Notre Dame football team should be elite on defense in 2022, and cornerback Cam Hart will be expected to take another big step forward.

The 2022 college football season should be an exciting one for this Notre Dame football team, as Marcus Freeman enters his first full season as the program’s head coach. There are very high expectations for Freeman in Year 1, and based on the talent on both sides of the ball, the Irish could run the table this season.

To do so, they will have to make an enormous statement in Week 1, as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road. Ohio State has arguably the best quarterback in the country in C.J. Stroud, while also boasting a legitimate WR1 in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a definite first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

If the Irish are to stop the Buckeyes, CB1 Cam Hart has to be elite and based on what we saw last season, he is on the doorstep of being a shutdown cornerback for this Notre Dame football team. A win against Ohio State makes the Irish a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, and to beat them, Hart has to be on his game.

Notre Dame football should be elite on defense

While the defense should be elite this season, there are questions within the defensive backfield, including the cornerback spot. Hart is someone the Irish can rely on, and Clarence Lewis has a ton of starting experience, but the expectation is that Hart will draw the WR1 every week.

Despite Brandon Joseph coming in at safety, and likely playing at a high level, that makes Hart the most important defensive back for this program. He will be tested in Week 1, setting the stage for what could be a breakout season for him.

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The Notre Dame football team has some elite players on their roster, a few of which should be first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Notre Dame football team has a tough schedule in 2022, as they start with Ohio State, and end with USC, a program that also has high expectations for 2022. That will be a big test for Hart and this defense as well, but if Hart plays at a high level, and the younger cornerbacks in the program step up, the Irish should be able to stop any passing game that comes their way.