Notre Dame football: Former defensive players shine in the NFL

Notre Dame football is one of the best programs in the nation at sending players to the NFL. Week in and week out, whether on offense or defense, they have guys performing among the best at the highest level.

Brock Wright had arguably the biggest play of anyone this week as he caught a 51-yard touchdown with under 2 minutes remaining in the game. On 4th and 1 from midfield, Wright acted as a blocker before leaking out across the middle of the field and making the grab just beyond the line of scrimmage. From there, he rumbled the rest of the way to the endzone propelling the Lions ahead of the Jets.

Not to be outdone by his fellow Notre Dame graduate, Romeo Okwara sacked Zach Wilson starting off the next drive. Ultimately, the Jets drove into the range of a 58-yard field goal to tie the game but missed.

Kyle Hamilton, the latest stud safety Notre Dame has produced, had a stellar game in a 13-3 loss for the Ravens. He was 2nd on the team in tackles with 7 while having two for loss, including 1 sack. He also added a pass deflection. Graded as the highest rookie safety in the NFL, it’s not surprising to anyone, but Kyle Hamilton is off to a great start in his NFL career. Harrison Smith had 4 tackles for the Vikings in one of the wildest games of the NFL this season.

Continuing the defensive trend, two former Irish safeties were outstanding for the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Alohi Gilman and Drue Tranquill combined for a whopping 18 tackles, including a crucial sack by Tranquill late in the 4th quarter. While Drue was initially recruited for the Notre Dame football program as a safety, he has since converted to linebacker at the highest level.

Last but not least, two former Irish defensive players were stars against the Washington Commanders in a win for the New York Giants. Safety Julian Love and linebacker Jaylon Smith combined for 16 total tackles. Nick McCloud, a former cornerback for the Notre Dame football program, also secured a few tackles and two pass deflections in the game for the Giants.

The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players in the NFL continue to see massive success on both sides of the football. With some guys projected in the first few rounds of the upcoming draft, they’ll only add to that talent pool.