Notre Dame football: 5 Fighting Irish players poised for breakout seasons in 2020
1. Kyle Hamilton | S | Sophomore
The player that is almost assuredly set for a breakout season in 2020 is Kyle Hamilton, a young stud in the secondary who already has made an impact in his short career.
Hamilton, a four-star recruit in the class of 2019 hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, had an impressive freshman season in South Bend. He was able to notch 41 tackles, one for loss, four interceptions, one for a touchdown, and six passes defended. That is not too shabby for a true freshman coming into an already great defense.
With the losses in the secondary, Hamilton should already be the leader of the unit in just his second season, and that points to a fantastic year for the sophomore. He will be surrounded by a few veterans, but his talent that he showed on the field last season is just too much to deny.
He was No. 8 on the team in tackles in 2019, and it would stun me if he wasn’t at least the top five on that list in the upcoming season. His zone coverage skills as a safety and he already proved to be a ball-hawk with the four interceptions. If he can continue the momentum that he was able to build in 2019, Hamilton has the chance to be the best player on a defense full of future NFL athletes.
That is saying something considering the Irish’s top two leading tacklers at linebacker return to the team this season. But Hamilton has the chance to be something special, don’t be surprised if you see him in the Thorpe award conversation come season’s end.
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