Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and running back Kyren Williams have declared for the 2022 NFL Draft after standout careers with the Fighting Irish. In doing so, both players will opt out of the upcoming Fiesta Bowl against No. 9 Oklahoma State to begin draft preparations.
Hamilton, the No. 1 overall player in the CBS Sports NFL Draft prospect rankings, leaves South Bend with 139 tackles, 24 passes defended and eight interceptions as one of the top overall players in college football. In just seven games this season, Hamilton posted three interceptions and four passes defended before suffering a season-ending knee injury against USC in October.
Despite missing nearly half the season, Hamilton earned a spot on the CBS Sports All-America Team.
“To the fans: I will always cherish the support you have given me during my time at Notre Dame,” Hamilton wrote. “Running out of that tunnel to 80,000 screaming fans is something I’ll never forget. I can’t thank you all enough for the support that has been shown to me and my teammates through thick and thin. You have made me feel like a part of a family and a Golden Domer for life.”
Williams is not as highly regarded as a draft prospect. However, he nevertheless had an excellent career in South Bend, rushing for more than 2,100 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career and clearing 1,000 yards rushing each of the past two seasons.
Here are the takeaways from the news that Hamilton and Williams are moving on from college football.
A new era in South Bend
Hamilton and Williams were both game-changing recruits from the 2019 class and quickly helped bring about one of the most successful eras in recent memory at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish went 32-5 with Williams and Hamilton in the lineup with consecutive top-five finishes in the CFP rankings.
Hamilton is a rare athletic prospect who brings a variety of different skill sets to the defensive side of the ball. Put simply, players like him don’t come around often. Williams developed into a bell-cow back who became a focal point of Notre Dame’s restructured offense as the 2021 season progressed.
With leaders on both sides off to the NFL and new head coach Marcus Freeman taking charge, the 2022 season will be a clean break. The Fighting Irish will have new faces on defense, a new starting quarterback and a new running back. The departures will show quickly if Freeman isn’t up for the challenge.
Draft projections
Without a premier quarterback on the board, Hamilton has a legitimate shot to compete with Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to be the No. 1 overall pick. Hamilton is the kind of rangy, electric playmaker that defensive coordinators can use in a variety of down-to-down situations.
CBS Sports NFL Draft writers Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso both have Hamilton going to New York in their mock drafts — Trapasso has Hamilton going to the Jets after a trade at No. 5, while Wilson has Hamilton going to the Giants after a trade to No. 6. Josh Edwards slots Hamilton as the No. 7 pick, also to the Giants.
“[Hamilton] is a 6-4, 220-pound version of Ed Reed — a sideline to sideline ball hawk — and that makes him a Day 1 impact player,” Wilson wrote.
Williams projects as a Day 2 pick as the No. 85 player in the class and No. 4 running back on the board. As a 5-foot-9, 199-pound bulldozer with soft feet, Williams has the profile and speed to develop into a rotation player at running back in the NFL.
