3 Notre Dame football MVPs on defense at halfway point of 2021 season

The Notre Dame defense has rebounded quite nicely after allowing 38 points and 442 total yards to Florida State in the season opener. The Irish have not allowed any of their last five opponents reach those numbers, even in a loss to Cincinnati on Oct. 2.

From the FSU game through last week's win at Virginia Tech, defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman's first Notre Dame defense has been a turnover machine. The Irish have forced at least one in every game and have come away with 14 through six games, which ranks tied for seventh nationally.

Here are three players who have helped Notre Dame round into form defensively and have the Irish on track to have an even better second half of the season.

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It didn't take the All-American long to make his presence known. Hamilton intercepted two passes in the season opener. The first of the INTs was an all-time play; Hamilton sprinted from the opposite hash to the sideline and somehow corralled the ball while keeping his feet in bounds.

Hamilton started fast in the pick department with three in the first three games but has not recorded one in the last three. He brings so much more to the Notre Dame defense than snagging interceptions, though.

Opposing quarterbacks have to account for where Hamilton is on the field at all times. Opposing wide receivers do too, obviously, and that can heavily affect how much of an impact they're able to have. He's exactly the type of player a coach wants roaming the back end of a defense.

Hamilton ranks second on the team in total tackles (32) and tied for first in passes defended (four). Enjoy him while you've got him, Notre Dame fans. Pro Football Network rated Hamilton as the No. 1 prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft. He likely only has half a season left in a golden helmet.

What more can you say about Bertrand's first six college starts?

He has led Notre Dame in tackles in all of them. He has 58 total tackles this season, 26 more than Hamilton. Four and a half of them have gone for a loss, and he has one sack as well. Don't forget about his fumble recovery either. He truly has done it all.

The only defensive player who has played more snaps than Bertrand (417) is Hamilton (430). It's been incredibly impressive for a player who could have been third on the depth chart at will linebacker if Notre Dame didn't fall victim to the injury bug to play almost every snap at a physically demanding position.

The craziest statistic related to Bertrand might be this: if you take away all of his assisted tackles, he'd still have the most tackles on the Notre Dame roster with solo tackles (37) alone. Just a sophomore in terms of eligibility, Bertrand might only just be getting started as a stalwart for Freeman's defense.

Only one Notre Dame defensive lineman, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, has played more snaps (317) than Jayson Ademilola (298) this season.

Ademilola might have the most impressive defensive statistic on the team, even more so than anything Bertrand has accomplished — which is a whole lot. Ademilola, an interior lineman, has more quarterback pressures (24) than anyone else on the Notre Dame roster.

Defensive ends Tagovailoa-Amosa (23) and Isaiah Foskey (19) have been productive in that department, but it says a lot about Ademilola as someone who lines up on the inside to be able to make the quarterback move as much as he has.

Ademilola ranks third on the team in total tackles (28) which is also an impressive feat for a defensive tackle. He checks in at No. 4 on the team in tackles for loss (3.5). He has even recorded a pass defended to join Foskey as the only players on the team who aren't a linebacker or defensive back to have a tally mark in that statistical category.

The senior has been the force up front every strong defense needs.

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