Back In Action, Kyle Hamilton Readies For A Season With Much Responsibility
Marcus Freeman couldn’t hide his amazement.
Of course, he learned long ago when watching old Notre Dame film that safety Kyle Hamilton is a rare talent. He could see the traits on tape. The versatility. The range. The strides that chew up real estate with the grace of a gazelle.
But until Saturday’s fall camp kick-off, Freeman hadn’t seen it in person on the practice field. Hamilton did not participate in on-field work this spring while he recovered from ankle surgery. Freeman went through his first spring practice as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator without his star safety.
Even more reason for him to have felt like a kid seeing the presents under the Christmas tree when camp finally began. His first up-close look at Hamilton unwrapped and in action didn’t disappoint.
“The things he does, sometimes he makes them look effortless,” Freeman said. “It doesn’t look like he’s straining. You’re like, ‘Holy cow, he’s covering ground.’ A guy is wide open, then he comes out of nowhere and knocks the ball down. A couple plays in practice, they’re running the ball laterally. I’m wondering, ‘Where’s our edge?’ Then, there he comes. Whoosh.”
Freeman came into training camp with a developed idea of his defensive structure, but it seems Hamilton has Freeman’s imagination running even more. He has time to make additions and tweaks. That’s what camp is for.
“You can use him in so many different ways,” Freeman said. “When you have those type of athletes and they can do so many different things with their tools, gosh, it’s one of the greatest things you can have as a defensive coordinator. You can put that guy in many different positions.”
Freeman’s predecessor, Clark Lea, did exactly that with Hamilton last season. Lea stretched Hamilton far beyond his safety designation and made him a three-level player. Hamilton played 139 snaps in the box, 111 in the slot and 321 at free safety, per Pro Football Focus. He created havoc from all alignments and finished the season with a team-high 63 tackles. He also notched 4.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and an interception.
“I really like that, because it gives me variety of what I’m doing week in and week out and adjusting what I’m doing to the team we’re playing,” Hamilton said.
The specifics of how Freeman uses him will remain largely a secret until Notre Dame’s Sept. 5 opener. What’s clear now is he will move around — with Freeman’s direction and his own. The duo will do anything to throw offenses off the scent and keep them guessing.
Every opposing offensive coordinator will start his game planning by working around Hamilton. Every opposing quarterback will locate him pre-snap before anyone else. It’s not as if he operated in linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s shadow last year, but he’s the undeniable focal point now.
“They’re obviously scheming around me, and that gets frustrating when I don’t make a play I wish I could have because they know where I’m going to be at all times,” Hamilton said. “I feel like that also means I’m doing something well, and that opens up a lot of opportunities for my teammates to make plays.”
Freeman gives Notre Dame’s defenders some freedom to roam around pre-snap, which Hamilton utilizes as often as anyone. If he can’t operate in secret, he must be fluent in deceptive practices and movements.
“I can definitely see pre-snap when me and the quarterback make eye contact,” Hamilton said. “I have to be conscious of where I am pre-snap, because obviously he’s looking at me, so I try to give him a different look than what we’re actually doing.”
All told, Freeman is putting a lot on Hamilton’s shoulders as Notre Dame’s defensive centerpiece. Not that Hamilton doesn’t already have enough weight to hold. On a team with widespread leadership turnover, he’s a likely team captain and an obvious standard-setter.
“I put more pressure on myself to be a leader within the DB room, within the whole team,” Hamilton said. “Somebody anyone can look at to do the right thing.”
He is also Notre Dame’s most visible player because of his NFL draft stock and his name, image and likeness ventures. The latter includes hosting a podcast with teammates Cam Hart, KJ Wallace and Conor Ratigan. NIL will get less of his time once the season starts, he said. Too much else to do.
Enough that he admits it’s unlikely he will dabble at wide receiver. Even though he and Notre Dame coaches have playfully kicked around the idea on Twitter. Even though his 6-4, 220-pound frame with his ball skills makes him an intriguing receiver. Even though he played the position in high school and says he misses the thrill of scoring touchdowns.
He all but ended the guesswork because he wants to spend more time keeping opponents guessing.
“I feel like I’ll leave that in high school,” Hamilton said. “My plate is pretty full on defense as it is.”
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