Notre Dame’s star safety Kyle Hamilton suffered an apparent leg injury in the first quarter of the Fighting Irish’s matchup with USC on Saturday. He is listed as questionable to return, according to Notre Dame, but was seen on the sidelines in the third quarter without his helmet.
Hamilton, one of the top defensive players in America, needed help getting off the field after his right leg was stretched out awkwardly while making a tackle on USC All-American receiver Drake London. Hamilton already had a pair of tackles in the first quarter against the Trojans at the time of the injury.
The junior was selected to the 2021 CBS Sports Midseason All-America Team and a presumed favorite for the Jim Thorpe Award. He is projected as the No. 3 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft as a selection by the Detroit Lions, according to CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards.
In three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Hamilton has accumulated 138 tackles, 16 passes defended and 8 interceptions. He was an All-America pick by numerous outlets after a breakout sophomore season.
Junior DJ Brown is listed as second-string free safety on the Notre Dame depth chart. Brown has 17 tackles and an interception in 2021.
