Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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DEFENSIVE BACKS the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year by CoSIDA. • Did not play during the 2018 season after suf- fering a torn ACL during a one-on-one drill in practice. • Appeared in 12 games with one start in 2017, and registered 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and seven passes defended. • Started the first two contests of the 2016 cam- paign before suffering a season-ending torn Achil- les in the second game. • Notched six tackles (five solo), hauled in an inter- ception and returned a blocked extra point the length of the field for a two-point conversion in 2016 before getting injured early in game two. • Missed the entire 2015 campaign after suffering a torn ACL in August. • Was a multi-talented athlete at St. Edward, racking up 91 tackles and seven interceptions on defense, and 824 yards and nine scores on offense as a senior, while also finishing third in the 100-meter dash at the Ohio Division I championship. • Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 4 recruit in Ohio, and the No. 7 cornerback and No. 82 overall player nationally by Rivals. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016 2-2 6 0.0 0.0 1 0 2017 12-1 32 1.5 1.5 2 5 2018 Did Not Play 2019 11-8 28 1.0 0.0 1 2 Totals 25-11 66 2.5 1.5 4 7 HOUSTON GRIFFITH • CB Jr. • Chicago Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 204 • Saw the field in all 13 games in 2019, and recorded five tackles and one pass broken up. • Played in 11 contests with one start in 2018, and tallied 14 tackles and two passes defended. • Posted a season-high four tackles against Virginia Tech. • Recorded 35 tackles, three stops for a loss, one sack, one interception and four passes broken up as a senior, while helping Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy to a 9-0 record and the No. 2 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25. • Participated in the Under Armour All-American Game and made one tackle. • Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 11 talent in Florida, and the No. 4 safety and No. 43 overall player nationally by Rivals. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2018 11-1 14 0.0 0.0 0 2 2019 13-0 5 0.0 0.0 0 1 Totals 24-1 19 0.0 0.0 0 3 KYLE HAMILTON • S So. • Atlanta Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 216 • Played in all 13 games with one start in 2019. • Tabbed as a Freshman All- American by Pro Football Fo- cus (PFF), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), ESPN, The Athletic, USA Today and 247Sports, plus was named the program's Co- Defensive Newcomer of the Year. • Despite a part-time role, he finished his rookie season as the team leader in interceptions (four), and was tied for second in passes broken up (six) while finishing seventh in tackles (41). • Was one of 50 players nationally and one of just four freshmen in the Football Bowl Subdivision to record four or more interceptions last fall. • Intercepted a pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown versus New Mexico on his first defen- sive snap in Notre Dame Stadium. • Finished among the five best safeties in the coun- try in PFF coverage grade (89.7), and had more interceptions plus passes broken up than catches allowed — seven on 23 targets (30.4 percent com- pletion percentage) for 74 yards — while notching a 1.3 passer rating allowed. Averaged 34.9 cover- age snaps per reception per PFF, which ranked 35th nationally among all safeties and second among freshmen. • Recorded 72 tackles, broke up eight passes, pulled down four interceptions and scored two defensive touchdowns as a senior at Marist School. • Added more than 1,000 total yards and 11 touch- downs on offense and special teams during his final campaign. • Named to the 2018 USA Today All-America second team and the 2018 USA Today All-State first team. • Awarded The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Re- gion 7-AAAA Special Teams Player of the Year and named to their first team as a kick returner. • Landed as a finalist for the All-American Bowl's 2018 Defensive Player of the Year. • Competed in the 2019 All-American Bowl. • Ranked as a five-star recruit, the No. 2 player in Georgia, and the No. 1 safety and No. 15 overall prospect nationally by 247Sports. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2019 13-1 41 1.0 0.0 4 6 CAM HART • WR So. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-2½ • Wt.: 205 Made the move from wide re- ceiver to cornerback last fall, and played in three games before suf- fering a season-ending shoulder injury. Notched 30 tackles and two interceptions as a cornerback, plus grabbed 37 passes for 600-plus yards and seven scores, as a junior at Good Counsel High School. Named 2017 and 2018 All-Met honorable mention by The Washington Post. Ranked as a three-star recruit, the No. 11 player in Maryland and the No. 53 athlete nationally in his class by Rivals. NICK MCCLOUD • CB 5th-Sr. • Rock Hill, S.C. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 190 • Joined the Notre Dame program as a graduate transfer in May, after four years at North Carolina State. Will have one year of eli- gibility with the Fighting Irish. • Played in 36 contests and made 21 starts over four seasons with the Wolfpack, while notching 106 tackles, three interceptions and 20 passes broken up. • Was limited to just two games — both starts — with NC State in 2019 due to injury, thus opening up the possibility for a gradu- ate transfer year in 2020. • Started 11 games at right corner in 2018 and ranked ninth in the ACC in passes defended (10). Had two interceptions and broke up eight passes, while also ranking fourth on the team in tackles (51). • Played in 13 contests with seven starts in 2017, and notched 34 stops, seven passes broken up and one interception, which he returned 53 yards. • Was one of just two Wolfpack true freshman to see action from scrimmage on defense in 2016, with 10 games played and one start (in the Inde- pendence Bowl win over Vanderbilt). • Helped lead South Pointe High School to a 14-1 record and the South Carolina Class AAA champi- onship as a senior. • Was named to the 2015 All-State team by USA Today and the South Carolina High School League, and also was invited to participate in the North/ South All-Star game. • South Pointe also won the state title during his junior campaign, when he caught 33 passes for 349 yards and two scores. • Rivals rated him as three-star recruit, the No. 9 player in South Carolina and the No. 54 corner- back in the class of 2016. Year G-GS TT TFL Sacks Int. PBU 2016 10-1 14 0.0 0.0 0 3 2017 13-7 34 0.0 0.0 1 7 2018 11-11 51 0.0 0.0 2 8 2019 2-2 7 0.0 0.0 0 2 Totals 36-21 106 0.0 0.0 3 20 ISAIAH PRYOR • S Sr. • Lawrenceville, Ga. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 199 • Graduated from Ohio State in December 2019 and trans- ferred to Notre Dame to begin the spring 2020 semester. Will have two years of eligibility with the Fighting Irish. • Played in 31 games over three seasons (2017-19) with the Buckeyes, and compiled 47 tackles and one interception. • Saw action in only four games last fall, creating the possibility of a second year of eligibility at Notre Dame. • Played in 13 games with seven starts for Ohio State in 2018, and totaled a career-high 31 tackles plus one interception. Also ranked second on the team with six passes defended. • Lettered as a true freshman for a Buckeyes squad that won the Big Ten championship, playing in 14 games and tallying 13 tackles. • Posted 54 tackles while helping Bradenton (Fla.) 108 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW