Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 30, 2021 11 UNDER THE DOME Quarterback Brendon Clark Enters Transfer Portal Notre Dame is losing a piece to its chaotic quarterback puzzle. Junior Brendon Clark announced his decision to transfer from the program Oct. 19, one day after head coach Brian Kelly mentioned his name in a press conference setting for the first time since fall camp. Clark has been battling a nagging knee injury he first had ACL sur- gery on in high school. He had another surgery on the same knee after the 2020 season. He has been slowly working his way back into game shape since the summer. Clark thanked Kelly and the Notre Dame coaching staff in his an- nouncement post on Instagram. He stated he is "beyond grateful" for the relationships he formed as a football player and student at Notre Dame. The 6-2, 225-pound Clark arrived in South Bend as a three-star recruit in the class of 2019 out of Midlothian (Va.) Manchester High School. He appeared in two games as a true freshman and one as a sophomore. He had six rushes for 29 yards and was 2-of-4 passing for 29 yards with one touchdown in his career. Clark was Notre Dame's fourth-string quarterback this season behind graduate student Jack Coan, sophomore Drew Pyne and true freshman Tyler Buchner. Kelly said that Clark spent much of the bye week running seven-on-seven drills with the first team to get him much needed reps. Clark has also operated Notre Dame's scout team offense. Pyne and Buchner have eligibility for next season. As it stands, they will be joined by class of 2022 three-star recruit Steve Angeli, who committed last spring. The Fighting Irish also currently have senior walk-on Cole Capen and freshman Ron Powlus III on the roster. — Tyler Horka Clark, a junior, appeared in three games, had six rushes for 29 yards and was 2-of-4 passing for 29 yards with one touchdown during his time at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS KYLE HAMILTON AND JOE ALT EARN MIDSEASON HONORS If there's such a thing as a unanimous mid-year All-America selection, Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton ought to qualify. Hamilton was a first-team midseason All-America selection by the Associated Press, The Athletic and CBS Sports. He played a team-high 431 defensive snaps through six games, per Pro Foot- ball Focus. His 33 tackles in that span ranked second among Irish defenders, behind only junior linebacker JD Bertrand. He had 2.0 tackles for loss, four passes broken up and three interceptions entering the USC game. Among 100 Football Bowl Subdivision safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps, Hamilton's passer rating (NFL version) when targeted was eighth lowest (37.7) as of Oct. 16. His 83.5 coverage grade ranked sixth in that group. He allowed 13 catches on 27 targets in coverage in Notre Dame's first six games, and his three interceptions were tied for second among FBS safeties through Week 7. "Hamilton possesses jaw-dropping range and playmaking abil- ity," The Athletic wrote. "He consistently makes his presence felt as a disruptive presence in both pass defense and run support." Offensive tackle Joe Alt's solid performance at Virginia Tech in his first career start could put him on a path to Freshman All-America honors if he keeps Notre Dame's left tackle job. One start and three other games with meaningful action was enough for ESPN to put him on its midseason True Freshman All-America team. "Alt is part of a transformed Notre Dame offensive line that had its best performance against Virginia Tech," ESPN's Tom VanHaaren wrote. "Putting him on this list is more of a prediction for what is ahead, rather than the cumulative of what he has already done. "He came in as a tight end, and he has been molded into a left tackle who has filled in nicely as a freshman. He has a lot of potential and could move around along the line, if needed, once fellow freshman Blake Fisher is fully healed from a meniscus tear." — Patrick Engel FRESHMAN TIGHT END CANE BERRONG TEARS MCL, WILL MISS REST OF SEASON Notre Dame has had a rash of injuries in the first half of the season, and the tight end position has been hit especially hard. Freshman tight end Cane Berrong tore his MCL in practice dur- ing the off week and will miss the remainder of the 2021 season, head coach Brian Kelly said. He had played in three of Notre Dame's first six games. Berrong played his first offensive snaps of the season Oct. 9 against Virginia Tech with sophomore Michael Mayer sidelined with an adductor strain. Sophomore Kevin Bauman has been out since fracturing his leg in the Sept. 5 opener at Florida State. He is set to return sometime in the second half of the season. With Berrong out and until Bauman is back, Mayer, senior George Takacs and freshman Mitchell Evans are Notre Dame's only available scholarship tight ends. Mayer has carried the position group this season. Entering the USC game, he led Notre Dame with 32 receptions, 360 yards and three touchdowns. Takacs was the only other tight end to catch a pass in the first six games. He caught his first of the year on the drive that set up the Irish's game-winning field goal against the Hokies. Berrong was a three-star recruit in Notre Dame's 2021 class from Hopewell (Ga.) Hart County High School. — Tyler Horka