Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1424555
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 6, 2021 13 UNDER THE DOME THEY SAID IT THEY SAID IT "He plays with such an energy and an edge. It's hard not to pass that on to the entire group. Maybe Theo Riddick [2009-12] had a similar kind of vibe to him. He played like that, played physical and it rubbed off on the group. That's who he reminds me of." — Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly on who he would compare junior running back KYREN WILLIAMS to "I'm not trying to match what Kyle can do but just uphold the standard that we have in the safety room. Kyle has always been there. He helps me out with certain things he sees that I can't see while I'm playing. Certain routes on the other side of the field, things like that. He's still in the film room and with us through all our meetings. Kyle trusts me to go out there and play my best." — Notre Dame senior safety DJ Brown on filling in for injured All- American teammate Kyle Hamilton "It's a school that I see myself being at. They will be in it when I make my final decision." — Pleasant Hill (Iowa) Southeast Polk 6-8, 335-pound lineman Kadyn Proctor — Rivals' No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class — on Notre Dame after his visit Oct. 23 "I keep going back to, I think Brian Kelly would be an interesting hire and an interesting name. I'm not saying Brian Kelly would leave Notre Dame, but if I'm USC I might knock on his door and talk to him. I don't know if Brian Kelly would leave [for] anywhere. I think he's in a really good spot, but it's worth asking, so anyway, I think he could be a possibility." — ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit on Kelly being somebody USC should contact for its vacant head coach job via the Pac-12 Network on Sirius XM Radio "Hamilton is a nightmare matchup for offenses. He has great size and closing burst while playing all over the defense. You'll see him line up deep in coverage, over the slot and even at linebacker. Hamilton can blanket tight ends, and with solid ball skills and an ability to read the QB, he will make plays. "He has three interceptions in seven games this year, along with 34 tackles and four passes broken up. Against the run, Hamilton can fill the alley, but he will need to work on his angles to avoid missing tackles." — ESPN's Todd McShay on listing Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton No. 4 in his 2022 NFL Draft rankings Oct. 27 "My hunch is Drew Pyne will stick around next season for a few reasons. One, Notre Dame is more likely to play two quarterbacks than not, based on Kelly's track record and the nature of the posi- tion. Assuming Tyler Buchner is QB1 next season, we're talking about a running quarterback who has already had one season-ending injury going back to high school. "Two, Pyne is incredibly popular in the Notre Dame locker room. There would be a lot of relationships pulling him to stay here for another season. And three, because Pyne enrolled early and is a strong student, he'd likely be one semester away from graduation at the start of next season. Do you walk away from a degree here for a chance to maybe start elsewhere? Or do you stay at Notre Dame next fall, then potentially depart as a gradu- ate transfer with at least two seasons of eligibility to play?" — The Athletic's Pete Sampson "Our voting that placed Notre Dame at seventh in the ACC flies in the face of what the computers are projecting. KenPom has the Irish third. Bart Torvik has them fifth. So Notre Dame looks like the team most likely to exceed our expectations." — Gary Parrish on listing Notre Dame as the most underrated team in the ACC in CBS Sports' pre- season projections "At this point in time, my ankle isn't where it should be. This is the best decision not only for my health, but also for the team long term. I look forward to supporting my team from the sideline this season and coming back fully healthy in 2022. "… This is not what I wanted or expected when coming into the season. Throughout the last year, I did everything I could to be 100 percent healthy so I could be out there playing for our team and city." — Former Notre Dame and current Balti- more Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley on opting to undergo season-ending ankle surgery in mid-October; the 27-year-old has played in just two games since signing a five-year, 98.75 million contract extension in October 2020 OF THE WEEK "As part of the yearlong celebration of the 75th anniversary of Frazier Thompson, we welcomed back former Black student-athletes to celebrate their extraordinary contributions to our community. " und.com/standtogether "#staNDtogether #GoIrish" — The official account of Fighting Irish athletics (@FightingIrish) on Oct. 26 PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER