Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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52 SEPT. 7, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE T wo mainstays and three newcom- ers made up the five former Fighting Irish included on the NFL's list of the top 100 players of 2024. This annual exercise is notable because it's voted on by current NFL players. Explosive Miami Dolphins wide re- ceiver Tyreek Hill topped the list. Following is a breakdown of the five Irish who earned top-100 honors from their peers after the 2023 season. Years played at Notre Dame are in parenthe- sis and an asterisk denotes a first-time honoree. No. 43 Kyle Hamilton* (2019-21) S, Baltimore The former Irish All-American enjoyed his breakout with the Ravens last season in his first year as a full-time starter to make his grand debut on this list as the top-ranked safety in the league. Hamilton, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, finished 2023 with 13 passes defended, 4 interceptions, 3 sacks and 1 defensive touchdown. For his effort, the 23-year-old bud- ding star also earned first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection. No. 53 Zack Martin (2009-13) OL, Dallas Making his eighth appearance on the top-100 list, Martin remains one of the steadiest linemen in the league since he became the 16th overall selection in the 2014 draft. Martin had just one total penalty in 2023, a false start, and he lands on this list as the top-rated offensive guard. More remarkably, he has recorded only eight holding penalties during his nine years in the league. As decorated as any offensive lineman in the NFL, Martin has nine Pro Bowl selections and seven first-team All-Pro honors. No. 78 Kyren Williams* (2019-21) RB, Los Angeles Rams Another Irish player to enjoy a breakout season in his second year in the NFL, Williams rushed for only 139 yards in 10 games played in 2022 dur- ing an injury-filled campaign. That changed in 2023 when a solid preseason earned Williams the start- ing role, and the 2 02 2 f i f t h - ro u n d draft pick seized the opportunity. In only 11 games, Williams r e c o r d e d 1 , 1 4 4 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns, and added 32 receptions with 3 scores. W i l l i a m s a l s o claimed his first Pro Bowl selection in 2023. No. 93 Harrison Smith (2007-11) S, Minnesota The ageless wonder continued his play as one of the best safeties in the league, finishing 2023 with 93 total tackles and a career-best 6 quarterback hits, including 3 sacks. With six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections, the 13-year NFL veteran — all with the Vikings — continues to make a strong case as a fu- ture NFL Hall of Fame inductee. Interest- ingly, the 35-year- old Smith ranked one s p o t b e h i n d fo u r- time NFL MVP quar- terback Aaron Rodg- ers on this top-100 list. No. 95 Julian Love* (2016-18) S, Seattle After spending four solid seasons with t h e New Yo rk G i - ants, Love landed in Seattle last offseason and thrived in his new surroundings. The 2019 fourth- r o u n d d ra f t p i c k earned his first-ever Pro Bowl selection after a career-high 4 interceptions to go along with 85 solo tackles in his first season with the Seahawks. A versatile safety who thrives against the run and in pass coverage, Love checked in on this top-100 list ranked one spot below Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Jerian Grant (Played at Notre Dame from 2010-15), PG, Panathinaikos OPAP (GBL) Playing his first season in the elite Greek Basketball League, the former Irish first- round NBA Draft pick recently finished this past campaign with a first-place GBL regular-season title in the Winners League, and eventually claimed a EuroLeague championship. The Silver Spring, Md., native averaged 8.6 points, 3.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 41 EuroLeague games. Nyles Morgan (2014-17), LB, Edmonton Elks (CFL) Playing his fourth season in the Canadian Football League, Morgan led the Elks with 74 tackles and had also added a forced fumble, through 11 games as of Aug. 26. The Chicago native led Edmonton last season with 107 total tackles. An undrafted free agent in 2018, Morgan spent one season on NFL practice squads before finding his footing in the CFL. Arike Ogunbowale (2015-19), PG, Dallas Wings (WNBA) The four-time all-star scored 33 points on Aug. 25 — her second-most this season — in a 113-110 win over the Los Angeles Sparks to move into third place among the 2024 WNBA season scoring leaders at 22.3 points per game. The Milwaukee native also led the league in minutes played per game (38.5) and shot attempts per outing (19.5) as of Aug. 26. Five Irish Recognized As Top-100 Players By Their NFL Peers Kyle Hamilton finished 2023 with 13 passes defended, 4 interceptions, 3 sacks and 1 defen- sive touchdown on his way to first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection. PHOTO COURTESY BALTIMORE RAVENS I R I S H I N T H E P R O S