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Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton Declares for 2022 NFL Draft; Will Skip Fiesta Bowl

Bleacher Report | December 10, 2021

Related Topics: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Kyle Hamilton, Fiesta Bowl, National Football League, University of Notre Dame, Mel Kiper, Jr., Kayvon Thibodeaux, Chuck Bednarik Award, Todd McShay

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton will forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft.

Hamilton announced his decision on Twitter, adding that he will skip the Fighting Irish's appearance in the Fiesta Bowl to prepare for the draft:

The 20-year-old has had an interesting junior season. He was regarded as one of the top defensive players in the country, but a knee injury cut his season short on Oct. 23. In just seven regular-season games, however, he still posted 34 tackles (two for loss), three interceptions and four passes defended.

Despite his short year, he was still a Bednarik Award finalist:

Brett McMurphy

Bednarik Award finalists, signifying nation’s top defensive player<br><br>Will Anderson, Alabama<br>Jordan Davis, Georgia<br>Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame<br>Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

That left Hamilton with an interesting question: Would he return for Notre Dame's bowl game, or would he try to avoid the possibility of future injury and keep his draft stock intact?

See full article at Bleacher Report