Our preseason list was chalk full of choices with Jarrett Patterson and Kyle Hamilton receiving 2 votes apiece, while Kyren Williams and Jacob Lacey both received 1. In our mid-season article, Hamilton would take home 8 of 9 votes. Now that the regular season is finished, our writer’s still agree for the most part on who should be considered Notre Dame‘s top Newcomer.
While Patterson was very effective as a red-shirt freshman and first year starter, there were certainly inconsistencies in his game that forced our writer’s to rethink their preseason vote. Jacob Lacey had an impressive true freshman campaign as a backup defensive tackle, and in many years might have one this vote.