Kyle Hamilton explains why Marcus Freeman is the right fit at Notre Dame

Although Kyle Hamilton didn’t have Marcus Freeman as his head coach at Notre Dame, the standout safety was still coached by the new Fighting Irish head man while he was in the role of defensive coordinator in South Bend.

After putting together a stellar playing career at Notre Dame while being coached by Freeman, Hamilton is now set to become a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft when it gets underway on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Joining ESPN’s First Take on Thursday morning ahead of the draft, Hamilton spoke highly of Freeman and explained why he’s the right fit to lead the Irish’s program moving forward.

“I would say just how comfortable the building is with him at the helm,” Hamilton said of Freeman. “He’s actually coming out here today, so he’ll be here for the draft – which I appreciate. He’s a relatable guy. He’s a younger guy. Guys have seen him in his Ohio State uniform clowning him about his bald head and stuff like that and in the NFL.

“Taking criticism from a guy who’s been through it, who’s closer to age with you, and taking coaching from him is probably a little easier. No offense to Coach [Brian] Kelly – he’s a great coach, never done anything ill-will towards me or anyone else that I know of. … He had to do what he needed to do. But I think Coach Freeman is a very fresh spot in the program.”

With the help of Freeman, Hamilton – a former On3 Consensus four-star recruit out of the Class of 2019 – transformed into one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft class. According to the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Hamilton is projected to be selected No. 13 overall by the Houston Texas on Thursday night.