Two Notre Dame stars forgo Fiesta Bowl, declare for NFL Draft
If Notre Dame wants to notch their first major bowl win since 1993 in this year’s Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State, they will have to do it without two of their best players.
On Friday, safety Kyle Hamilton and running back Kyren Williams announced they will forgo the postseason game and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hamilton is a likely top-10 draft pick despite having not played since a knee injury against USC on Oct. 23. He finished his Irish career with 34 tackles and three interceptions in 2021. The captain’s impact on the Notre Dame defense goes well beyond his stat line, as opposing defenses often kept the ball as far away from the star as possible. He was a 2021 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, the honor which is given to the nation’s best defensive back.
Williams started the year off slow behind a young offensive line, but once the position group started to click, the running back was nearly unstoppable. The shifty Saint Louis native posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season this year, finishing with 1,002 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. An all-purpose back, he also had 42 receptions for 359 yards and three receiving scores.
As one of the better running backs in the country, Williams will likely be taken by the second round of the draft.
Young RBs will get the nod against vaunted Cowboys defense
Without Williams on the field, running backs Chris Tyree and Logan Diggs will likely be the primary ball carriers in head coach Marcus Freeman’s first game. Freshman Audric Estime could see playing time as well.
Tyree had a turf toe injury that caused him to miss time this year, so true freshman Diggs stepped up and has already gotten significant playing time.
The running back room will face one of the nation’s top defenses in the bowl in Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have the best scoring defense in the Big 12, and it ranks in the top 10 nationally. In a four-game stretch this season against Kansas, West Virginia, TCU and Texas Tech, Oklahoma State allowed just one offensive touchdown.
Additionally, Oklahoma State leads the nation in sacks. The game will be a significant test for a young Notre Dame offensive line that clicked toward the end of the season, albeit against weaker defenses.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will coach his final game for Oklahoma State in Glendale, as he is then headed to Ohio State in the same position. Ironically, Notre Dame will see him in September, as the Irish open the 2022 season with the Buckeyes in Columbus.