Notre Dame hasn't been crowned an undefeated national champion for more than three decades, but Fighting Irish radio analyst Ryan Harris is bullish on the team's chances of accomplishing the challenging feat this season.
"I believe you're going to see an undefeated Notre Dame team," Harris told The DA Show on Friday. "The two games that are going to be interesting are Notre Dame at Wisconsin -- that game's at Solider Field on Sept. 25 -- and the USC game. [Trojans quarterback] Kedon Slovis can play, and that's as good of a rivalry as you'll see anywhere in college football...
"But Notre Dame has a great chance to go undefeated. And then you've got to produce in the big games. And that's the win that's escaped Coach [Brian] Kelly. He has yet to win the big game on the biggest stage. And this could be the year it gets done, with all the talent and the quarterback who's not afraid to go downfield."
Notre Dame, which lost to Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal round in January, returns to its independent schedule in 2021 after spending last season with the ACC. They'll most likely be led on offense by Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan, who completed 69.6-percent of his passes for 2,727 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions back in 2019.
On the defensive side, the Fighting Irish have a star safety in Kyle Hamilton, who received All-ACC First-Team honors and was named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award in 2020. The 6-foor-4, 220-pound junior also led Notre Dame in total tackles (63) last season, and ranked second in pass deflections (7).
"He's my favorite player. I think he could win the Heisman as a defensive player. I'm serious -- he's unbelievable," Harris said. "He's blindingly fast -- Coach Kelly calls him 'The Eraser.' They actually had a package last year called an 'Eraser' package, where he was to sit in center field, find where a guy made a mistake, and go cover it up. I mean, that's how good he is in college.
"I expect him to have an All-American year. And guys, I've been around a lot of different players -- I've never seen a safety built like Kyle Hamilton. He's built like a receiver, like Demaryius Thomas, yet he plays the ball like an Ed Reed... Kyle Hamilton's going to be one hell of a pro in the NFL."
Notre Dame will open the 2021 campaign on the road against Florida State on Sunday, Sept. 5. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Fighting Irish currently have the ninth-best odds (+4000) to win the national championship. The Associated Press' Top 25 rankings list will be released on Aug. 16.
The entire Notre Dame football conversation with Harris can be accessed in the audio player above.
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