Notre Dame Defenders Among The Nation's Freakiest Athletes
When Bruce Feldman of The Athletic releases his annual “Freaks” list I know college football is right around the corner. With all the offseason turmoil that has existed, it was good to see Feldman return with his list, and there was certainly a Notre Dame flavor to his breakdown for 2020.
Notre Dame sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton and senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah were both named to Feldman’s freaks list for this upcoming season.
Hamilton ranked No. 9 on the list, with his vertical leap checking in as his “freakiest attribute.” Here is what Feldman had to say about Hamilton.
“The rangy DB from Atlanta had a splashy debut for the Irish, picking off four passes. Notre Dame is really, really excited about his potential, and the 6-4 Hamilton is up 20 pounds since last year to 221. His top-end GPS speed was almost 21 miles per hour, but it’s his vertical — 42.3 inches — that earned him a spot this high on our list. Hamilton’s explosiveness and athleticism with that kind of height and length is rare.”
Hamilton stepped into a key rotation and nickel role as a true freshman in 2019. He was a key part of one of the nation’s best pass defenses last fall, finishing the season with 41 tackles to go along with six pass break ups and a team-leading four interceptions.
Owusu-Koramoah ranked No. 37 on the list, with his explosiveness checking in as his “freakiest attribute.” Here is what Feldman had to say about Owusu-Koramoah.
“He’s coming off a breakthrough season where he led the team with 80 tackles and 13.5 TFLs to go with 5.5 sacks. He arrived in South Bend weighing 198 but is now a rock-solid 220 at 6-1½. His explosiveness is reflected by his 39-inch vertical, a 10-3 broad jump and an equally impressive 20.4 mph on his GPS. Owusu-Koramoah also notched 42 pull-ups in off-season training and back squatted 555 pounds.”
Owusu-Koramoah put his freaky athleticism on full display in the season opener, finishing with nine tackles and two tackles for loss in his first start, a win at Louisville. By the time the season was over he racked up a team-leading 13.5 stops behind the line and 5.5 sacks, which tied for the team lead.
Notre Dame is expected to once again have one of the nation’s best defenses, and both Hamilton and Owusu-Koramoah are expected to be top playmakers on that unit.
To read the full list of freaks on Feldman’s list click HERE.
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