Joe Alt, Sam Hartman Make ESPN's Top 100 Players List

ESPN has released its Top 100 players for the 2023 college football season and a pair of Notre Dame players made the list, and there was a very surprising omission as well. All-American left tackle Joe Alt and quarterback Sam Hartman both made the list for the Fighting Irish.

Alt was Notre Dame's highest ranked player, checking in as the No. 11 player on the list.

"He's the latest in Notre Dame's run of premier offensive linemen and projects as an NFL first-round draft pick in 2024 who could possibly go in the top 10. The 6-foot-8, 322-pound Alt earned first-team AP All-America honors in 2022 and enters his third season with 21 consecutive starts. Alt will protect the blind side of new quarterback Sam Hartman." - ESPN

Alt rose up eight spots from where he was ranked a year ago (No. 19), and he was the highest ranked offensive lineman on the ESPN list.

Hartman came in next as the No. 25 player on the list. That's an interesting ranking, considering another ESPN article recently released the 25 players that will have the biggest impact on the College Football Playoff, and Hartman wasn't included.

"Arguably the biggest prize of the quarterback portal, Hartman set the ACC's career touchdown passes record (110) and brings 12,967 career passing yards and 21 games of 300 yards or more from Wake Forest. He thrived in an RPO-based offense and must adjust to a more traditional system at Notre Dame, which will lean on his experience, production and accuracy." - ESPN

Hartman ranked No. 59 on the list a season ago. Having Alt and Hartman on the list were no brainers and well deserved rankings.

The biggest omission from a Notre Dame standpoint is sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison. A preseason All-American by almost every magazine and outlet, Morrison was left off this list by ESPN, who had six other corners make the list. That included a sophomore in Will Johnson of Michigan.

It should be noted that Morrison had more tackles, interceptions and pass break ups than Johnson during their freshman seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Morrison played 60 more snaps in coverage than Johnson, but still allowed fewer completions (22 to 28), fewer yards (296 to 353), a lower completion percentage (43.1 to 56.0), allowed fewer touchdowns (1 to 2) and had more passes defensed (10 to 6).

In the one game against a common opponent (Ohio State), Johnson allowed six completions on six attempts for 67 yards, while Morrison allowed just one completion on three attempts for 12 yards.

Morrison was at his best for Notre Dame in the biggest moments last season. He had the aforementioned success against Ohio State, he intercepted three passes against Clemson (returning one for a touchdown), he didn't allow a single completion against USC (Caleb Williams ranked No. 1), and he allowed just 19 receiving yards while intercepting a pass in the Gator Bowl win over South Carolina and Spencer Rattler. Rattler, of course, made ESPN's Top 100 list. Morrison also allowed just one catch for six yards against North Carolina. The Tar Heel quarterback - Drake Maye - ranked No. 5 on the list.

Of the six cornerbacks that made the list, only one (Fentrell Cypress) allowed fewer yards and touchdowns than Morrison. None of the corners on the list allowed a lower completion percentage and none had as many interceptions as Morrison. Morrison did all that while playing against a schedule that included Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, CJ Stroud and Spencer Rattler.

Ohio State has the No. 3 and No. 12 players on this list in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. That pair caught one pass for 12 yards on three attempts against Morrison, who had a breakup in that game. Morrison also matched up against South Carolina receiver Antoine Wells Jr., who ranked No. 91 one the list. Wells had just two catches for 16 yards in the matchup against Morrison, and the Irish corner had an interception in the game as well.

So in matchups against three receivers that were in the ESPN Top 100 list, Morrison allowed just three receptions on six targets, allowed just 28 yards and intercepted a pass, breaking up another.

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