Newsstand: ESPN names Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton the best safety in the NFL

There is nobody better at what he does in the NFL than former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. He was named the No. 1 player at his position in the league by ESPN this week. The fourth-year Baltimore Raven received a four-year, $104 million extension before the 2025 season. He made good on that with his second First Team All-Pro performance in a three-season span. He was a Second Team All-Pro performer in 2024. Hamilton has 355 total tackles, 36 passes defended, 25 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, 8 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery in 64 games and 52 starts so far in his NFL career. Hamilton was a Freshman All-American in 2019, a First Team All-American in 2020 and a Consensus All-American for the Fighting Irish in 2021. The Ravens selected him with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. “His size and physicality stand out,” an AFC offensive coach told ESPN. “He’s that big-bodied DB who can play nickel or safety that teams are looking for. He’s a talented cover player, but his ability to play the run at the point of attack and his effectiveness as a blitzer make him somebody you really have to account for in game planning.” How about Fighting Irish football head coach Marcus Freeman ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell and a rousing blue and gold ovation from onlookers? The Irish are taking in all the sounds and sounds New York has to offer. CJ Carr is locked in and motivated for the 2026 season with the help of strength coach Loren Landow. Fighting Irish quote of the day “My grandpa’s message to me coming into Notre Dame was: one play at a time and stay consistent, and that the process is more important than the results or the goals that you want to accomplish there. So, that’s kind of how I came into Notre Dame, with that mindset.” — CJ Carr, grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, on how he approached his early time in South Bend Blue & Gold headlines of the day • Notre Dame opponent preview: A heavyweight rematch with Miami awaits in South Bend• Elite 2028 recruit Ella Peper breaks down recruitment• Why it’s fair to expect more from Notre Dame’s defensive line in 2026 | Position preview • Notes and observations from Notre Dame women’s basketball summer practice• Inside the Notre Dame pitch that has top-100 four-star EDGE Cam Toomey hooked• Top 25 most important Notre Dame football players of 2026: Why three transfers are in the No. 16 – 20 range