WATCH: Kyle Hamilton shows immense range on interception

When the NFL Draft rolls around next April, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton will be one of the first players selected. When they roll the footage, his interception from last night will be one of the plays Mel Kiper Jr. points out, as he raves about the defensive star.

Early in the third quarter, look at how Hamilton flies in from the other-side of the field to make an insane interception.

The all-22 view of the Kyle Hamilton interception is wild pic.twitter.com/xLB8m5Spht

— Charles Power (@CharlesPower) September 6, 2021

As the play began to fall apart, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis scrambled outside the pocket. Hamilton wasn’t on the same side of the field as Travis, he was out of sight, out of mind.

Little did Travis know that Hamilton is never out of mind.

The safety ran almost the width of the field to intercept Travis on the play. It was the second interception of the game for Hamilton, as Travis may see him in his nightmares this week.

Hamilton is a leader for the Notre Dame defense, and a big part of why their expectations remain high in 2021. While last night wasn’t there best night, Hamilton still showcased why he’s one of the best players in all of college football.

Changes in defensive philosophy on display for Notre Dame

The Notre Dame defense was bound to be less dominant than they were last season. While Hamilton returned, last year’s defensive coordinator Clark Lea left the program to take the head coaching job at Vanderbilt.

This offseason, Marcus Freeman came over from Cincinatti to replace Lea. However, his defense left much to be desired last night.

Under Lea, the Notre Dame defense allowed just three 60-yard plays in three years. Last night, the Fighting Irish allowed two plays of at least 60-yards in Freeman’s debut.

The Athletic’s Pete Sampson brought this fact to light during Freeman’s debut, citing the stark difference in philosophy.

“We said the Irish would roll the dice on defense,” Sampson posted. “And they have.”

Freeman comes to Notre Dame after four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, where they finished as a top 10 team last season. He also won the 247 Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year award in 2020.

Additionally, Freeman relates to Hamilton, as he was a productive player in his own right at one time. During his playing days, Freeman was a two-time All-Big Ten linebacker at Ohio State before being drafted into the NFL in 2009.

Moreover, Freeman’s defense should improve as the season continues. Still, he should count his lucky stars he has Kyle Hamilton on his squad to make plays no matter the scheme.

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.