CBS Sports put together its list of the NFL’s top 25 players under 25, and Notre Dame showed up twice near the top of it.
The Fighting Irish were represented by two former standouts who have already become major names on Sundays: Los Angeles Chargers tackle Joe Alt at No. 24 and Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton at No. 12.
Alt’s rise has been fast and obvious. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan called the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft “one of the league's best offensive tackles,” pointing to a sophomore season that was interrupted by an ankle injury in November but still ended with his first Pro Bowl selection.
Sullivan also highlighted how Alt has handled both sides of the line at a high level, noting his work at right and left tackle. The numbers with and without him told the same story: with Alt in 2025, the Chargers went 5-1 and averaged 25.3 points per game, while without him they went 6-6 and averaged just 18.3 points.
At Notre Dame, Alt was a Unanimous All-American in 2023 during his final college season. He was the highest drafted offensive lineman from Notre Dame in my lifetime, and his NFL start has only reinforced how rare that kind of profile is. Health has been an issue at times, but when Alt is on the field, he looks every bit like one of the best young tackles in the league.
Hamilton landed even higher on the list, and that placement fits the way he has played since arriving in Baltimore. Sullivan described him as more than the usual “chess piece,” saying the Ravens safety can operate deep and near the line of scrimmage “doing both at an elite level.”
Hamilton has been an All-Pro in each of the last three seasons and has also earned a Pro Bowl nod. In 2025, he posted more than 100 tackles and nine pass breakups for the second straight year.
The Ravens’ new coaching setup could give Hamilton even more room to grow, with Jesse Minter taking over as Baltimore’s head coach this offseason. That possibility only adds to the intrigue around a player who has already established himself as one of the league’s best defensive backs.
Hamilton’s Notre Dame résumé still stands out, too. He was a centerpiece of the Irish’s undefeated 2020 season and remains one of the most celebrated safeties to come through South Bend in recent years. At 6-4 and 218 pounds, he has the size and versatility to wreck an offense from the back end, and he enters another season looking like one of Baltimore’s most dangerous weapons.
CBS Sports’ list also included former Illinois defensive back Devon Witherspoon, who played in Champaign from 2019 to 2022 before going No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Witherspoon was coached in college by Aaron Henry, now Notre Dame’s defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator, who was hired in South Bend this offseason.
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Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
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That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]
Former Walk-On Luke Talich Has Become A Notre Dame Difference Maker
Luke Talichs rise has been one of the quieter success stories in South Bend, the kind that usually starts on special teams and slowly works its way into the defensive conversation. The senior safety came in as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and kept building trust with the staff by showing up in the right spots and doing the little things that keep a defense steady.
Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]