Notre Dame Gets Tough Injury News Ahead Of UNC Game

Notre Dame TE Kyle Hamilton won't play against UNC.

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton will miss this week's game against North Carolina due to a knee injury, coach Brian Kelly announced on Monday. The injury is not believed to be long-term and he will undergo further testing. 

Hamilton suffered the injury during the team's 31–16 win over UCLA on Saturday. Hamilton appeared to hyperextend his knee while making a tackle and limped off the field with help from Notre Dame staff. 

Really hoping Kyle Hamilton's injury isn't as bad as it looks. Immediately reached for his knee. pic.twitter.com/GGNbeGJmRv

— Shawn Spencer (@Spencer_NFL) October 24, 2021

After the game, Kelly was optimistic about the injury's outlook and told reporters "things look pretty good." However, now it's unclear how long the Fighting Irish will be without their star defensive back. 

The junior out of Atlanta finished last season with 63 tackles in 11 games and continued his brilliance this year. In his seven appearances, he has 35 tackles and three interceptions on the season. He was also named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, the award given to the top defensive back in college football. 

Kyle Hamilton. Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/9xlKjbD3NG

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 25, 2021

No. 11 Notre Dame (6–1) will host UNC (4–3) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET with the game being broadcasted on NBC.