Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Football Freshman Honored for Outstanding Week 3 Play

Fighting Irish freshmen on both sides of the ball continue to stand out in the opening month of the 2024 season.

Rich Cirminiello

Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher (23) at Notre Dame spring football practice Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend.
Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher (23) at Notre Dame spring football practice Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend. / GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Notre Dame has a long track record of attracting and developing elite safeties, like NFL stars Kyle Hamilton and Harrison Smith and current Irish All-American Xavier Watts. So, it should come as no surprise that Kennedy Urlacher is already making plays in his first year out of Chandler (Ariz.) High School.

In his first career action during the Week 3 blowout of Purdue, Urlacher made three tackles and broke up a pass in just 23 snaps. He looked like a guided missile, quickly diagnosing and flying all over the field to make things happen.

Plus, Urlacher's PFF grade of 86.2 was tops nationally among all Week 3 true freshmen safeties.

Urlacher has talent and pedigree. His father, Brian, spent 13 years with the Chicago Bears and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Kennedy was a three-star recruit coming out of high, which might wind up looking too low, with offers from a handful of Big Ten and Big 12 programs.

On this week's depth chart for the Miami (OH) game, Urlacher remains listed as a backup at boundary safety behind Adon Shuler and alongside sophomore Luke Talich. Reps might continue to be sporadic, and there's still a chance the staff will want to preserve this first season eligibility.

However, Urlacher is already proving he has the acumen and the physical tools to immediately contribute when called upon this season. He has a very exciting future ahead in South Bend.

MVPs from Notre Dame's Destruction of Purdue

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

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