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For the second night in a row major news hit the Notre Dame football community. This time it comes in the form of a transfer as rising sophomore defensive end/linebacker Kolin Hill is leaving the Fighting Irish less than 2 days before the start of fall camp.
Hill was a late addition to the 2014 recruiting class as Notre Dame offered and successfully held off a charge from the in-state Texas Longhorns. Ultimately, Hill enrolled at Notre Dame and even started off his career with a bang making a couple big plays against Michigan.
However, he curiously disappeared from the rotation soon after and basically was a non-factor even as teammates were going down left and right with injuries.
During the spring Hill was nominally moved to strong-side linebacker where he was receiving third-team reps but was also being utilized in a pass-rushing role in nickel sets, as well.
His loss may not be felt this season but he's added to the list, which includes Jhonny Williams and Bo Wallace, of young pass rushers who are no longer at Notre Dame and cannot be developed into starters as upperclassman. The Irish will have the luxury of bringing in their 4th straight recruiting class of at least 20 bodies (the transfer of Hill moves the absolute minimum for 2016 to 18, plenty of room to get over 20 over the next 6 months) with the addition of another scholarship but the margin for error at defensive end for the next couple seasons continues to shrink.
Kolin Hill joins the aforementioned Jhonny Williams, as well as Nile Sykes, as players from the 2014 class who have now left Notre Dame. The rising academic sophomore class now stands at 20 bodies as of this morning.