Cam Hart just had his best season in a Notre Dame uniform. It’s a fact that cannot be argued, because, well, Hart said it himself.
"No doubt,” Hart recently said when asked if he’s played his best football this year. "Definitely.”
As it turns out, Hart’s best season at Notre Dame will also be his last. The Fighting Irish cornerback has already accepted an invitation to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Feb. 3, which means he will enter his name in the 2024 NFL Draft pool as well.
"Yes, many conversations surrounding where I stand in terms of the NFL,” Hart remarked. "So, I have a general idea.”
Hart has played in 46 games in his Notre Dame career. No. 47 in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29 is still a possibility, but he is yet to make an announcement one way or the other on if he will play in that game.
Like Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts, Hart began his college career as a wide receiver but moved to the defensive side of the ball. The biggest thing that has slowed him down since that move has been injuries. His 2020 sophomore season and last year’s senior season both ended prematurely due to shoulder issues but he put that behind him this season and continued to raise his level of play.
"I feel like it's elevated a lot this year, and that comes with this offseason, getting injured not wanting too much through that injury, and was able to talk to the people and give good advice,” Hart said. "I feel like I've grown the most in that offseason, and I think that goes hand in hand with what I'm doing in the field this year.”
Hart made Bruce Feldman's coveted “Freak's List” this year, coming in at No. 38. Feldman said of Hart: ”The 6-2 1/2, 205-pounder from Maryland has remarkable tools, broad-jumping 11-2, vertical-jumping 38 inches and hitting 21.7 mph on the GPS. His power-clean peak output (2490) is also one of the best on the team.”
Those measurables helped Hart and the Notre Dame secondary turn into one of the top units in the nation this season. They rank No. 1 in the nation in team pass efficiency.
"I guess at the end of the season, one day, I'm gonna look back,” Hart began when asked of the appreciation he has for what he and his teammates have done this year. "That's when I'm gonna be able to be proud and happy about what we've put together this season.”
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