JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 10, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 10, 2022

Eric Hansen

3:42

OK, I went way over today and still thought and typed to slow to get to all the questions. Thanks for all of them, even the ones I didn't get to. As I mentioned earlier, because of a coverage conflict, next week's chat will be Tuesday at noon ET instead of Wednesday. Talk to you then.

3:41

Notre Dame has a strong NIL game. What the Irish and many other schools are not willing to do is cross the line and incentivize a player's signing with a guarantee.

Guest

3:40

Eric, a follow-up question. If NIL was the issue for Moore and might be an issue for Bowen then what's the deal? Why can't ND get in on this game?

Eric Hansen

3:39

I think ND learned a touch lesson about narrowing the field too early, with NIL temptations in play.

Jerry Dallas, Tx

3:38

Eric, has Notre Dame learned how to recruit QBs after the Dante Moore failure? I kept hearing about how we had to "go all in on Dante Moore". It appeared that the idea was if we showed him enough total love, he would reciprocate, and come to ND. In the end, he couldn't care less. In the future we should pursue several quality QBs, and maybe we'll wind up getting a couple to actually sign. What do you think?

Eric Hansen

3:38

Tom, thank you. I'd say Eli Raridon and Tobias Merriweather on offense. Jaden Mickey has the best chance on defense. ... ND HAS to slow Ohio State's running attack to have a chance. CJ Stroud is going to get his numbers, but if the Buckeyes are balanced, they become a nightmare matchup for anyone.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

3:36

Hi Eric, well you have guided us through another off-season without football to the start of a new season. Thank you for the great insight you give us. The past three years ND has had a Freshman All-American in Kyle Hamilton, Michael Mayer & Kyren Williams and then Joe Alt last year. In your opinion who has the best chance on offense & defense to make the Frosh AA team this year? Also, do you think our defense can shut down the OSU running attack?? Thanks for the time you give us answering all of our questions in the Chats. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

3:36

The biggest differences are paycheck size, experience and responsbility. Unlike analysts, they are allowed to do on-field coaching. Laurinaitis as a grad assistant is like having another full-time, fully paid coach. Yes there are other grad assistants, including Chris Watt and Mike Moon.

Mike from Rochester NY

3:31

I was reading the article on James Laurinaitis and noted he’s a graduate assistant coach. What distinguishes grad assistants from “regular” assistant coaches? Are there limits on grad assistants? Are there any other grad assistants on staff?

Eric Hansen

3:31

Clemson in 2020, even with Trevor Lawrence on the sideline is No. 1. Oklahoma on the road in 2012 was a quantum leap forward for the program. If Ohio State ends up running the table after losing to ND and the Irish build off that win, I'd put it at the top.

Guest

3:29

John Appleton WI. If the Irish win on September 3rd where would you rank the win in the best wins for the last 15 years?

Eric Hansen

3:29

Mike, there's been a vague answer when I've asked that question each time. Will keep tracking that. I do know they are not using Amber Selking, as Brian Kelly had done from the 2017 season on. The players raved about her. I'm not sure everyone on the staff embraced the concept as much as the players and BK did. I thought it was an important piece.

Mike from Rockville, MD

3:26

Hi, Eric! Love the chats! Do you know if the team is using a new sports psychologist this year? If I remember correctly, the previous one left, and she was very highly regarded among the players and coaches (even talking to BK on the sidelines, I think!) The mental side of the game is really important!

Eric Hansen

3:26

Duly noted.

Bill from St Joe, MI

3:26

Hi Eric, a comment not a question for you… with regards to Tyler Buckner, I thought that he was impressive in the 2021 B&G game, and actually was the better of passers, as I think Coan may have been surprisingly a bit more nervous than Buckner, and I do not dispute that the coaching staff concluded he was a more accurate passer than the alternatives. Too bad that the OL was having issues protecting a QB with marginal escapability I believe he’s going to have an impressive season this year especially behind an expected improved OL.

Eric Hansen

3:25

I probably wouldn't phrase it quite like that if I did agree, and I don't agree. I think Dante Moore was influenced far more by NIL factors than he was by the timing of CJ Carr's commitment.

Guest

3:24

Did ND kind of shoot itself in the head on the quarterback situation by getting 2024 commit CJ Carr ahead of a possible commit from Dante Moore? CJ Carr looks like a great get but does he have he "game changing" abilities that Moore seems to possess?

Ryan

3:24

National Harbor, MD

Eric Hansen

3:24

I like their chances with Keeley more than Bowen. I'll say they'll keep at least one. Wouldn't rule out both, but we're in new territory with NIL.

Derek Q, Oakville, ON, Canada

3:23

Hi Eric, Long time fan. Thanks for these chats. What's your feeling on Bowen and Keeley? Will they be Irish come December?

Eric Hansen

3:22

Hi Pat... I'd say 95% for part one and maybe 40% for part 2. I think Minchey is pretty happy with Pitt and they're trying to microwaver a relationship with him.

Pat (St. Paul)

3:21

love the chats Eric!! Percent chance they take land a 2023 QB and percent chance it is Kenny Minchey?

Eric Hansen

3:21

The Reds were my second-favorite team growing up because of proximity. But my first sports hero was Bob Gibson. In elementary school, I'd routinely gets Cs on book reports ... until I read Gibson's book -- From Ghetto to Glory. My first A!!! I was inspired by the grade and the story itself. I watched when I could on TV and read about him in both 1967 and 68. He had a 1.12 ERA and they lowered the pitching mound because of him. The more I read about him, the more I wanted to embody what he was about. I did not have his talent, so the dream of being a Major League pitcher died quickly. But the work he put into being an elite player did not escape me, and for that I'm grateful.

Bill from St Joe, MI

3:15

Eric, just curious, why are you a Cardinals fan as opposed to a Reds fan?

Eric Hansen

3:07

Hi Phil, they're trying to add a QB, at least one WR, a running back and another D-lineman. That's what it's down to at this point.

Guest

3:06

Hey Eric, Phil from Napoleon, OH. What is ND's main recruiting focus for the remainder of this cycle other than priority NUMBER 1, maintain the commitments they have!

Eric Hansen

3:06

Mike. I had been an AP voter since the 1990s, and with Rivals not being an AP member, I lost my vote. Otherwise, I'd share what my preseason projection was of the Irish. It's funny, because when you actually do the research and put the names down on paper, it often comes out differently from what you might have imagined going in. My sense is I would have ranked the Irish around No. 10. I think No. 12 is more realistic than No. 5. Having said that, ND has outperformed its preseason rankings in four of the past five seasons.

Mike C

3:03

I feel like a team that has a new, first-time head coach, a new, young, unproven QB (who has not even been formally announced as the starter yet), and a pretty rough schedule should not be preseason #5. I really like the team and coach, but those variables are tough to overcome in today's CFB landscape. Coach Freeman will need to learn some lessons (we saw Brian Kelly learn plenty his first few years and he was already a successful veteran head coach), and I feel the Irish dropping 3-4 games this year would not be a horrible first year. We forget how hard it is to not lose ANY of the games we should win. BK found a way to be rock solid winning those games after several years, but MF shouldn't be expected to do that out of the gate. I just fear the hype is too high which could lead to mass overreaction (imagine that) that impacts recruiting. A #12 ranking would be fair with the chance to jump higher with strong wins. What's your take? Am I setting the bar too low? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

3:03

Zac, that touchy return bar function gets me a lot too. Maybe I can get that fixed from the software folks. (You can do a soft return to make a new paragraph by holding down the shift key when you hit return.) ... I don't think depth will be an issue when it comes to ND's defense vs. the Buckeyes. I think it comes down to skill against what was the No. 1 offense in the nation last year. ... Meanwhile, Ohio State underachieved on defense last year and got exposed in a couple of games. Jim Knowles taking over should improve that. IF ... ND can run the ball consistently and effectively, it changes the dynamic of ND's passing game vs. OSU's pass defense. If ND is one-dimensional, it will labor on offense.

Zac

From Fort Wayne, IN: I also wanted to ask how you feel Buchner and our skill players will stack up against OSUs defense. How do you foresee their new D Coordinator faring in his opening game. Sorry for the 2 parts. I didn’t realize hitting return would submit my 1st part of this question.

2:53

From Fort Wayne, IN: Do our Irish has the depth to compete with OSU’s skill players, specifically our DBs vs their WRs? I feel our front 7 will handle the run game and my hope is they provide Stroud with more pressure than he has seen (insert Michigan’s ability to pressure last season).

Eric Hansen

2:53

Hi Dan. The answer is yes. And in the case of O-line coach Harry Hiestand, the answer is ---- Yes! if you want some insight into the HH difference, I'd recommend you listening to this week's podcast, as Aaron Taylor does a great job of breaking that down. But I'll give you another, less obvious one: WRs coach Chansi Stuckey, a relative newcomer in the coaching business, is way more into the teaching of fundamentals and attention to detail than his predecessor. Way more.

Dan from Vernon Hills Il

2:48

Eric,
I was wondering; with so many new coaches, have you noticed any changes in the way these coaches are interacting with the players on the practice field. Are they stressing different techniques, doing more or less “hard coaching”, etc.
Thanks

Eric Hansen

2:48

Hi Joey. I talked to Marist in July and again on Monday. His assessment is that he's going to be ready to go 100 percent on Sept. 3. I plan to do a large piece soon on him, as I think he WILL be a breakout player for ND in 2022.

Joey G. Philadelphia, Pa

2:47

Hi Eric, It was interesting to hear the reports on Marist Liafau. I guess we were all hoping for a breakout season last year. And then the injury ended his season. Do you think he’s being brought along slowly due to the injury? Or do you think the plan is to protect him in camp and turn him loose in the Horseshoe? I’m praying for the latter! Lol

Eric Hansen

2:47

Tony, this is so new yet, I haven't had a chance to tease this all out. College GameDay does show up to games that ABC/ESPN are not broadcasting ... a case in point every time they've been to Notre Dame. But how this might affect Notre Dame's negotations with NBC and for its streaming rights in its next contract could be affected by the Big Ten's deal with NBC. So this will be something I'll be tracking in the coming weeks as we continue to unravel the question of whether ND stays independent in football or takes the plunge into a conference.

Tony Lake Mary FL

2:44

Hey Eric, thanks again for doing these. It is definitely something I look forward to. I saw that nbc,cbs,fox are working on a deal for big ten rights. Saw that nbc was giving prime time slots to the big ten and cbs was giving the 330 slot to as well (which has been the sec staple). Does that me the SEC will be entirely ESPN/ABC? Will be interesting to see 330 cbs crew not calling sec games. Not sure they know anything about the rest of college football. Does GameDay only show up to sec games once the deal finishes? You likely won't know the answers and being in the oressbox on Saturdays may make you not care so much. Just fun to ponder.

Eric Hansen

2:43

Hi Jeff. The recruiting calendar has moved up a lot. In terms of offering kids in the 2025 class, it is important for Notre Dame to participate in that process -- not to get an uber-early commitment, but to build a relationship with a kid who has a chance to be a five-star or high-four-star prospect. I can't remember ND taking someone that early, after his freshman year. I don't think it's a good idea. But getting a commitment after his sophomore year for a special talent, yes that works. Again, these kids have to remain on a certain academic trajectory. But if they know exactly what that entails from an early age, it might make that easier for them to accomplish.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:37

Good morning Eric. There seems to be a trend toward recruits committing earlier, and I have seen some buzz on 2025 recruits. My question is has ND ever accepted a commitment from a player that has only completed their freshman year of high school? If ND has not done this in the past, would they for the right situation? Are there any ND admission issues with taking a student/athlete so early? And finally, in your opinion, should ND do this or is it simply too much risk for both the recruit and the school? Much thanks-

Eric Hansen

2:37

There are players ND will continue to pursue that have committed to other schools as long as that player is receptive to the attention. As far as academics, ND is offering players so much earlier than they ever have -- and it's a necessity to be competitive for elite recruits. The player must be at least on a trajectory to meet ND's requitements. There are also recruits whose offer is conditional. They may need to take a foreign language or another math class. Or they need to get more serious in the classroom. If they don't meet those benchmarks, you'll see those players eventually decommit, because they have to. There's a real art to it that Notre Dame usually gets right. Not always. Sometimes they put their eggs in one basket and get burned. Sometimes a kid commits when he doesn't have a green light to.

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