JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 27, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 27, 2025

Eric Hansen

2:18

OK, I did something I've never done since moving over to Blue & Gold. I've essentially cleaned out the question portal. Thanks for all your great questions. We'll be back again next week to do it all over gain, Wednesday at noon.

2:17

MikeD you mean there's more than one of us? EEEEk!! Freshman Madden Faraimo was listed at No. 3 on the official depth chart at both interior linebacker spots. We saw him practice some at outside linebacker, actually as the No. 1 option there, at times when ND showed that look in practice. But on their official depth chart they didn't list a rover. They listed nickel instead. And like last year, ND will probably be in nickel more than a three-linebacker look. On our depth chart projection, which goes way deeper than two-deeps, we listed both nickel and rover. So what does this mean in regard to your question. Notre Dame is committed to playing a four-man rotation at the two inside linebacker spots -- Bowen, Sneed, Viliamu-Asa and Ausberry. Faraimo is trying to play his way into making that a five-man rotation. Ausberry, Sneed or Faraimo are able to play that outside rover position when called upon. What we wanted to do was most accurately reflect reality, which isn't always easy two-dimensionally.

MikeD from Rochester NY

2:13

sorry Eric, I hit the wrong button. To complete: … Madden Ferraimo (sp?) as the #1 rover. I realize we don’t play the rover position much but would have expected Sneed or Ausbury there. Am I missing something?

2:10

Hi to the best Eric Hansen in America!!!! I was surprised to see Madden Fereimo (sp?) listed as the #q

Eric Hansen

2:10

I got this question about a month ago, and I reached out with a phone-a-friend lifeline to Blue & Gold recruiting writer Kyle Kelly. I've reached out to him again this time. There is no one imminent, it appears. And we're talking the 2027 class, since the 2026 class is essentially finished. So eventually, Kyle likes DT Richie Flanigan, the brother of ND freshman TE James Flanigan and the son of former Notre Dame All-American Jim Flanigan. Another one is yet another interior D-lineman, and that's even Deven Robertson from Hattiesburg, Miss. On3 national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong has a prediction in for 2027 DE Jayce Brewer from Franklin Central High in Indianapolis.

Skip / Houston

2:04

who will be the next recruit or two to commit to Notre Dame? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

2:03

Hey Jeremy, I think ND has it on both sides of the ball on the lines. At defensive end, ND can comfortably go three deep. In the interior, easily two deep. Getting down to Cole Mullins and Elijah Hughes with the 3s isn't the same as the first four, but against most teams that's not a reach. O-line-wise I think Joe Rudolph is comfortable he has nine guys (not counting injured Charles Jagusah) who can play at a high level. So beyond the starting five, which I expect to include Lambert, the next four would be Absher, Terek, Black and Augustine.

Jeremy From Goshen, IN

1:59

who has better depth along the lines? ND or Miami?

Eric Hansen

1:56

Hi Z. I think if the hostile part ended with the bottle and bricks being thrown at the team buses, ND would have fared better than a 41-8 loss. The environment did play into it, but not 33-points' worth of margin. ND, I think, ran out of gas in a redemptive season coming back from 4-8 the year before. That was a factor too, and Brandon Wimbush really, really struggled. I think last year's trip to College Station showed me Marcus Freeman knows how to prepare a team to play on the road.

Z from Waka

1:53

Eric my concern this week is a few years ago BK took the team down to Miami and he was absolutely flabbergasted when the team started taking bottles being thrown into the bus. It was one of the few time he was caught off guard with a new experience. Is Freeman ready for that type of welcoming/battle? As you know this is the epitome of a hostile environment.

Eric Hansen

1:52

Jonathan!!! I am going to disappoint you. I wouldn't be able to do that without a deeper study of Miami's roster. They have two players who made most of the All-America teams and at least All-ACC and that's OT Francis Mauigoa and DE Reuben Bain. I would think ND would win most of those head-to-heads, but where I think the Irish really shine is their rotational players ... the 2s and the 3s.

Jonathan in Addison

1:46

Eric! Game week chat! Yay! I’m a koolaid drinker and I know it. So I’m trying to temper my expectations a bit. But there’s this one question that makes it really, really hard. Do you have an answer that might help? Here it is: Which ND starters would not start for Miami? I’ll give you QB (grudgingly). Who else? Anyone?

Eric Hansen

1:45

Hi Ced. I don't think they still sell Catholics vs. Convicts tees, but I was able to decipher who you are picking to win. Duly noted. We have the same total for ND.

Guest

1:44

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw Pride will the Notre Dame band be at Miami Sunday night we must run the ball to win the game I got Catholics 24 convicts 23 defense ( d-boyz) adon shuler gets int or lenoard Moore int God Bless This Football team here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

1:43

Hi Steve, since I picked Christian Gray to lead the team in interceptions, I'd be silly to give you a wish-washy answer. In talking to Christian, to Leonard Moore, to DBs coach Mike Mickens, to Marcus Freeman, there's a lot of confidence in that Christian Gray's perceived improvement in the offseason is real. The good news is we'll find out together really quickly given the first two teams on the schedule.

Steve H

1:38

what is the feedback,if any, on Christian Grays performance in pre season camp?
if there is any weakness spoken about on defense it appears to be on his past vulnerabilities in man to man.

Eric Hansen

1:38

OK, Lorne, seeing no question in that, I'll run it as a PSA from you.

Lorne

1:37

Lorne from Reno. I'm as rabid as any other fan out there, but ... you can't expect: our receivers to beat their corners every play, but our corners to shut down their receivers every play; our tackles to block their ends on every pass, but our ends to beat their tackles on every pass; our o-line to open big holes, but theirs to find no open space for their runners; our runners to break tackles, but our defense to make every tackle on their runners. The other team is working all year as well, and we will lose match-ups and (heaven forbid) even games. But please (talking to fellow Domers), if something goes wrong, dial down the rhetoric concerning the team, the coaches, and especially the 18-20-somethings who have worked so hard to represent our university to the best of their ability. Finally, it is a game. Go Irish, beath Miami!

Eric Hansen

1:37

I appreciate you following me over and your question got cut off as did you name and hometown apparently. I do not know that answer off the top of my head, but given the proliferation of first-year starting QBs winning titles over the past 16 years (nine of them) I'm not sure it's as uncommon as we might think. And the portal contributes to that too. So the last team to win one without a captain at quarterback. It happened all the way back in January of 2025. Will Howard, a non-captain, quarterbacked the Ohio State Buckeyes' national championship team. I am not psychic enough to figure out what your second question was going to be, but I'll guess and say heck yeah as my answer.

Guest

1:32

Hey Eric, First time posting since you switched over. You seemed to have transitioned pretty seamlessly. I was curious if you had a database that could tell you (or maybe you know off the top of your head) who the last team was that won a championship without a QB as a captain. Also, I remember you once replied to a quest

Eric Hansen

1:29

Hi Ryan, I have predicted Christian Gray leading ND in interceptions for the season and will stick with that. I think he'll get tested a lot, especially early in the season, and I believe he'll be up to the challenge. TDs, I've got to go with Jeremiyah Love, especially with the prospect of him being a bigger part of the passing game than in years past and getting more touches this season. ... That's quite a score prediction, but if my memory is correct, you're pretty good at that, so I will be curious to see how that compares to the actual score.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois

1:26

Good afternoon Eric who will lead the Irish in Touchdowns and Interceptions this season I’m thinking either Greathouse or Love for touchdowns And Moore for interceptions I like your Score prediction but i think we score a few more Points I’m thinking we win 42-21 or something like that GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

1:25

Pete!! Whatever you had for lunch, even if it's liquid, I wish I could join you. However, I can't do that during the chat. Thanks for the Coley story. And the Will Pauling intel. Great stuff. My score prediction isn't as lyrical as yours unless there's something in the Ramones' catalogue that references Irish 24, Miami 17. Over/under ... Over on the receptions and yards for Fields. And thanks for the strong compliment at the end!

Pete from Erie, PA

Go Irish!

1:20

Hellooo Eric! Game week! Hopefully 15 more after this one!
Sad to hear about Coley O’Brien. My nephew is named after him and he was my brothers RA in 1969.
When ND announced captains last week I was a little surprised by a certain WR. Digging around I found this from 8/28/2024: Badgers First & 10, interview w/QB Tyler Van Dyke before the season opener. Is there a teammate you’ve come to admire?
“Probably Will Pauling. He does everything right. He’s the example of what you want in a program. He’s always doing extra things off the field, helping in the community. He’s always doing what he needs to do to get better every day football-wise and school-wise.”
Sounds good to me!
What is all you need? All You Need is Love? Is it Jere-Monster Love or Jere-MonStar Love?
OK, seriously, MiamiFL prediction? Mine's ND W 25 or 6 to 4 :-)
Last 1, let's play over/under, CJ "Austin" Carr hooks up with Malachi "Strawberry" Fields, 4 recs, 50 yds, 1 td.
Thanks Eric! and keep up the great work! Nobody's better covering ND.
Go I

Eric Hansen

1:19

H Jules. I'm not sure which dog you have in this fight, but here goes on the redshirt scenario. And this is easier now that we're in the final season of COVID exemptions. So the NCAA allows a football player to play four years within a five-year time frame. There are only few exceptions to pause that five-year clock once it starts. A Mormon Mission, for instance, is one of those. And that's why Kahanu Kia is a redshirt sophomore at Notre Dame, having first played in 2021 and redshirted last season after the mission. In your scenario a Mormon Mission wasn't stated as the reason for sitting out the second time. So in your scenario, he'd lose a year by enrolling elsewhere and not playing that second instance. So two years left. ... By the way, I am only doing the pregame shows on WSBT radio moving forward, but thanks for the compliment.

Jules, Joliet, Ill

1:13

In addition to all of your other fine work, it’s great to hear your wit and wisdom with Sean Stires. Can you settle an eligibility disagreement between myself and a friend? A player redshirts in season 1. Does backup duty in season 2. This leaves him 3 seasons of eligibility. If he were to leave his school and sit out the season and enroll in a new school after the season is complete, would he have 2 or 3 seasons of eligibility remaining? (In other words, does he lose a year even if he is not enrolled anywhere?) Thank you

Eric Hansen

1:10

Matt. I'm taking the week off. I'll go with you list. .. what happens, though, in games between two fairly evenly matched teams is a lot of those will cancel each other out, so winning in the margins is important .. so special teams and turnovers .. and who has better depth on defense given how sauna-like the conditions are expected to be.

Matt from Austin

1:08

Hi Eric. I hope this very busy week finds you happy and healthy. OK, we're here. Give us four keys to this weekend's game (not named Carr). I'm going with the O line playing well, a few chunk pass plays, stopping or controlling the run on defense, and a few sacks on the Miami QB, who is excellent. Am I close?? Thank you as always and pack sunscreen! Matt

Eric Hansen

1:05

Hi Tom and sorry for your loss. I was too young to cover Coley as a player, but I did have some encounters with him in later years and was always impressed with him and what he overcame. Just so I am clear, when you say line calls, you're talking about IDing the middle linebacker and maybe sliding protections? Depending on the team and the QB, the center might do it, the QB might or a combination thereof. One of the reasons CJ won the starting job was his proficiency at the line of scrimmage to change a play after the helmet communication turns off or slide a protection. But having Ashton Craig at center is a huge part of that process and a tremendous asset in that regard.

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

12:59

Hi Eric, this was a tough week losing my friend and classmate Coley O'Brien. He was probably the best ND QB that not many people got to see. After he came in against MSU in '66, ND went on to outscore #2 MSU and #8 USC the next week 61-0!! He was 21/31 for 250yds and 3 TDs vs USC. Great ND man!! My question: we hear all the time about QBs making line calls, etc. How do the QBs make those calls? I thought the OL made the calls. How will Carr handle that responsibility in his 1st game?? or will a more experience OL make the call? Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

12:59

Hi Jeremy. I am looking at the forecast now, and it's 77 percent chance of thunderstorms, so I would be more concerned about a lightning delay than some rain. The line of scrimmage is going to be critical no matter whether it rains or not in this game, and I think both teams can brag about that as strengths. I do think ND has the edge there on both sides, but big tests. And I think the 83 percent humidity is going to test both teams' D-line depth.

Jeremy From Goshen, IN

12:54

Eric, it feels like with the potential rain that the LOS will be even more critical than usual. How do you see the matchups shaking out?

Eric Hansen

12:53

Hi Denis, thank you very much. For me, that's easy. I'll go with three. I won't count a sack as a rush, but I will count a scramble as one. But yes, I think Carr will run some. Notre Dame was the No. 5 team in turnover margin last year, so the Irish both forced a lot (No. 1, in fact) and didn't commit many. I don't think this will be a turnover-free game for the ND offense, but I don't expect a turnover-a-palooza either.

Denis from Niagara Falls, Canada

12:45

Hi Eric. The only thing I am worried about re. Miami is qb turnovers. Please choose one. Is Carr more likely to turn the ball over zero times or three times? No cheating. One or two are not available to you. How concerned are you re. turnovers? As usual, thanks very much.

Eric Hansen

12:45

Jim. let me get the Ouija Board out. ... OK, let's see. I will say a pass, but with a twist, to a running back, Jeremiyah Love. Why, because ND is going to try to get to the bottom of what Miami does well and is soft on defense under a new defensive coordinator, Corey Hetherman.

Jim from Chester,,NJ

12:44

Will Notre Dame‘s first play of the game Sunday night against Miami be a run or a pass? And why?

Eric Hansen

12:43

Stanley!!!!!!!!!! The maker of great pancakes (Stancakes) as I recall. Thanks for the compliments. I think one of the reasons why I believe CJ Carr will be able to handle the pressure is how much the coaching staff simulated chaos in practice over coddling this past month, for both CJ and Kenny Minchey. Sunday night will tell us all how effective that was, but at least there was planning and intent and practice to achieve that end. ... I'm going to roll with Guerby Lambert at RG, but Sullivan Absher wouldn't surprise me either. But for Lambert to pull even with a short runway (due to April shoulder surgery) breaks the tie for me. Hopefully, your new bride is a night owl, because ND's first two games are late-nighters.

Stanley B from Glen Allen VA (The real COtU

12:39

Afternoon Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haven't posed a question in quite a while, but stay informed by reading every chat. Thanks for keeping us all up to date with your stellar reporting and (Off the record) Inside information. Now that QB has been solved, do you think Carr will have the poise to lead the Irish in such a pressure packed first game? Secondly, who do you feel will have the nod to protect Carr at RG? My new bride has little to no interest in sports, but she will be sitting by me when the TV comes on on Sunday night. (She does know that Knute Rockne had something to do with ND football)

Eric Hansen

12:39

Hi Bob, he talks about and looks way ahead of where he was last year, which was playing through pain most of the season when he came back from an early ankle sprain. With Jordan Botelho back and the defensive end positions being a little more interchangeable, it's not imperative that he gives ND the high snap counts consistently he did last season.

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