JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 21, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 21, 2023

Eric Hansen

3:41

OK, there were some great questions that were just too broad and deep, but interesting that would have consumed the whole chat, mostly related to NIL and stuff like that. Maybe another day .. in the offseason. Thanks for all the great questions. Happy Holidays. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.

3:39

Matt, these are too hard LOL. 1. Too ambitious. 2. He'll get pushed down some because of positional value. Not a reflection of talent ... Second day pick? Not sure to what team. 3. Innovative, sport science-heavy. 4. I didn't get that sense, 5. 99 to negative-2. Matt, we don't even know who's playing for each team? How am I supposed to guess a score? If I am right, you need to not only buy me a beer, you have to walk it from KC and deliver it in person. Then open it for me, Notre Dame 27-21.

3:29

Give me just a second Matt. quick phone call I've got to take.

Matt (KC)

3:27

Quickfire Five: 1. Is it unreasonable to think next year ND could have at least 4 1st round NFL draft picks in Mills, Leonard, Morrison, and maybe one other (Oben, Cross, Watts)? 2. My son desperately wants to know where you think Audric Estime may go in the draft (round and team) and please can he come to the Chiefs? 3. How would you describe the new strength coach and what his program may look like at Notre Dame? 4. Did we have any behavior or attitude issues on the team and pushed them out in the portal, don't have to name names, but was it all love and we wish you luck or did we have bad seeds to get rid of too? 5. Let's go win this bowl game, but I am going to do it, I am sorry, score prediction for Texas A&M next fall? Happy Holidays!

Eric Hansen

3:24

Bob, they stretched well and some ran good pass routes. I am not kidding. We were kicked out after 15 minutes of drills, not in full pads and not in competitive periods. I wish I had more to share, because it's a question I'd want answered if I were on your side of things.

Bob (Oxnard CA)

3:22

How did the tackles look in practice?

Eric Hansen

3:21

Hi Pogo. Players leave every year. Really good players. That's why recruiting (both high school and portal) and development are so important. Not just at ND, but at other schools with national title aspirations. You may be right in your assessment. Again, if Xavier Watts comes back and the defense can stay healthy, it can win a lot of games even with the offense having some question marks and a lot of new faces. 2. As I mentioned in the transfer story published today, Marcus doesn't plan on making a portal transfer QB an annual thing. I've gotten this question a lot and people who want to debate my stance and that will probably continue for quite some time. I think it was the right move and I think it's the right move to open up the competition. I wish I could go deeper into this, but am out of time.

Pogo in Springfield, Mo.

3:17

1. I have seen many posts recently who think ND will be significantly better next year. Why? I see a lot of talent leaving, especially WRs, Estime, and two great tackles. Incoming portal guys have not played a down for ND and I can't see, from my experience, how this team can be expected to be better. 2. Is the Leonard transfer a good thing long term? I see it as a case of damned if you do or don't, but lean more toward a long term problem.

Eric Hansen

3:17

Ken, same to you on the holiday wishes ... 1) He knew he was in the mix for the Troy job before he landed it and he's always prepared to lose assistants. He said last winter that EVERY one of his assistants had at least one job offer or serious interview opportunity to go somewhere else. 2) I don't think the Stuckey situation would have changed. 3) Yes, I believe it will ultimately happen. 4) I like the class a lot and yes I'd expect more incoming transfers, which means there also must ne more attrition.

Ken from Steel City, PA

3:13

Hi Eric, short and to the point this week. I hope you and your family have a happy holiday season and it's filled with much joy. 1) Did MF have an idea that Parker was considering moving on or was this a surprise? 2) how would this have changed the Stuckey situation? 3) I have read ND is looking external for the next one. Will this happen? 4) How excited are you about the 2024 class and can we expect any additional transfers in? Thanks again!

Eric Hansen

3:13

Hey Mickey ... isn't that the start of a song? OK, to your question. The Irish had four players in the top 50, and three of the four jumped significantly from the last ratings reveal, so I'm not sure it's fair to say Rivals has a grudge against ND. As far as CJ Carr, I think Rivals will be wrong, but they reserve their top 32 spots for players they project as future first-round NFL Draft picks. And they couldn't get over the hump with CJ. Again, you and I disagree with Rivals, and we can gloat down the road if we're right and delete this conversation if we're wrong.

11mickeypenscla@att.net

3:09

can you tell me what happened with c.j. carrs fifth star?, he not only didnt get it, but he dropped from a #20 national rank to # 50. he held that #20 national rank for a long time, my friend in pensacola, who is a huge N.D. fan said if he was going to play for any other school, like alabama, ohio state, ga., ect. he would already be a five star. what happened to drop his rank so low? do you think my friend is right, that rivles just doesn't give N.D. players much credit.

Eric Hansen

3:09

OK Michael, have you been sampling the eggnog without inviting me? This feels like it was supposed to be asked in December of 2021?

Michael from Atlanta

3:08

Eric! Merry Christmas! Hope all is well with you and your family. Are you surprised that almost all assistant coaches decided to stay at ND with Marcus Freeman vs. going with Kelly to LSU or looking around for another gig? What did they see in Marcus that made them stay? In some cases, like with Rees, he had a new contract with ND but what about the others-some who had worked with Kelly for a long time and may not have known Freeman well? Do they love ND or trust Marcus more or is it just a job and they didn't want to uproot their families, etc.? I completely understand if you need to keep their reasons anonymous. Your answer may be better in a detailed story.

Eric Hansen

3:07

DT Justin Scott as a recruit was the biggest miss, and there weren't a bunch of them. The portal parade is still going, so I can't answer that one yet. They've hit on most of their targets there so far.

Matt from DC

3:06

With the season (mostly) in the rear view, and in honor of signing day, who do you view as the biggest recruiting miss from the 2023 class? The biggest portal miss?

Eric Hansen

3:06

Nope and nope. Not at this time.

Rich Key West

3:06

Based on all the turnover with the head coaches in the NCAA, do you see any deposed coaches that may be good candidates for the Irish Offensive Co-ordinator position? For that matter any potential with the NFl coaches currently seeking employment?

Eric Hansen

3:06

Haha Tom. Do I really want to put people to sleep this close to the end of the chat? The list is really too long to share. But I will share one aspect. When you take a leap of faith that takes you way out of your comfort zone and it pays off a hundred fold beyond your wildest dreams, it's life-changing. Merry Christmas.

Tom from Sister Lakes MI

3:04

Hi Eric, Who cares about signing day, Parker leaving, potential new OC's, the latest transfer portal in or out. The big question that inquiring minds want to know after last week's chat: why was this year the best for you?!! 😁 Merry Christmas.

Eric Hansen

3:04

Hi Matt. Yes on Jeremiyah Love, but I think if Jadarian Price or G'Bran Payne get a hot hand, RBs coach Deland McCullough will ride the hot hand. ... With Faison, the moment he showed up for fall camp. All of us did. ... The calculus on Faison was that he was on a lacrosse scholarship, and once he played that had to become a football scholarship per NCAA rules. So there was a long-term commitment involved, and the combination of his strong skills and injuries to others, opened that door. There are have no regrets, I think there will be lots of competition for the O-line spots.

Matt in Augusta NJ

3:00

Will J.Love be the feature back? I would love to see him get 20 touches, maybe even some from the slot? Faison’s agility really stands out. When did the staff realize they had a gem? Did it take other players disappointing for him to get a shot? Or they couldn’t keep him off the field? I’m really curious to see who gets the spots in 2024 on the offensive line. Have any favorites?

Eric Hansen

2:59

Merry Christmas, Bob. I think if Baker or Wagner were to leave, ND would have no choice but to hit the portal ... not because there's no talent, but a lot of it is still in the oven. Of the other young guys beyond Jagusah, keep an eye on incoming freshman Guerby Lambert. ... as far as track times, I don't have time, without pausing the chat, to track down the track times, real or embellished, from the incoming recruits. I do know Marcus loves the speed. And track speed doesn't always tell the story. Decades ago, I covered one of the top sprinters in Indiana high school track history and yet he didn't make our Hammond area all-area team in football. And yet had a scholarship to Notre Dame. It didn't translate. Remember Rusty Setzer? I didn't think so.

Bob from NJ

2:53

Eric, love the chats and wishing you a Merry Christmas. With the surprise announcement about Jagusah at left tackle for the bowl game, does the staff believe there is quality options behind Wagner, Baker if ne of them leaves. Second, do we know the track times of the incoming receivers to give us a perspective of how fast they really are compared to perceived SEC speed. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:53

I think he's kind of outgrown it. Even is he slimmed down and changed his body, I don't think he could beat out Drayk Bowen or Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. I do really like Junior Tuihalamaka as a player. Very smart, but not ideal height for a vyper and not the ideal skill set. If he went playing in 2012, he'd be the perfect linebacker, but football has changed so much.

murphjd

2:51

Do you believe they will ever move Junior back to his natural position at MLB? I think he is being wasted at Vyper. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:51

Oh, I almost hurt myself laughing. Ow. I'll take the Burger. A big Azar's bye week Cheeseburger!

Scubatvt56

2:50

Eric,wishing you a very merry Christmas from TN. Easy question for ya. Would you rather have a meal of Chilean Sea Bass or an Azars Big Boy Burger while contemplating how many ND degrees Joe Alt has?

Eric Hansen

2:49

Hi Tom. I'll try to make this succinct, especially since Parker is no longer on staff and we'll not have to unpack it for too much longer. The problems with the offense in big games were multi-tiered and kind of bled into each other. But in my opinion, let's just throw out a name Ryan Grubb of Washington. If he had been OC this year, would ND have been 9-3 .... or better? The OC doesn't coach all the positions, but he's the leader on that side of the ball. Ultimately, he is responsible, and so is Marcus Freeman as the head coach for helping the players execute to their potential.

Tom in Evanston

2:45

Hi Eric. I have seen some commentary (not from you, so suspect) that claimed that Parker's issues were more poor execution rather than his play calling. Do you agree with that? Who in the coaching structure would be most responsible for poor execution?

Eric Hansen

2:45

Hi Sean, not a manifesto at all. This provides really good context for your questions. I'm hear for that. What prompts me to leave questions in the queue and take others is when the observations and opinions are totally unrelated to the question and go on so for so long (and often are way off base), that it overwhelms the eventual question. Which may have been the intent all along ... ok to your questions. The players and coaches that ARE playing consider it a huge accomplishment if Notre Dame can get to 10 wins. So yeah, they're into it. 2. The Harper opt-out was a bit of an oversight. Marcus knew he was going to opt out a while ago and thought he had already announced it when Marcus has the recent press conference saying that there would be no more of them. it surprises me a little that he did. Yes, there would be a dropoff no matter who mans that position in the bowl game.

Sean Portland, OR

2:41

Hopefully not a manifesto, but I have 2 questions. 1) How important is this Sun Bowl to ND players and staff? Looks like they are having fun... with linemen running fades on the goal line. I've lived in Oregon my whole life, and have had to deal with local humiliation because of ND getting blasted by the Beavers twice in the early 2000s. I know Oregon St. doesn't mean much to Midwesterners or the East Coast, but they're a pretty good football team who has far less opt outs than ND does. The "3rd String" QB they're playing with had a better record last year than DJ Uiagaleilei did this year. Their star running back was re-instated. 2) Thomas Harpers opt out... why just radio silence from him rather than announcing it? He was a great player this year. There was a sizable drop off (in my non-professional opinion) when Clarence Lewis was on the field compared to him. Did something happen there to make his opt out a silent one?

Eric Hansen

2:40

Hi Geoff. It is my understanding that he has not signed it.

Geoff from Placentia, CA

2:40

Late to the chat and no hope of catching up before you finish, so if this question has already been asked, as it most likely will have been, please disregard my question and have a great Christmas. Preamble completed, on to the question: Is it known if Mike Denbrock has signed his extension at LSU? One would think he would be a more viable candidate if he hasn't yet signed. Thanks again.

Eric Hansen

2:39

Hi Jim, and thanks for sharing your Marcus Freeman story and for all the nice things you said about me, deserved for not. I do try to respond when people ask me question about myself, but it really goes against my grain. I feel like it will bore most of you to tears and that Facebook will invent a "Who Cares" button with that in mind. My 2024 wish sounds like something a Miss America contestant might say, so I'll do something less serious and say I hope these chats go on forever. I love them.

Jim, Oakwood, OH

2:34

Merry Christmas to you and your family Eric! I was stopped in my tracks reading last week's transcript when I read the comment you made at the end of the chat. You were asked about your wish for 2024, and your answer was: "2023 was the best year of my life!" I really liked your answer because it seemed to reflect your gratitude personally for your family & friends and your professional colleagues. It was a very telling comment that reflects so favorably, IMO, upon you as a person. Congratulations. My question is: What is your wish for 2024? I wanted to alert your readers, in case they were not aware, that last summer Marcus Freeman did a Cameo (not sure about in 2024) for one of my daughter's birthday presents (and he donated the proceeds to a charity). He was fantastic. When I looked at his face on the screen talking to my daughter I saw sincerity, honesty, warmth and energy...and I wondered: How could any recruit say no to this man? Warmest wishes to you for a 2024 that is all Joy & happiness. Be well.

Eric Hansen

2:33

Hi Ced. Assuming there are no injuries that open the door (it's a silly assumption, but it makes the question easier to answer), and we're going to assume you mean playing past a redshirt threshold and not just on special teams? I'd say maybe 8. It was 6 this year, 7 if you count Charles Jagusah, who will start at LT in the bowl game after playing just five games snaps all year.

cederickwalker

2:27

ced walker saginaw michigan how many true freshmen do you see playing in 2024 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

2:27

To, Merry Christmas to you too. Thank you. It wasn't for a lack of trying that Notre Dame didn't flip defensive tackle Justin Scott, who professed elite education and closeness to home in Chicago were two huge priorities ... and he ended up at Miami. I think you can do the math. .... I think the undiluted version of Notre Dame-Oregon State would have been fantastic. The 'Lite' version I think you'll be able to draw impressions from more than you will conclusions, but for me it's still fun. ...Marcus Freeman said Wednesday he's not in a hurry with the OC, but if he gains traction with a top target, it could likely moved quickly. If not, it will be a longer process.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:22

Eric, our best wishes to you for a Blessed and Merry Christmas!!! These Chats are a special present every week for us chatters to open and wonder what is next. Thank you. OK, how was Miami able to flip Chris Scott, DT from Ohio St. and ND was not able to??? He was thought to be a strong Irish lean for a long time. With so many players not playing in the Sun Bowl for a variety of reasons, what can we really hope to learn from the scrimmage, oh I mean game?? Finally, what do you see as the timetable for hiring the OC?? Any NFL candidates that might prolong the decision similar to the wait for Al Golden? Is Joe Brady even a possibility?? Thanks and best wishes always. Go Irish!!!

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