JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 27, 2023 | 12/26/2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 27, 2023

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Eric Hansen

OK, out of time. Have to get ready for my next assignment. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.

3:05

The financial commitment had the complete backing of everyone in the food chain all the way to the top.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

3:03

Eric, how involved do you think the incoming AD and President were in the decision to give Denbrock the contract that he got??? Hopefully, they were involved to some extent and that it is a good sign for the future. Thanks and Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

3:03

Hi Phil. To be honest, that's more something that will come to light in the summer/fall. But I'm sure Marcus is thrilled to have another one come his way. Remember, if Matthew plays as much as one down of football, his scholarship must be converted from lacrosse to football, per NCAA rules. And that's one thing that delayed Faison's debut as long as it did.

Phil, Fairfield CT

3:01

Hi Eric, i have seen some articles about the local legend #1 lacrosse recruit Matthew Jeffrey who is committed to ND for lax and has stated he will be playing football as well. Have you heard any rumblings from the staff about him? Wondering what ND is getting in him and if the Irish can catch lightning in a bottle twice when it comes to walk-on lacrosse offensive skill guys? We will take all the athletes we can get! Excited for whats to come and happy NY to you sir. Enjoy the game :)

Eric Hansen

3:00

Hi Sean. Really enjoyed Christmas and got to have a few versions of it with different parts of the family. Lucky with the weather and travel. I don't think we'll see a drastic difference in approach with Gino Guidugli calling plays, but there are a lot of different pieces and Gino will adapt to that. For instance, the boundary receiver position will be the strongest its been in months. There are few tight ends with which to work. The O-line is rebuilt. New QB. Love and Price are different backs than Audric. And since this is a bowl game, I don't think Gino will be shy about trying something tricky and taking some chances here and there. But overall same offense from a structural standpoint. You want some continuity.

Sean Portland, OR

2:57

Hi Eric, hope your Christmas and holidays have been great. Do you expect much difference in game planning and tendencies as it relates to Gino/Gerad in the bowl game? Will we see more than a couple new wrinkles on Friday? What's the word on retaining Golden? Is he being offered an extension? I was really surprised to see Gerad Parker get a head coaching job before Golden...

Eric Hansen

2:56

No opinion at all, Don. I don't have the bandwidth this time of year to sink my teeth into rumors outside my own little world. It's amusing, but I have no idea what the BS quotient is with either.

Don from Cincinnati

2:54

Rumor mill: Jim Harbaugh to San Diego Chargers: Brian Kelly to Michigan. Can't believe either of these guys. Do you have an opinion?

Eric Hansen

2:54

The 2024? No. But it may be the best defense. The O-line will be inexperienced and still some questions elsewhere on offense. Getting the right coordinator helps a lot.

Curt Warsaw In

2:53

Looking at the overall roster. Do you think this is the best roster in years?

Eric Hansen

2:53

Hey Mike. I think the NFL is the main threat. Sometimes the NFL carousel affects the college positions (more assistants than head coaches), but the early portal window and earlier signing period for recruiting has pushed up- the college timetable at most places. So if he were to leave, I believe it would be for an NFL coordinator position.

Mike from Rochester NY

2:51

Hi, Eric. Follow up on the Al Golden question. At this point, is the main threat for hiring him away the NFL? Or are there going to be some appealing college HC jobs opening up after the CFB playoffs?

Eric Hansen

2:50

Doh ... Jim asked me for a score prediction, so this is a good reminder. I think the offense will labor a bit, not because of Gino Guidugli or Steve Angeli, but because of a lot of new pieces on the O-Line (actually both O-lines) going against some lightly or non-diluted front sevens. My prediction is Notre Dame 26, Oregon State 19.

Ryan mars pa

2:48

Good Afternoon Eric How will The Team look With Steve And Gino look what is your score prediction go Irish Merry Christmas Eric and family

Eric Hansen

2:47

Happy Holidays, Ced. Kevyn Humes was a 2025 cornerback target who chose on Christmas to announce he was reclassifying into the 2024 class, which means he can sign in February and start playing next fall instead of 2025. He already has some visits set up for January. Even though ND was in his top 5, I don't see him trending toward the Irish at this time. The need is greater for another CB in the 2025 class than there is for him to join the two in the recently signed class.

cederickwalker

2:44

ced walker saginaw michigan happy holidays since kevyn humes cb reclassify to 2024 do u think notre dame have a great chance for commitment 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

2:44

Jim, thanks for the holiday wishes and kind words. Much appreciated. Let's start with Mike Denbrock's role for the bowl. I published this last night. He's not involved in LSU's bowl prep anymore, but he's also not directly involved with ND's. His hiring was made official late this morning. And the plan was for him to fly to El Paso today, take in practice, have dinner tonight with the coaching staff, address the team tomorrow (Thursday) morning and fly back to Louisiana after that. I'd imagine shortly after the bowl game, he'll be up in South Bend and ready to get the planning for 2024 started, As for Ced and his new keyboard ....

Jim, Oakwood, OH

2:39

Hi Eric, Do you think that CID from Saginaw received a keyboard with punctuation keys from Santa this year? Is Coach Dembrock a “contributor” to the offensive game planning to assist Coach G? What are your score predictions for the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl and this week’s CFB playoff games? Best wishes for a Happy New Year to you and your family …and my thanks to you, Tyler and Charleston for the relentless and excellent coverage of ND football.

Eric Hansen

2:38

Thank you!

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:38

Eric, no question just a comment: you have cultivated some outstanding "chatters" who ask some really good questions. I think that, along with your witty responses, is what makes your chats the highlight of my week!!! Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:37

Roger. We did and hope the same for you. Some of the NIL questions I get, including this one, are just too broad for me to do justice here. When things slow down a bit, it's something I can get to this offseason. I've actually got a couple of NIL stories ready to write, but unrelated to this question per se. So I'm going to skip that part of your question and get to Charles Jagusah. Yes, the recent feature I did on him aligns with your observations. He continues to impress through the bowl practices. I like where he's headed,

Roger from Peoria

2:34

Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and will similarly have a wonderful New Year's Eve in which to celebrate an Irish Sun Bowl victory. Irish fans just need to remember, even if the Irish lose the Sun Bowl, the sun will come up the next day and you will still be an Irish fan!! #1 The reports on the NIL compensation seem unreal, but it is now an apparent reality. Do the NIL recipients have to do anything for their bucks, e.g., attend charitable events, advertise for a car dealer or soft drink company, or whatever? Must they do anything other than play football? #2 What is your take on Charles Jagusah? I think he will be the next outstanding Irish LT. He was not going to replace Alt this year, but I was not shocked by his rise to the top for the Sun Bowl. I believe a Spring surgical procedure kept him at less than full strength this fall. The footwork and athleticism from being an Illinois State wrestling Champion adds to his skill set, IMO. GO IRISH!!

Eric Hansen

2:34

James. I hope you had a great Christmas as well. Yes they do, but they also have challenges. Nothing is automatic, and you never know how injuries will come into play. But the right ingredients on a number of levels have come together to give Notre Dame an opportunity to go out and earn it.

James from Columbus

2:32

Hi Eric, I hope you had a very merry Christmas with your family. My question is a simple one ( I hope). Does ND have everything and everyone in place to make the playoffs next year? Coaches, players, administrators, support staff, schedule, etc. Thanks and Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

2:32

I don't think Marcus Freeman was caught off guard at all. .. .Gino Guidugli's role after the bowl game will be quarterbacks coach, which he is now. He worked with Mike Denbrock at Cincinnati, and succeeded him as OC there in 2022 when Mike left for LSU, so there's a lot of positive history there. Mike Brown, the WRs coach, overlapped them at UC as well.

Shaun- Boston

2:30

How did Parker’s situation go down? Did ND give permission? Or, did Parker interview in secrecy? What will Gino’s roll become after the Bowl game? Thank you!

Eric Hansen

2:30

Hey Frank. There are new names every day and will be until Jan. 2 when it closes for underclassmen. At this point, Notre Dame doesn't have a need for two of those positions, DTs and CBs. But remember they can still add after the portal closes and in time for spring semester in mid-January. They can also add after spring football and after more players hit the portal in April.

Frank from Royse City, Texas

2:28

Eric, another portal question, any update who ND is looking to get in the portal? It seems the portal is filling up with DT’s, WR’s and CB’s

Eric Hansen

2:28

Hi Suzanne. There's rumblings that could happen, but not yet. If it does, Marcus Freeman will have a drama-free January and February for once.

Suzanne Palm Beach

2:26

Great Christmas gift with the addition of Mike Denbrock! Has Al Golden agreed to contract?

Eric Hansen

For the kids who end up at ND, NIL is a piece of the decision-making process. If it's truly the driving part of a decision, those kids aren't likely to be a fit at a place like Notre Dame anyway.

2:25

Hi Tom. Thanks for the compliment and for reading the story! The whole NIL piece, not just at Notre Dame but everywhere is a big blob of gray area that constantly changing shape and scope. And if you're Notre Dame, or anyone else, you've got to be prepared to adapt. I'll preface this with an article I read from Front Office Sports that essentially confirmed what I suspected, that there is no clearinghouse to confirm numbers and there is way more misinformation about specifics being passed along about NIL than this is actual information. What I can say about FUND is it keeps Notre Dame competitive in recruiting, in transfers, in roster retainment. Now Jack probably could have gotten more guarantees in terms of NIL money and playing time somewhere else, and he alluded to as much, but all things considered thought ND was the best option. (more)

Tom from Sister Lakes MI

2:17

Hi Eric, You wrote a really nice piece on Jack Kiser. Whatever he does in the future he's going to be a success. Now that Markus publicly complemented the role FUND played in recruiting the 2024 signing class, what role did FUND play in keeping players like Kizer and others coming back for another year?

Eric Hansen

2:16

ND's offer.

Bill from St Joe

2:16

Eric, hoping for a very happy and healthy New Year to you Tyler, Charlston, the rest of the staff at Inside ND Sports and my fellow chatters! My question is when I read that BK said to Mike Denbrock to think it overnight, was BK referring to ND’s offer or LSU’s contract extension?

Eric Hansen

2:13

All the best to you, Tanker. Deland McCullough was able to keep five happy. Six happy RBs seems to be a stretch, so perhaps someone hits the portal after spring practice, as Logan Diggs did last year. You could also switch positions, but not sure if there's a good candidate there. It's definitely a first-world problem.

Tanker, Dulce NM

2:11

Hi Eric, with the incoming 24 class having two very elite RBs how do you envision carries and playing time being split in the room next year. Once again it will be an overload of talented backs at the Irish's disposal. Talent at the position like ive never seen before. Exciting stuff. All the best pal, happy new year to you

Eric Hansen

2:07

Hi Terry. It's where the ball is when the knee hits or when the runner goes out of bounds. ... And no, I don't think the soccer ad model will be employed in football.

Terry from Ithaca

2:05

When a ballcarrier is tackled where is the ball placed? Where the knee hits or where the ball is when the knee hits, Do you think football will eventually copy the soccer advertising model? I think advertising is currently ruining the game.

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