JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 28, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 28, 2024

Eric Hansen

2:56

OK, that's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. Spring practice starts March 7, a week from Thursday. We'll be back to chat the day before that on Wednesday at noon ET.

2:54

Hi Ced. I gave Marie a couple of surprise players who were more long shots, because that's what she's asked for. For just run-of-the-mill surprises, I'll stick with what I've been saying -- Luke Talich at safety on defense and Aamil Wagner at tackle on offense.

cederickwalker

2:53

ced walker saginaw michigan saginaw pride who do u see being the biggest surprised on offense or defense during spring practice 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

2:52

Good day, Jules. I'll let Marcus Freeman spell that out for us a week from Thursday, We're hearing special teams coach Marty Biagi might be involved as well.

Jules, Joliet, Ill

2:51

Good day, Sir. Coach Mickens will now be coaching all of the defensive backs. I assume that he will have a GA or two to assist him. Has that position been filled? If not, are there any candidates that you know of? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

2:51

Hi Denny. Yep, only been here two years and he fired WRs coach Chansi Stuckey after one, so I don't see that as a valid observation of hanging onto someone too long. What has impressed me the most are two things, how involved his is in recruiting and how he's been able to adapt quickly to incredibly drastic changes in the amateur sports model. Blind spot? I'd say too much reliance on analytics, and yet I think he knows that.

Denny from Beaverton Or.

2:49

Hi Eric; Coach Freeman has been head coach for two years now and has learned a tremendous amount about leading a high profile program like Notre Dame. What has impressed you the most about how he has preformed during this time and conversely has he had, in your opinion, a blind spot that he is learning to overcome? From my perspective far away, I don't see his ego getting in the way of trying to honestly evaluate himself and the program. On the other hand I wonder if he, like his predecessor, has difficulty replacing someone he has hired. I realize This last point is not completely fair to Coach Freeman as he has only been there a couple years

Eric Hansen

2:48

Hi Larry. The things Notre Dame fans should feel good about is the state of the defense. The Irish should be good enough on that side of the ball this season to KEEP them in every game. Not necessarily win every game, but give them a chance to win every game, including Texas A&M. There is a lot of work to be done on offense this spring, summer and in fall camp. The fact that Notre Dame invested in a coordinator the caliber of Mike Denbrock changes the ceiling of what that might have looked like under a second season of Gerad Parker. So there's optimism there will be meaningful growth and development on that side of the ball. None of that's guaranteed, but there's reasonable hope it will.

Guest

2:44

Larry from Topton, PA - I have heard several experts (I believe you and Tyler included) express an opinion that a 10-2 ND team may not qualify for the playoffs this year, and anything short of a playoff berth would be a failure (or at least a disappointment). I bet there are ~20 teams that feel the same way, which means there will be plenty of unhappy fans spread throughout the country. That all makes the season opener at T A&M even more critical. It seems to me that many Irish fans are taking that first game for granted. And I recently listened to your discussion with Carter Karels who was pretty, pretty, pretty confident in the A&M outlook... Add to it that Vegas lists A&M as the (slight) early favorites for that game, plus we are all aware of the ND road woes last season. Can you offer us any way-too-early keys to the game, that would offer us fans some ND optimism for that game? Thank you for all of your (and your team’s) audio and written coverage during the offseason (we know that Football Never Sleeps)

Eric Hansen

2:44

Hi Mike. They usually do those in the summertime. If/when they do this summer. I'll be happy to share.

Mike from Rockville, MD

2:43

Hi, Eric, and thanks as always for these chats! I often hear that ND coaches spend the off-season visiting other schools/teams to exchange ideas. Do you know if that happened this year? If so, where did they go?

Eric Hansen

2:43

Myliah, love the question and similar in spirit to the one right ahead of it. The one things we're seeing a lot of recently are players with really strong lacrosse backgrounds, either putting lacrosse behind them or aspiring to play both. Track was a natural crossover, and was quite prevalent during the Holtz Era. Shane Walton. of course, game from the Irish soccer team and a non-kicker and evolved into an All-America cornerback. The year-round commitment that college sports requite nowadays makes it harder, but not impossible, for these storylines to emerge, I'll have to do some more research. Thanks again for the idea.

Myliah, El Cerrito, CA

2:39

Hi Eric, thank you for your continued live chats during the football doldrums. Last week, you commented on a couple of two-sport athletes, Faison and Bowen. Lacrosse and baseball seem like reasonable crossover sports (and, of course, there are past precedents with ND football), but have you seen any more unusual ones at ND? I heard a rumor of a swimmer that tried out as a WR but didn't make it due to an injury sustained in practice... And I often think of Braves pitcher Tom Glavine, who was also an excellent hockey player. Any basketballers make it as TEs? Any edge players with a wicked golf swing? (I seem to remember Kyle Hamilton being good at golf) How about a fencer in the slot?

Eric Hansen

2:39

Everett Golson and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are two who come to mind who could have played DI. Golson even talked to Mike Brey about it, but it never happened. I think you came up with some good examples.

2:38

Hi Pat, not silly at all for late February. Generally, I have a pretty good feel about who at least THINKS they are elite basketball players. I know which ones excelled in high school, but a dunk contest is different. I think you came up with some good ones. Off the top of my head, I'd add Aamil Wagner. Tosh Baker was on a DI basketball tract for a while and he's 6-8 so ... And Deion Colzie is a very good basketball player and elite high jumper, in track, so I'd bet on him. I'll have to ask around to see what the players think. (more)

Pat, Wilmington, DE

2:32

Silly questions while watching the silly NBA All Star Weekend. Who on the current roster wins a dunk contest? I'll pick Leonard, Raridon and Morrison as top contenders....also there's been a few football and spring sport athletes but was John Carlson the last guy to do both FB and BB (Joey Brooks?). If the seasons didn't overlap, any other players of recent vintage that could have hung around Purcell as a 12th man. Hamilton and Claypool come to mind and maybe Kyle Rudolph and McGlinchey as rebounders?

Eric Hansen

2:31

Hi John. I assume you're doing that in 2025? If so, congrats. And thanks for putting up with me in these chats and in the transcripts.

John Sac.,Ca.

2:30

Thanks Eric. Love to read chat transcript. One bucket list left. ND and USC in South Bend. Wished I could have done it sooner. When CFB Hall of Fame was still ther.

Eric Hansen

2:30

I believe that's what will happen, but we'll know for sure next week.

Dave from DC

2:30

Is Rocco Spindler expected to participate in Spring practice without restrictions?

Eric Hansen

2:28

Hi Ray. Thanks for resubmitting the question, this time in its entirety. I'll cut right to your questions. I think Marcus Freeman's in-game decisions are kind of what you would expect from a head coach learning on the job in the glare of the biggest spotlight in college sports. The moment has never been too big for him, and yet there have been decision that reflect not having a point of reference to lean into. I do believe he learns quickly from both mistakes and successes and that accelerates his learning curve. So if you're looking for a letter grade, I'd say C+ with optimism that grade will continue to rise in season 3. As far as your second question, Marcus Freeman is refreshingly self-reflective and extremely open to researching, learning, talking about ways to improve that aspect of his coaching. And surrounding himself with assistant coaches like Mike Denbrock and Al Golden are only going to enhance that process.

Ray from West Michigan

Lou Holtz ( seasoned coach when at ND) seemed to always push the right button and lorded his full control during a game. Saban always seemed to be a savant during games. The list goes on…

In light of this dynamic, my question to your is two-fold, 1) what is your grade so far for CMF so far as making big decisions in the middle of big games, and 2) are you aware of any effort by CMF to raise his own football IQ as it relates to in-game decisions? In other words, is CMF somehow working on his “chess game?” I personally feel like CMF has come a long way from his deer in the headlight looks vs Oklahoma State in his debut, but to me this factor was the big wild card in his hire as an inexperience coach. Inquiring minds appreciate your opinion and perspective. Keep up the good work!

2:20

Greetings Eric! I’m sorry that my question got cut off last week, and I missed your note to complete it, because my day job called me away from the chat. Lol Here’s the question, hopefully in full:

I totally get that so much of college football success, i.e. winning a natty (and better yet) building a dynasty involves getting all the best pieces on the chessboard. That includes culture, recruitment, facilities, coaches, etc. it’s like the functional equivalent of building an army. As a fan on the outside looking in, it looks to me like CMF is accomplishing just that. I like the direction the program is going. My question, however, goes to CMF’s lack of experience in “big games” and the impact that in game decision making can affect and separate the merely good head coaches from the great ones. Coach Dan Campbell from the Lions made some aggressive and thus costly decisions this season, and therefore was much second guessed afterwards.

Eric Hansen

2:20

Hi Bob. Tom and I have discussed Lex Cyrus and Tom's affinity for him. He does have an offer from ND. Right now, he's a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 69 wide receiver in the class. Given who has already committed and who's at the top of ND's board, I don't think Lex is being prioritized as this time. Obviously, things can change. Wlll Fuller was a three-star recruit for almost his entire recruitment and at one time committed to Penn State before getting a late ratings bump and committing to ND. Elite speed doesn't always transfer to elite production. I trust Tom's opinion, and we'll see how this plays out long term.

Domer Bob-Oak Brook,Il.

2:15

Both Tom Lemming & I have done extensive research on WR LEX CYRUS--he consistently runs 4.3/40s & 4.4/40s-quite possibly THE FASTEST HS FB PLAYER in the entire nation--we have been pushing ND to definitely take CYRUS----Your thoughts & comments,please

Eric Hansen

2:11

No, ND would not take a commitment and then intentionally recruit over a kid. Sometimes it's hard for me to answer these questions, because I'm not sure what people are hearing and from where. There's a lot of garbage out there. So from what I know, I don't see the numbers crunch you are perceiving. It's not like ND is recruiting positions that are already "full."

Sean, Portland OR

2:08

Thanks for the answer to the previous question. I have a follow-up: With as big as the 2025 class is now... and the number of potential targets still on the board that I am hearing about... Is there potential for the later commits to cause a numbers issue for the class in total? Would ND ask some players to de-commit, depending on the numbers?

Eric Hansen

2:08

Hi Aaron. I did not hear him say that or interpret what he said as such. What I did hear him say was how he has a greater appreciation of finding mismatches with heavier wide receiver sets and how that can work in concert with an effective running game. So in essence, he wants to do both and be good at both and not be hamstrung by an undying commitment to 12 personnel when an opposing team's weakness can best be exposed by 11 or even 10 personnel in a particular game or situation within a game. I think this is an enlightened way of thinking, and something that would have benefited Notre Dame in some of its games last season.

Aaron, Washington DC

2:00

Hi Eric, thanks for today's chat. If I understood Mike Denbrock correctly, I think he said that he intends to utilize more frequent 11 personnel to create increased situations where he's getting the ball in playmakers hands. It seems to me that Notre Dame has seen a good amount of success with 12 personnel -- both to support the running game and in the passing game because of the high talent level at tight end. What do you think about this shift to more 11 personnel? Wouldn't that require a learning curve for the offensive line and receivers to support the running game with less tight ends? It could be a difficult transition with a number of new offensive line starters this year. Should we infer that we will likely see less of Notre Dame's talented tight end depth regularly on the field?

Eric Hansen

2:00

Hi Sean. Poaching has been going on, both ND doing the poaching and getting poached, since before my hair was completely jet black. Actually, in the Brian Kelly Era, ND typically came out ahead over time in that area. I think this particular coaching staff learned from the 2022 cycle and has a better read on kids who want to use ND as a place-holder and ND is less willing (or not willing at all) to take a commitment from a player like that. That doesn't mean ND won't lose another player to decommitment, but I think they've done a good job of mitigating and minimizing the frequency of that happeniing.

Sean, Portland OR

1:56

NDFB has a huge 2025 recruiting class comparatively to other schools. Deuce Knight being courted strongly by SEC schools... ND seems to do pretty well at identifying 3 star/low 4 star recruits that will eventually be bumped up. Talk me off the ledge though: It feels like this class is ripe to getting poached by schools with lower NIL ethical standards... some of these kids seemed bound to leave via other schools throwing bags at them. Am I totally wrong?

Eric Hansen

1:54

Hi Griggs. I've stopped being surprised at transfers. Notre Dame is over the limit on scholarships and may yet add players after spring, so there is going to be post-spring attrition at some positions. That's already baked in. If anyone can make that many running backs happy, it's Deland McCullough. The RB who does not have a clearly defined role is sixth-year grad Devyn Ford. He is highly valued on special teams, and that might be a big enough role to make him happy.

Griggs, Dallas texas

1:49

Hi Eric, with the two '24 backs early enrolling and adding to the absolute stable of talent at the position, do you envision any transfers or are you confident in there being a way to keep everyone involved, engaged, and encouraged given the sheer volume of talented, young studs in the room. An excellent and unfamiliar problem* to have at ND!

Eric Hansen

1:49

I think the four RBs who will likely have the more defined roles coming out of spring -- out of the six who will participate in spring practice are Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne and Kedren Young, and in that order. I think Love and Price's reps will be a much more equitable split than say last year at the top of the depth chart, kind of like the 2022 rep split between Audric Estimé and Logan Diggs.

Ryan mars pa

1:43

Sorry Eric i forgot to put my hometown

Ryan

1:43

Good Afternoon Eric which running backs will do The best with Audric going to the nfl i think Payne love annd price will have a Good Season coming up Go IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

1:42

Hi Tony. Thanks so much for the feedback with Charleston. He has been great for us, and is very quiet and humble, and I'll make sure he knows how you feel. ... I am thrilled with the weather here, even with the roller coaster effect this week. We'll be back to springlike temps this weekend ... I think if Al Golden was going to leave for another job at some point, it's much more likely to be an NFL job than a college head coaching job at this stage of his life. Typically, when you sign an extension, the contract is easier and less expensive for either side to vacate the closer it is to its conclusion. So there's no guarantee he would stay all four years, but I don't think his intention at this point is to go shopping for a new job next winter, if that's what you're asking.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:38

Hey Eric. Glad to hear you have gotten some spring like weather in SB. Maybe Punxatawney Phil was right? One quick question and one comment. I assume that with Al Golden signing the extension that he would still be interested in the right HC or NFL DC if it came along? And I have really appreciated Charleston Bowles' coverage and articles. His stories are well written and his recruiting coverage is clear and concise. I wanted to make sure you got that feedback.

Eric Hansen

1:37

Again, the podcast may provide you with more detail and clarity, but in my opinion no one really knows exactly how this will play out. Or when. ... A player no one is talking about? Does that even exist at Notre Dame?

OK I am going to dig very deep and say WR Micah Gilbert on offense and LB Kahanu Kia on defense. Thanks for another round of great questions.

1:33

Hi Marie. I should have mentioned this on an earlier question. We're going to have Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com on the podcast Thursday and do a deeper dive into some of these national issues, including the playoff and the things you're asking about, so it might be worth tuning in for. ... These are great questions that have complicated answers. I will try to simplify my thoughts. Both what's going on with the NCAA not being allowed to enforce its own rules and what's been going on with the National Labor Relations Board are both pushing for more dramatic changes to the amateur sports model, though they are on two different tracks. But let me address your upping-the-ante question. What we have been seeing nationally this year as opposed to the previous cycle is few schools being willing to invest widely on incoming freshmen and more willing to invest in proven transfer portal players. Both have the potential to lead to abuses, including players being openly recruited off someone else's roster (more).

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