JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 3, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 3, 2021

Eric Hansen

2:25

That's going to have to do it for today. I've got interviews with BK and the Irish assistants coming up in a couple of minutes. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll take a break next week and come back in two weeks on Feb. 17 at noon ET.

2:24

Remember this isn't just about talent. It's about talent PLUS opportunity PLUS readiness/ability to adapt. So in that light, I'll start with Tyler Buchner at quarterback. I'm not predicting him to be the starter, but I am predicting he could be No. 2 and could make things competitive. I'd say Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Rocco Spindler also on offense. I'm not sure any of the freshman DEs are ready, but there's opportunity to get into the rotation. Also LB Prince Kollie, both of the freshman safeties and all of the freshman cornerbacks should get a good look.

Frank Serra From Texas

2:21

What Freshmen you do think will play quality minutes during the season?

Eric Hansen

2:21

I know it might seem fun to us to stay in college forever. But for young men of that age, getting on with their lives and getting paid has an appeal to it. I was in college for five years, got accepted into law school and just couldn't take the thought of more school. So I deferred my admission, tried my hand at something I had a passion for and never regretted that decision for one second. So I see their side of it. And not all that many of them would have necessarily benefitted by coming back. There's also the risk of injury and the notion of having to navigate COVID for a while in a college setting as opposed to an NFL setting.

Michael New Mexico

2:17

Why did so many NON-first or second round potential draft pick ND players leave the program this year when they had an additional year of eligibility due to COVD 19? Seems like we could have had all but 4 or 5 players back for a strong 2021 team that could compete for a national championship again and their draft stock would increase next year.

Eric Hansen

2:17

Hi Gabriel. Healthy and happy here. Thanks. I think Notre Dame would be part of any breakaway, so there would not be a need to join a conference.

Gabriel Weiss from North Liberty

2:16

Hello again Mr. Hansen. I hope you are staying healthy and happy. I know you do not like hypothetical questions, but if the Power 5 breaks off from the NCAA, do you think ND would have to join a conference? Thanks again for your time.

Eric Hansen

2:16

Adam, all is forgiven. I think your standard for what fans should expect in recruiting in the 2022 cycle on offense is both realistic and fair. So far, the offensive line recruiting is off to a good start. Skill positions need to follow suit. I think Brian Kelly would agree.

Adam in Florida

2:13

I apologize if I came off like a jerk with the no spin orders in my BK/ Ford recruitment question last week. It just seems like there's always qualifiers for why BK doesn't personally recruit with the same urgency as other elite head coaches. Does the influx of defensive offers and the interest from top recruits committed to places like Ohio St (DB about to flip) highlight the importance of a dogged recruiter like Freeman, as well as what appears to be missing on the offensive side after the firing of Chip Long?

Eric Hansen

2:12

Marie, I wonder the same thing as do a lot of other people on the chat this week and in some of the previous weeks. I can give Del Alexander and the offense a Mulligan of sorts for this season, with no spring practice and limited time in the summer to work on timing/chemistry. The fall camp was so heavy in scheme/play installation, forging chemistry with a larger number of receivers was challenging. HOWEVER, the questions you ask weren't unique to last season. I will give coach Alexander credit with a nice haul on the recruiting trail two years in a row, really. I'm not sure I'd call this year make or break, but I think it will be defining for him.

Marie from Atlanta

2:08

Hi Eric, thanks for keeping the chats going in the off season. Do you think 2021 is a make or break season for Del Alexander? The comment is always about how ND doesn't have the play makers, however Keys, Lenzy and Austin were all 4 stars, Johnson is a 5 star, I realize there has been some bad luck with injuries, but Boykin and Claypool were obviously phenomenal talents who took far too long to develop. Schools like Ohio State and Clemson seem to be able to develop their younger talent much faster, Chris Olave and EJ Williams were no higher ranked than ND's players but they got developed much faster. I am beginning to wonder if the issue is more about development than talent. What do you think?

Eric Hansen

2:08

I'll answer it this way. I think there is room to be more ambitious with offering, pursuing and landing elite offensive recruiting targets.

Joey G. Philadelphia,Pa

2:05

Hi Eric, Hope all is well! It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm being generated by Marcus Freeman on the recruiting trail. It seems he knows what players he wants and isn’t afraid to go after the elite players. On the offensive side of the ball aside from lineman & tight ends ND seems unable to land elite QB’,RB’s & Wr’s. Do you think coaches Rees,Taylor and Alexander could learn from Marcus Freeman’s recruiting style?

Eric Hansen

2:03

The chance to play football at a very high level, get developed to play in the NFL AND the connections and value a Notre Dame degree brings for life AFTER football. That's what ND sells, and that appeals to some elite players.

Lee from Lancaster

2:02

Hi Eric, I often hear the phrase that a certain player is a "good fit" for ND. Generally speaking, what would entice a great player to come to ND instead of going to Bama, Clemson or Ohio State where there is a greater opportunity to win a national championship and likely a less challenging academic course load?

Eric Hansen

2:02

Caleb, I do not think Ian Book is the most talented quarterback of the last 50 years. I think Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen, Joe Montana, Rick Mirer, Kevin McDougal, Joe Theismann, Steve Beurlein and some others might take exception to your question. But Ian Book has earned a special place in ND history. He's an important part of where ND eventually wants to go with the program. I think if you ONLY factored in wins with regard to a QB's greatness or lack thereof, that would be unfair, but I do think it is a legit factor.

Caleb from Charlotte

1:58

Hi Eric, Ian Book is the starting quarterback with the most wins at ND. In your opinion, who was the most talented starting quarterback that has played at ND in the last 50 years. Also, isn't it unfair to apply wins and losses to the quarterback when often the play of other players have a greater impact on the outcome of the game?

Eric Hansen

1:56

Jim, thank you and same to you. I definitely think C'Bo Flemister has earned a role behind those two and situationally in short-yardage and near the goal line in certain games. I'm curious to see whether Audric Estime (6-1, 215) can do as a power back as a freshman. I see him as a possible option too. If one of the top two gets hurt, though, Logan Diggs (if he comes as expected) might make more sense because of his pass-catching skill set.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

1:52

Hi Eric, wishing you and your family the very best in health and happiness from small town So.Cal. With Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree leading the way, the Irish seem to be in good shape as it relates to the running back position. But due to expected wear and tear as well as the possibility of injury, the Irish will need to have viable third and fourth options should the need arise. If you had to project, who do you see as being the next two backs in the pecking order be they players currently on the roster or perhaps even a freshman could ascend into this role. Many thanks for your time and kind consideration to us Irish fans.

Eric Hansen

1:51

I think you’re underestimating the gristle in the 2021 schedule. The Irish play four teams in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25: No. 7 North Carolina, No. 9 USC, No. 11 Cincinnati, and No. 17 Wisconsin. And the 2022 and 2023 schedules feature regular-season games with Clemson AND Ohio State.

Scott Hauser

1:45

You think being in conference would help getting back to finals versus being independent coming season considering coming season schedule does not appear to be as tough a schedule as previous years?

Eric Hansen

1:42

Rick, I haven’t moved off Taver Johnson of the Las Vegas Raiders as a strong outside candidate and Kerry Cooks as a strong inside candidate. As far as Alford, do you mean Tony Alford at Ohio State? He coaches running backs, so I don’t see a fit there. Great guy, though.

Rick from Markham

1:41

Eric have you heard any rubblings/ rumors re safety coach. Seems many people think Alford would be a given based on his body of work as a coach and recruiter?

Eric Hansen

1:39

Don, I appreciate the question, but it’s pushing me toward two skill sets in which I’m lacking — clairvoyance and epidemiology. So this is more of an educated guess. I feel fairly confident teams will be able to go back to playing their normal schedules in 2021 — SEC included. I think the Olympic sports will be greatly impacted, more so than football. I think you’ll see less travel from those sports (baseball, track, softball, etc.). I think there may be some conference realignment. And I think eventually the playoff will expand to eight teams. As far as the bowl system itself, it could be in a bit of trouble, especially if full stadiums aren’t yet a reality this bowl season. … and thanks for the kind words.

Don Phoenix

1:37

Eric, Hope all remains well in your world. You and the staff are doing a GREAT job in tough times. Regarding tough times most people cant wait for things to return to normal...whatever that may be. When things "return" what do you think will be different? Will SEC teams play outside their conference? Will conferences realign? How will the playoffs evolve to create better bowls? What do you think will become the new normal for ND as well as CFB?

Eric Hansen

1:36

Recruiting verifiable speed is still a priority, and we’re starting to see it with players like Chris Tyree, Braden Lenzy, Lorenzo Styles Jr., cornerbacks including Chance Tucker and others. There needs to be more. Notre Dame has done a great job in recruiting and developing both of its lines. Not a knock on Ian Book, but there needs to be a step up in dynamic quarterback play, and certainly more speed will help that. But there are other factors in QB development/recruiting that needs to take a step up.

Jeff, Cleveland

1:34

Eric, I know Brian Kelly has not only talked about a shift in how ND recruits under him, but he's implemented several changes since approximately 2016 to meet those recruiting goals! Do you feel he continues to stress with himself, and his assistant coaches, the quote/unquote "Need For Speed"- not only at the skill positions, but overall in terms of the type of players ND recruits from now on? It is so clear to me that when we go up against the Elite programs (Bama, Clemson, OH ST), their players consistently run away from us and it looks like a track meet is taking place on the field, but only one team has those speedy athletes. I know we've made some strides (pun intended) in our recruiting, but more needs to be done! Am I wrong?

Eric Hansen

1:33

Doug, as it stands, everyone’s going to have to be at 85 in 2022. But there’s momentum for the NCAA to fix this and adopt a tiered structure that would allow for more than 85 scholarships beyond 2021 and gradually working its way back down. The down side is extra cost of scholarships, with athletic departments’ budgets being tight from the pandemic. Yet that may be the only way to balance classes for the long run.

Doug from Sunny Florida

1:32

Eric, you've touched on this topic before but I'm asking to see if you know of any updates from the NCAA regarding scholarship limits in the coming years. There are 60+ players with 4 years of eligibility on the roster now and after the upcoming 2021-22 season, ND could realistically have 80+ players still on scholarship. Any idea on how this will be handled for the immediate future in regards to the 85 scholarship limit and the size of the '22, '23 and '24 recruiting classes?

Eric Hansen

1:30

Sean, thank you. As I just mentioned we have some coaches today — Rees, Freeman, Brian Polian and Mike Elston, but the agenda will mostly center on recruiting. However, I’m told we’ll have a shot at all 10 assistants this spring, and that’s when we can dive a little deeper into the X’s and O’s with Rees and Freeman.

Sean, Greensboro NC

1:29

Eric, hope this finds you safe and warm . I know it is a crazy time, but when will you realistically have an opportunity to interview Marcus Freeman and Tommy Rees about their plans for the new season? Especially Rees on the vertical passing game.Thanks for keeping the chats going .

Eric Hansen

1:28

Dave, we have access to four of the assistant coaches later this afternoon, so that question will come up. I think it makes sense to at least do some window shopping when it comes to cornerbacks, safeties, perhaps a defensive end and a rover. Two factors to keep in mind — there could be some spring surprises that lessen the need and there would be a scholarship numbers crunch, which makes it more difficult to add.

Dave from Alpha, NJ

1:26

Eric, thanks for operating these chats and greetings from my igloo in NJ. Just wondering if you think ND will dip into the transfer portal for secondary personnel, similar to Nick McLoud last year.

Eric Hansen

1:25

Tony, at the time the game was first moved to the U.S. and then canceled, both athletic directors expressed the desire to get an Ireland game back on the schedule. How soon I think depends a lot on how quickly international travel and large crowds in stadiums become part of reality. Doing so in 2022 might be a little quick, but 2024 could be a possible window of opportunity.

Tony in Virginia Beach

1:24

Like a lot of us, we lost out on the trip to Ireland last season. Any rumblings about that being rescheduled in the next couple of years, if at all?

Eric Hansen

1:24

They can and they do. And last year, because of COVID, signees that were not yet on campus, such as Chris Tyree, were able to sit in on Zoom position meetings as well. But the training and diet plans is not unique to a year with COVID-19.

Guest

1:22

Mike from Angola In. Can Notre Dames weight and conditioning coaches give sign and committed athletes weight training and diet plans before they get to school to help them get physically ready for college?

Eric Hansen

1:18

Hi Denny. I don’t know for a fact, but I would be surprised if that’s the case based on both federal guidelines and state guidelines. The good news is that Indiana seems to have a really good system in place and is working its way through the different prioritized groups quickly. I think it’s realistic to believe they’d have a chance to be vaccinated by this summer -- plenty of time before the season starts.

Denny from Beaverton

1:16

Hi Eric; Have the players been vaccinated yet? If not, when are they scheduled and can they opt out?

Eric Hansen

1:14

Jim, thanks for your question and adding your hometown. I think maybe you misunderstood the premise of Notre Dame playing an ACC schedule. The understanding on both sides was that this was a one-year arrangement. There was never a hint that if Notre Dame liked it, the Irish might stick around as a full-time league member. So if anyone has hard feelings, they’re kind of being a snowflake. Those in the know realize the arrangement as it exists now benefits both sides.

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