JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 23, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 23, 2022

Eric Hansen

3:02

That's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. WE WILL do a chat next Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

3:00

Thanks, Chauncey. I would say lack of development BEFORE this season. Lack of experience and numbers in the WR room was an issues, as well as not having a QB who could accentuate their skills consistently. Styles is a head-scratcher, because he's super talented and was coming on at the end of last season. Don't give up on him.

Chauncey

2:58

Hi Eric, appreciate your work all season. I'm puzzled by the WR production this year given there was a lot of excitement around many of these recruits at the time (e.g., Deion Colzie). Do we lack talent, do we lack talent development, is it the lack of a quarterback to get the ball in their hands (or give them opportunities)? Lorenzo Styles almost seems to have regressed from a promising Freshman campaign, Colzie has been relatively MIA, etc.

Eric Hansen

2:58

Hi Jeff. When you have good coaches and good seasons, other programs are going to try to hire them. Marcus knows that. But I do think it's a staff in which there's a lot more transparency than there was with Brian Kelly in that regard.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:56

Good morning Eric, hard to believe Thanksgiving is here! So, some of us still have anxiety over the flurry of coaching changes and news that hit ND just after the last game in 2021. So, do you think Marcus Freeman has had at least a short discussion with his coaches/staff to manage the inevitable offers that could start as soon as the final whistle on Saturday? As in, “…could you guys give me a heads-up if you get another job offer so I don’t get blind-sided and can answer questions..”? Or is all fair in love and coaching changes and he handles the surprises on the fly. Thanks much

Eric Hansen

2:56

Hi Frank. Tyler mentioned this in the injury updates he does every Monday during the season, and I mentioned then on our YouTube show, Monday Night Live. ... Two questionable players -- CB Cam Hart and WR Tobias Merriweather. Four probable players -- S Brandon Joseph, DE Isaiah Foskey, DT Jayson Ademilola and tight end Mitchell Evans,

Frank from Texas

2:52

Eric, what are the status of the injured ND players for the USC?

Eric Hansen

2:51

Don, I know the stadium turf recently got replaced, and I'm not sure it matches what's in the practice facility. I'll try to find that out (the consistency of both surfaces) once we get past the USC game. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Don in Phoenix

2:50

Hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving. Everyone has asked the USC questions so I'll go somewhere else. I read the pro's player association said silt filled turf is the worse for player injury. Do you know what type of turf ND uses? Thanks, tried to find it but it is not specific to type.

Eric Hansen

2:50

Wow, thanks Larry. Happy Thanksgiving to you. If Ben Morrison isn't named freshman All-American, someone has some splainin' to do. He's got the length and speed to get better and the mental makeup to push him there. And the work ethic. He will be a starter, and a very good one, in 2023. That might mean fewer interceptions as teams threw at him this year to test him. They may throw away from him in 2023, which is why ND may look at the portal.

Guest

2:46

Larry from Topton, PA – Eric: On the day before the big day, let all of us followers of ND football give thanks to the best coverage by you, Tyler & Kyle. Keep up the good work guys! My questions today are about Benjamin Morrison: How likely is it that he will be named a Freshman All American? How do you see his upside? What might he look like next year and the following? Happy Thanksgiving Eric, to you and your family!!

Eric Hansen

2:46

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Tom. 1. No change to the portal priority. Minchey wasn't recruited to be the starter in 2023, but in later seasons. 2. His closest comp among players on the roster is Buchner. 3. If no portal QB comes in, it'll be Buchner or Pyne if healthy. 4. The aspect that intrigues me is how he'd look running zone read stuff.

Tom from Grand Rapids

2:44

Eric - I’d first like to wish you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving. With the addition of Minchey to this recruiting class, does it change the perspective of the coaching staff looking for a portal transfer qb? Skill set wise where would you rate him against the quarterbacks already in the fold? If no portal transfer comes in, does he have a realistic opportunity to earn the starting role for next year. Finally, what is the one aspect of this game that intrigues you the most, or what question do you want to see answered. Go IRISH ☘️

Eric Hansen

2:43

'The No. 1 area of improvement, his own knowledge of the offense and committing whatever resources are needed to make ND a more dynamic offense in 2023 and in each succeeding year.

2:42

So Roger, do you consider this an over-the-top question? (I kid, I kid). Off the top of my head, to answer your under-the-top question: 1. The commitment to being lead recruiter on EVERY prospect and the commitment to leaning into ND's challenges instead of making excuses for them or trying to camouflage them (It's harder here.") 2. Reconnecting with the former players, who in turn have been a tremendous resource. 3. Making weekly self-evaluation, self-scouting part of the growth curve. It's pay off in November. (more)

Roger from Peoria

2:34

I very much enjoy your Wednesday Live Chats and really get a kick out of the kind (and usually somewhat humorous) manner with which you respond to questions that are really over the top. As this season has evolved, there have been some very low "lows" and some very high "highs". I remember the comments critical of Jack Swarbrick for "letting the current team pick the new coach". I, for one, have high regard for the job Swarbrick has done for the entire Notre Dame athletic program and I am beginning to believe that the hiring of Marcus Freeman may have been the best decision of all. It was not quite one year ago that everyone was blindsided by the Kelly to LSU decision. Now, with just one regular season game remaining, what do you consider to be Freeman's three most important accomplishments and what do you consider to be the #1 issue on which Freeman must improve? Thanks, and GO IRISH!!

Eric Hansen

2:33

If Kelly had come back for 2022, I'm pretty certain Jeff Quinn wouldn't have been along for the ride, nor Del Alexander, the WRs coach. I don't think Brian Kelly had gotten to the point of who he might be Quinn's replacement. Harry wasn't contacted until Tommy Rees called him shortly after Marcus Freeman took over. ... To your last question, I haven't had the chance to discuss it. But I don't think Harry Hiestand had issues with Brian Kelly.

Michael-in Atlanta

2:31

Eric-Thanks for doing these chats. Had a question about Harry Hiestand. After he was let go by the Bears, Harry returned to his South Bend area home. Did Kelly consider firing Quinn and bringing Harry back or did Harry not want to work with Kelly? Is Harry happier with the run play designs under Rees/Freeman vs. Kelly?

Eric Hansen

2:30

Hi Joe. I'll add onto that, even if Brandon Joseph plays -- and he's listed as probable, he hasn't practiced much this week or at all in the previous two weeks. As far as Hart's injury, you'll see more of Lewis and Mickey. Mickey played a season-high 30 snaps against BC. Cutting out nickel responsibilities and letting him just focus on playing field corner, I think will help him ... but USC has LOTS of good receivers, not just one.

Guest

2:28

Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric Thanks for the last chat of the regular season Can’t believe how fast it went Listening to Marcus Freeman this week it sounds like we may not have Cam Hart available Saturday If that happens who steps into that role and what other measures do you think we can take to deal with USC potent passing attack

Eric Hansen

2:27

Had it been a closer game (it was 23-0 at the time) and ND didn't eventually score on that same drive, that would have been a HUGE deal. I should have been a TD, Refs blew it and didn't have a very good explanation as to why.

Sean-Schaumburg, Il

2:23

Eric, My buddy who bought my ticket to the OSU game came to South Bend for the BC game. I purchased the BC tix. First half was freezing!! Had to warm-up in the bathroom at halftime. The second half snow squall was quite a scene. I've never experienced that at a college football game. It energized the crowd and the team. Very grateful for the experience. What happened on the lateral pass by BC that Liufau picked up for a TD? The line judge on the visitor side never whistled the play dead. He only signaled incomplete pass once Liufau crossed the goal-line. Then, 5 minutes of back and forth with Freeman and the officials and I couldn't hear what the Referee said once he got on the mic. The snowstorm was in full-flow and it muffled whatever the Referee was saying. I had about three layers covering my bald dome. That might have contributed to my lack of hearing the explanation. What was it? Did you see any other game official kill the play? I didn't hear any whistle. Should have been a TD. Run. The. Ball. On. USC.

Eric Hansen

2:23

Hi Scott. Thank you. ND's path to victory isn't narrow, but it's precise the things the Irish need to accomplish in the game. And it is a road game. To your formula, I'd add win the turnover battle. And a blocked punt would go a long way, too.

Guest

2:21

Scott from Augusta GA. Eric, always good to read your words of wisdom. What a season and how is it almost over? Didn't we just start on 5 Nov? I'll concede 29 Oct. I'm always excited about the SC games. Saw my first when Theismann was QBing. Lots of great games since. I look at the keys to this game like Lou's teams: run and play stout defense. Will that win it for us? SC has a much better offense than Clemson and UNC. I hope their defense has a few holes we can exploit. Thanks for all your great work throughout the season Eric and have a great Thanksgiving!

Eric Hansen

2:20

David, but Kenny not playing much this year due to injury, it did limit his opportunities to impress some of those on the national panel. However, the analyst in his area has made a strong case for him. With the next rankings update, I expect there to be a significant bump.

David - NY

2:19

Why is Kenny Minchey a 3-star? I know, I know stars don't matter, but what is the rivals team concerned about that have led to the lower ranking/eval than other recruiting services? And have you seen progression with him (might be hard to tell given injuries)?

Eric Hansen

2:18

I think as far as 2023, the only of the so-far five QBs on that roster that would be affected by Minchey's arrival is Ron Powlus III. And if playing time were a priority, he'd likely already be somewhere else. A portal QB would make it six and that might present circumstances for whoever is the third-stringer to consider other options. ... As far as your linebacker question, don't underestimate being assignment-correct in games like this. Now that Kollie and Sneed are able to bring a larger measure of that, and their athleticism, they'll be part of the rotation, though on the periphery of it.

Ron dover de

2:14

Hi Eric Happy Thanksgiving to you and Tyler. Please pass my regards to him as well. To begin I agree with coach Freeman that transferring without limitations has has encouraged players to run rather than work to get playing time. I have two questions do you think the commitment of K. Minchey means one of the existing QB’s will enter the portal? Second, you spoke of the athletic ability of USC’s Williams do you think we should see more playing time for Kollie and Snead as they bring high level athleticism to Line Backer position. Thanks

Eric Hansen

2:14

Mike, I'm coming over to your house and partaking in some eggnog with you!

Mike K from Phoenix

2:13

Eric, I asked following the Clemson game if ND can just hit “repeat” and pound SC into oblivion. 2nd half of Navy had me worried, but now I’m pretty confident again. Watching SC-UCLA Saturday night I still feel good. SC will almost certainly make a few big plays in the pass game and score more than Clemson early, but I still expect the Irish to stifle them overall and wear them down on the other side of the ball. So, to my (only half-seriou) question: UGA pounds LSU, UM/OSU winner wins the BIG10, TCU goes undefeated, SC wins PAC after a loss to Irish…ND as the de facto ACC AND PAC Champion gets the 4 spot???

Eric Hansen

2:12

Hi Jim. I love making snow angels, and I have six grandkids who will make them with me. I think Justin Ademilola is the only one who's on the fence among the 25 players who celebrated Senior Day, and I think coming back would be mutually beneficial. If Hart or Brandon Joseph did a U-turn, it would be because of injuries. They would help ND, but not sure they'd improve their own draft stock. The others are all players who have committed to coming back to college -- Bertrand, Liufau, Kiser, Kristofic, Correll, Cross and Osafo-Mensah -- all are mutually beneficial situations. Among underclassmen. obviously Michael Mayer is going to leave to be a first-rounder.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

2:04

Hi Eric, hope you're not experiencing too much of a "Big Chill" back in South Bend. By the way, are you any good at making snow angels? But I digress. I wanted to ask who in your opinion are the four to five players that would most benefit not only the Irish cause but themselves by coming back and taking advantage of their remaining eligibility? Thanks much.

Eric Hansen

2:01

Hi Denny. I hope you'll forgive us for not asking that in the press conference. It was a 44-0 game in the fourth quarter at the time. My sense is the Irish had already used Evans a couple of times in that role, and maybe a third time would look like running up the score. As far as what's still out there recruiting-wise, the Irish are looking to add a fourth wide receiver (Kaleb Smith or Khalil Barnes), a multi-position player (Brandyn Hillman), an offensive lineman (Chris Terek) and (highly unlikely) a defensive end.

Denny from Liberty Hill, TX

1:57

Hi Eric. Any idea why the Irish didn’t snap to Mitchell Evans on 4th and 1? That has been a bread and butter play. Also, can you name a couple recruits that are likely to commit by the early signing period rapidly approaching?

Eric Hansen

1:54

The one advantage Mac had was there wasn't the allure to leave after your junior year to go to the NFL. That option didn't exist then. However, consider this: MacAfee was a three-time All-American and a third-place finisher in the 1977 Heisman balloting on a national championship team. And to get that recognition over teammates Ross Browner and Joe Montana says a lot. He was also the Walter Camp Player of the Year. And his numbers are comparable to Mayer's. So MacAfee edges Mayer in a 1-2 battle.

1:52

Hi Shane. Happy Thanksgiving to you. During the early part of the pandemic, when there were no sports except baseball in Korea, I did a piece for the South Bend Tribune on who I thought were the greatest tight ends at Tight End U. I limited the players to the era of two-platoon football (1964-present). Ken MacAfee topped that list. Mayer, at the time, was just enrolling as a freshman for summer school. Earlier this season, a friend was working on a similar project and asked my opinion, now with Mayer in his third season of playing. I told him I might have a different answer at the end of this season, but at that point, I put MacAfee No. 1 and Mayer 2, even though Mayer holds all the records. The trick is not to become overly dependent on the numbers, and that context of a given era matters. Dave Casper, for instance, doesn't have great receiving numbers because of the way tight ends were used, but man he is one of the all-time greats. (more)

Shane from White Deer, Texas

1:39

Happy Thanksgiving week Eric. I hope you and your family have a great holiday. Showing my age here, but when I was in high school, my hero was Ken MacAfee. I thought he was the best, and there would be no better. Along comes Michael Mayer, and he re-writes the history books for ND tight ends. Football has changed a lot since the 70’s, so my question is this - would MacAfee have the same impact in todays game, and visa versa, would Mayer be the dominant player that he is today in the good old days? I guess just feeling a little nostalgic during the holidays. Irish fan for life.

Eric Hansen

1:35

Yeah, the biggest halftime adjustment last game was navigating playing smart in a snow globe. That won't be an issue this week. A lot is on the ND defense to play like the No. 17 team in total defense this week. That means limiting the run, particularly from the QB position, getting pressure on Caleb Williams and forcing turnovers. Offensively, Pyne must be poised. And the Irish offensive line needs to be the best position group on the field.

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:33

Hello Eric, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. USC will be a tough game. A win will do a lot to show and continue the improvement of this team thru the season. The O-line, D-line, CB play, LB play blitz pickup, game management, coaching have all trended higher as the season has progressed. I am particularly looking for growth in halftime adjustments this week. These could be coaches decisions on plays and players as well as the ability of players to execute those adjustments which may be practiced less during the week. Where do you see the biggest need for growth this game to get a big win and keep the program on an upward trajectory?

Eric Hansen

1:32

If Peyton Bowen does not sign with ND, I'd look at a safety in the portal to play with Watts, Henderson, Walters and the other incoming freshmen. ... as far as a portal QB winning the job and what that could mean, it depends on who that is. But when I asked Kirk Herstreit Tuesday via Zoom what he thought separated ND from being a national title contender, his answer was quarterback, wide receivers and corners.

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