JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 14, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 14, 2021

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Guest

1:48

Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric I know that you haven’t had the normal access to spring practice as in the past but I’m wondering what you’ve seen or heard about the competition in the defensive backfield It seems to me that Cam Hart and Phillip Riley have turned some heads so far while last year starter Clarence Lewis may have regressed a bit.Also seen anything interesting out of the safety position.Thanks again for all your insightful reports

Eric Hansen

1:48

Peter, none of those specifics have been decided, which lets you know how much work is ahead to get this policy in place for the upcoming school year. The Under Armour part of your question is one that I'll have great interest in, because I hadn't previously thought of the players getting a cut ... or trying to negotiate their own deals (if that even would be possible).

Peter Burke Coto de Caza, CA

1:46

Can you estimate the value of a Under Armor contract for ND? How much goes to the coach. When will see ND players collecting money for likeness or events? Is there a cap on the amount they can earn?

Eric Hansen

1:44

Scott, first of all, thanks for asking the question with no political spin on it. I'm willing to answer these questions re vaccination, because it does affect what team testing/attendance policies, etc., might look like in the fall. And my job, I feel, is to explain the dynamics involved from an informed viewpoint. Notre Dame's general student policy includes outs for medical and religious reasons. So those would apply to students and student-athletes alike. As of today, 88 percent of the student population has received at least their first shot of vaccine or has signed up to do so.

Guest

1:36

Scott from Elkhart, IN. Eric, ND announced that CV-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all returning students in the Fall. I had heard earlier that the AD would not force ND football players to be vaccinated. Has that policy been overridden by the University policy toward all students, and if so, has there been any pushback from players? Thanks, love these chats!

Travis from Newport Kentucky

1:35

As always, thanks for the great reporting. QB past current and future is always a hot topic within the ND community. I've noticed people seem a little disappointed in a way with the Angeli commitment. I think because Wimstatt is ranked so highly and has a unique skillset. Honestly, I love Angeli's ceiling though. He seems to have a similar size and style comparable to a Joe Burrow (not to put that expectation on him) I am a merely a couch analyst for a reason. What do you see in Angeli's skillset that excites you about him?

Eric Hansen

1:30

Absolutely ... I wrote about this back on April 3 ... from Kelly: “This is about scoring,” Kelly said. “And so we’re going to use this spring and preseason to kind of put that together.
“When we went into last year, we knew we had established a returning offensive line. So we were going to build (the offensive structure) with a returning offensive line and a (returning) quarterback.
“And we felt like, with the certainty of the offensive line and the quarterback and not knowing what we had at the wide receiver corps, we were going to commit ourselves to being a team that was going to exert its physicality on the offensive line.
“Now we move into ‘21 with less certainty on the offensive line, less certainty at the quarterback position. And now we know that we’ve got to score points. So we’re going to kind of find out where this offense will operate most efficiently.”

Joe from Toledo

1:19

Eric, I feel like there is enough offensive talent on the roster at the skill positions for Notre Dame to have a much more explosive offense this season. This isn’t a criticism of last year’s approach, but what is your sense of the intent and willingness of Coach Kelly and Coach Rees to make schematic and philosophical adjustments necessary to make that happen?

Eric Hansen

1:16

Offensive linemen have a certain range because of NCAA rules. The team does most of the assigning, but there are players who ask for certain numbers.

IrishMike, Altoona, PA

1:15

Does the player or the team select/assign uniform numbers?

Eric Hansen

1:15

Hi GB, and thanks for listening. Rick is kind of semi-retired and doing some consulting work, but I think he still has an itch to coach full-time. He's also doing a little radio and spoiling his grandkids. Yes, Rick did get pretty technical at times. But in general numbers like 33 refers to the front. So an alignment of three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. 3-4 is three linemen and four linebackers and four DBs. 4-3, four linemen and three linebackers with four DBs. Because of the versatility of the rover in Clark Lea's scheme, a lot of people considered that a 4-2-5 look.

GB from Wasilla, AK

1:11

Eric. I enjoyed the Pod of Gold with Rick Minter. What is he doing these days? It was interesting but I had a hard time with some of the coachspeak like 33 and 35. Can you elaborate?

Eric Hansen

1:11

He's getting a lot of work at the rover. We're going to get a chance to speak with Marcus Freeman next week, so that'll be the time I'll try to drill down on that. I have heard nothing but good things about this spring so far.

Mike from Toronto

1:10

Eric, what are your thoughts on Jack Kiser fitting into the picture this year. I read they were working on a plan to get him more playing time to utilize his strengths. I spoke to Jack outside the Gug on a football Friday pre-covid and what a fine young man with a great attitude.

Eric Hansen

1:09

Steve, for the record, the episode we had Malik Zaire on our podcast this past fall had the most downloads we've had since Gatehouse/Gannett acquired us a couple of years ago (just edging out Tony Dungy). So we love Malik's opinions. There is no filter. However, I'm not sure exactly what he was implying. To answer your question and what you assumed he meant, I think it makes sense to have players who are good fits for your system. However, I think Tyler Buchner is a very, very good runner in addition to what he brings to the passing game. So I'm not sure they're all similar in that respect.

Steve from St. Louis

1:05

Back when Steve Angeli committed, Malik Zaire made a comment that the Irish already had a bunch of those guys in the quarterback room. Does he have a point? Do all the QBs on the roster and Angeli all have the same skill set? Would a different QB that brings something different to the QB room have made more sense?

Eric Hansen

12:59

Alan, I think the offensive line has the tougher task, because they're also adjusting to each other ... getting in sync, building chemistry, seeing fronts and pressures through the same set of eyes.

Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

12:58

Eric, with Notre Dame fielding a mostly new first team offensive line, which group has the biggest adjustment: the running backs understanding how the new o-line blocks or the offensive linemen getting a feel as to how quick certain backs hit a hole? I apologize if the question is not worded as clearly as I intend, but I am very interested in the dynamic between these two groups? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:57

Really good. He's been impressive since walking in the door. He's gotten looks at tackle, guard and center. There is an incredible amount of talent in the freshman and sophomore O-Line classes.

Ryan mars pa

12:56

goo Afternoon Eric i know coach Kelly mentioned this after first practice but how had Michael carmody looked at practice go Irish

Eric Hansen

12:56

Todd, I asked Tommy point blank last month about his decision. He did not mention Michael Mayer specifically, but I'm sure that dynamic was a factor. Michael Mayer tied for the team lead in reception, had more catches than any freshman tight end in ND history, and it's not like they'll use him less in 2021. Tommy had already proven he was an elite blocker. He was exhaustive in getting opinions from the coaching staff and NFL types, so he felt good about his decision. Dane Brugler, of The Athletic, has Tommy going in the third round (to the Panthers). I can understand Tommy's reasoning, and he helped himself a lot with an outstanding pro day.

Todd

12:51

Sorry about that - the academics/Tremble questions were from Todd from Buffalo.,

Guest

12:51

Every time I hear ND's academics offered as an excuse I cringe. Its not that i don't think it's a factor, I don't think you can complain about something you choose to do.
Obviously i have no way of knowing what went into his decision but I can't help but thinking that Tommy Tremble is leaving a lot on the table by electing to enter the draft - 3rd or 4th round this year, at least a 2nd rounder next year. I think he's going to make a terrific pro and will be a steal in the 3rd round or so (I'd love to see the Bills take him - his style of play would fit in well with both the team and the Bills' Mafia). What are your thoughts? Was Michael Mayer's emergence as the #1 TE a factor - i.e. Tremble figured he'd not see the ball enough to make an impact on his draft positioning?

Eric Hansen

12:48

Lee, if I cast that impression in my story, I did a poor job. The biggest issue was the number of tight ends in this recruiting class. The Irish have a very good chance to land both Holden Staes and Eli Raridon, two TEs that are rated higher than him. Three tight ends in a class is a lot. As Tom Lemming stated, Jack (or the other two for that matter) are good enough to be the No. 1 TE in their recruiting class at a lot of other schools. Had ND had a shortage of talent on its current roster at that position, then maybe three tight ends in the same class might have made more sense. They don't have a shortage of talent or bodies.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

12:44

Jack Nickel has decommitted from ND supposedly because of the number of tight ends with multiple years of playing eligibility currently on the roster. ND also has depth at the receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and running back position. Do you think this will deter some of the elite players that they are recruiting to look at other schools where immediate playing time is more likely?

Eric Hansen

12:43

Greg, thank you. The best way to answer your question is this. Recently, three respected/prominent national columnists (Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel and Ralph Russo) ranked the top head coaches in college football. Nick Saban was No. 1 on all three ballots, Dabo Swinney 2 and Brian Kelly 3. That national perception means a lot. I do think that if that perception is maintained, Notre Dame will have a much wider and accomplished group of candidates if/when Brian Kelly retires or is abducted by aliens.

Greg - Natrona Heights, PA

12:39

Hey Eric, as always thanks for doing these chats! My question is: Given the on field success with winning games since the 2016 4-8 season, the way recruiting just seems to be humming along and the upgrades to football facilities and the stadium, has the national perception changed on Notre Dame as a program from before 2016 to now and if and when BK decided to leave, does that translate into us being able to hire an elite/already successful coach or have our pick of who we want to hire? As always, I appreciate the chat and keep up the good work!

Eric Hansen

12:38

Bruce, thanks for the feedback on baseball. They've been fun stories to do. I wish we had more resources to devote to it. Perhaps in May after spring football ends and baseball is still going strong. For those who have not found the bandwagon yet, ND baseball was picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Division. They began the week in the top 10 in the Baseball America poll (No. 7). The last time ND was a top 10 team was April of 2006. ... To your question, yes there is a goal and a plan for every sport to be elite at ND. And many are.

Bruce, Centralia, IL

12:33

Hello Eric, I love the ND baseball coverage, and I hope we'll see more! The success of ND baseball prompts my question: football will always be first at ND, because it is part of the brand and because of the revenues it generates. It also seems, however, like there is real interest in continually improving ND's competitiveness in other sports, too -- even something like golf, where we're arguably at a competitive disadvantage. Do you have a sense of how the balance is struck, either in Jack Swarbrick's mind or, more concretely, in terms of the time and resources that the Athletic Department devotes to the various sports? Is the goal for every ND program to be elite? Thanks as always.

Eric Hansen

12:31

That's a question that would have made for a great follow-up and that didn't get asked. My sense is talent is part of it, but also the realization that it's an investment that could pay off during the upcoming season that maybe wasn't viewed in that light previously. I like the idea a lot. Developing a deep roster is a smart move. And we're already hearing about players who are improving in leaps and bounds who may not have had their opportunities been more limited.

Jake from Saratoga Springs

12:28

Hello Eric, question regarding the recent article about the early entry freshman getting additional reps in practice. I don’t believe this has been the case in the past so do you believe it’s because of an elevated level of talent over the past couple of classes or is it something else? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:28

I think it's worth monitoring, especially if there's an injury during the spring. Some of that hinges on how the depth fills out this spring. Keep an eye on guys like Alexander Ehrensberger, Nana Osafo-Mensah and converted linebacker Osita Ekwonu. Some also depends on how well the experiment with Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa moving to the edge goes.

Frank from Rockwall Texas

12:23

Should ND seek a DE Grad Transfer?

Eric Hansen

12:23

Joel, we had access to special teams coordinator Brian Polian on Tuesday, and that's one of the things I asked him about specifically. Tyler James included the answer in his notebook. And here's the entire YouTube video if you want to take a deeper dive into special teams.

Joel. Maumee Oh

12:19

Will ND ever threaten in Special Teams return game again? We seem happier to just secure possession than to actually advance the return.

Eric Hansen

12:18

Rick Minter addressed that (and much more about the scheme) in our most recent Pod of Gold podcast. He's very familiar with Marcus' scheme, having visited with Cincinnati staff several times in recent years and with is son, Jesse, serving as Clark Lea's DC at Vanderbilt. I think the Lack of structure and the differences between the schemes may be overstated a bit. There's going to be a lot of movement pre-snap it seems in the front seven with Marcus' looks. I think what Marcus is emphasizing, though, is letting their instincts take over and not OVERthinking things. ND is going from one very good scheme to another, with some crossover. I think the evolution will be more seamless than you might envision and ND's athletes may be faster than you're envisioning.

SHAW

I keep reading about the 'freedom' (more free-form) approach of Freeman's D. Do you think that requires the fastest of athletes to compete with the 'Bamas, Tigers etc.? If so does ND have those enough to compete? ..Or does a more structured D approach make up for an 'Elite' deficiency? Thanks Eric, for all you do. We out here rely on you.

12:12

St Augustine, Fl.

Eric Hansen

12:12

OK, I'll circle back to Lawrence from San Diego. If I understand your question, the highest-ceiling OLine for 2021 only and highest-ceiling WR group of three for 2021 only. Here goes: from LT to RT: Patterson, Spindler, Correll, Lugg, Baker. I almost put Fisher in that group. That's how good those two freshmen are. Kristofic, Gibbons are among the others I'd consider. WRs: Avery Davis, Braden Lenzy, Kevin Austin Jr.

12:08

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