JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 18, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 18, 2025

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Eric Hansen

1:01

Oh Marie, I think me in an Easter Bunny outfit would actually scare those children, so no LOL. And hiding eggs ... yes, they will be hidden in the refrigerator at the price they are these days. But we will find ways to have fun. ... Let's address the Blue-Gold Game surprises ... Kenny Minchey and Scrap Richardson on offense, Karson Hobbs and Ben Minich on defense ... Richardson being the freshman surprise, though I'm not necessarily convinced that is something that will show up this fall, for instance with Richardson. Still more of a project. Now Elijah Burress,,, I think that translates. And I like Cree Thomas' overall body of work this spring, though it didn't necessarily flash in the BGG. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

Very busy for you. We all really appreciate it.

12:55

Hi Eric, happy Easter! Will you be dressing up like the Easter bunny and hiding eggs for all your grandchildren this weekend? Starting with a couple of quick hits from the Blue Gold game: name the player on offense who surprised you the most, the player on defense who surprised you the most, and the true freshman who surprised you the most. Based on what you saw in the game, can you name a couple of players that you think will break out in the fall? Turning to the quarterback battle, what are two things that CJ Carr must improve over the summer to win the job and what are two things that Minchy needs to improve over the summer that would help him win the job? How close do you actually feel the race between them is with 10 being very close and one not being not close at all. Since Angelli will be leaving, Do you see Buchner working his way back into the QB room? I’m getting close to breaking the 17 part question rule so I better stop. Thanks so much for hosting this chat on a weekend we know must be

Eric Hansen

12:55

Happy Easter, Ron. I get to spend it with family, which is the best part of it. To me the goal is to get your degree, and I think Marcus would say the same thing, Once you have that, you can go get a job outside of football, go to the draft, hit the portal or stay at ND if you have eligibility. Because you've achieved the goal, you should have those options. And grads have never had to sit out a year since they first instituted the grad transfer rule almost 20 years ago. Especially in recent years, I think ND football has benefitted from incoming grad transfers far more than being hurt by outgoing ones.

Ron Dover De

12:48

Hi Eric hope you have a Happy Easter. With players like Steve A. and others entering the portal raise a question about the process of getting their degrees. Marcus selling the education at ND and life after football I wonder how from a football stand point players getting their degrees in 3 years may a have a negative impact . Now that players can transfer and not sit out you can lose players who you develop as they look to play their last year somewhere else. They in some years maybe players you would want to stay for their last year of eligibility. Curious about thoughts on this.

Eric Hansen

12:43

Thanks Jack! I haven't spoken to Angeli since his decision, but Marcus was clear he felt it was best to narrow the race to two QBs for summer/ training camp. Angeli also needed to take advantage of the spring portal window or stay put. It opened on Wednesday and only stays open for new submissions until next Friday. And teams looking for portal QBs are making their decisions quickly. So the timing made sense. Without assurances he'd be the starter and having his degree, I full expected this outcome. And I think Angeli will do well at his next stop. As far as potential night games, the two to me that makes sense are Texas A&M on Sept. 13 and USC on Oct. 18.

Jack, Strongsville,Ohio

12:39

Hi Eric. That was one great story about Peter Schivarelli. Very inspirational. I am sure you are getting numerous questions on Steve Angeli. Why do you think he chose to go to the portal now when all indications were the qb battle was a three man race? On another topic, what home games in your opinion will be night games this season? Thanks as always for your great work.

Eric Hansen

12:39

Initially, Freeman didn't want that, didn't think it would be a healthy dynamic in 2024. Buchner was willing to accept any role for the good of the team. I think he's earned the chance to move back now, and I don't think it would be disruptive to team chemistry.

12:38

Happy Friday and Happy GOOD Friday. I think Tyler Buchner's return, though subtle on the surface has been good for both him and Notre Dame, so I don't see him in redemption mode. He was not involved much in the spring football practices we saw, really being full-time with lacrosse. But I do think it makes sense for him to move back to the QB room, and I'd think Marcus Freeman and TB would agree. (more)

Kevin from Calgary

12:35

Eric, happy Good Friday!!! Although it's Friday, it's always good. Shame to see Steve Angeli move on but not a surprise (lets hope Kenny Minchey doesn't follow him). I know we have Blake Hebert as a raw, but capable, third stringer. Do you see any chance the prodigal son completely redeems himself and gets back into the quarterback room. I sort of have a soft spot for Tyler Buchner and could certainly see him as a suitable emergency QB. What do you think?

Eric Hansen

12:35

Thanks for reading and for the feedback on: Peter Schivarelli: The dream and legacy of a Notre Dame football walk-on ... I wondered the same thing while watching the Blue-Gold Game about their possibly being a role for both of those QBs, Carr and Minchey. I would not rule it out. Maybe not every game, but in certain games, I could see Carr as the starter, and Minchey coming in for either a series or two or as a red-zone specialist. I need to see more of both in August before I push my chips into the middle of the table on that, but I think it's worth a look in summer and in camp to see what that might look like.

Patrick from Los Angeles

12:30

Brilliant article on the former Notre Dame walk-on under Ara. The changes in college football are not all good. It appears that the passing game will be smoother and more dynamic than it has been in a while based on what has been observed and reported. Mickey probably showed the most improvement, and Burress looks like he will force his way on the field as a pass catcher. Do you see a scenario where both Carr and Minchey play in games?

Eric Hansen

12:29

Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I expect CJ Carr to eventually be named starter, but I believe the competition will continue through the summer and into the start of training camp, and I think that's a fair way to do it. My favorite Easter candy? Gosh anything with Reese's is pretty darn good, no matter what shape it is, but when I was a little kid, my favorite was good old jelly beans.

Manny from San Pedro

12:27

Eric!!!!! I am happy for Steve. He deserves to start somewhere. Hope he finds a great situation. Does his transfer mean Carr is starting or is it still an open competition but Steve was a distant third… also. What’s your favorite Easter candy!?! Reese eggs is only right answer haha

Eric Hansen

12:26

Hi Jim and thank you. At his post-Blue-Gold Game press conference on Saturday, head coach Marcus Freeman said, "We’re not actively seeking to add to our roster. We’re really happy with what we got. If something comes to our attention that we see adds value to our roster and our program, then we have a conversation about it." So translation ... not seeking, BUT if there's a difference-maker they'd talk about it OR if there is an unexpected departure (or more at a certain position group), then they'd rethink their stance.

Jim from Springfield IL

12:21

There are some highly regarded receivers and defensive linemen in the spring portal. Unless there are unanticipated transfers out, do you think ND is done shopping? Thanks

Eric Hansen

12:20

Now let's add Stroman back in and get to your original question. If Stroman makes the difference between getting to the playoff and/or winning a playoff game, isn't it worth bringing him in? I think ND is getting it right by building primarily with high school recruits. But I think it's foolish to do it ONLY with high school recruits when you can plug a few holes with a transfer. I think we can agree Notre Dame does not beat Penn State and play for the national title without its transfer class. But you can do both .. develop players and take transfer, and I think the Irish, by and large, have found that happy medium.

12:17

Thank you, and given that you have presented yourself as both Barry and Steve ... or am I Steve? I see evidence that the wine there is amazing. ... I love your question. Kennedy Urlacher's decision to transfer isn't just about Va Tech safety transfer Jalen Stroman, it's about all the development going on around him and Stroman and Adon Shuler. Two of the steepest ascents in terms of development on the entre roster this spring were safeties ... Tae Johnson and Luke Talich. Both bring length and athleticism to the position. So do early enrolled freshmen JaDon Blair (6-5) and Ethan Long (6-3). Urlacher is 5-11, 197 and is a sure tackler and very physical and really valuable on special teams. Take Stroman out of it for a second. Is he better than Talich or Johnson? No. Could he be passed by those freshman and/or June-arriving Brandon Logan? Maybe not by Logan, but the others ... maybe. (more)

Barry

12:11

Morning Steve from sunny and warm Cali (Napa). And yes the wine is amazing. Am sure most of the chat will focus on Angeli’s decision, but I was more disappointed that Urlacher left. We get Stroman for a year and lose Urlacher, a high ceiling S, for 3. How do the coaches balance that tradeoff and stay true to “we will develop talent” mantra? Don’t see it on this case. Thanks for all the fab insights and Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

With that, I'll open it up for questions. ...

12:10

All of them rescinded today, because it's 75 degrees in South Bend, so I'm way more in the mood to be tolerant ... except for whining, 17-part questions and manifestos.

Here are the usual rules ...

12:09

PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your questions.

As far as this week's chat ...

► Finally, at WSBT Sports Radio 96.1, we’re rolling through a busy and newsy Notre Dame spring football practice season and transfer portal window. Darin Pritchett and I were together this week on Wednesday and Thursday, and each week moving forward on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. You can download all episodes as podcasts.

12:05

Also, the Blue-Gold Game was NOT the end of spring football this year. There are additional practices taking place. Head coach Marcus Freeman will will have a press conference next Wednesday to wrap up the spring, so stay tuned for our coverage on that.

12:04

There are a few women's basketball questions and I'm going to defer them to next week when we'll have both a football chat one day and a special women's basketball chat on its own another day.

12:03

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel. We’ll be back LIVE Monday night at 7 ET for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps. You’ll also want to catch our Postgame Takeaways show from Saturday, to wrapping up the Blue-Gold Game.

Some quick programming notes:

And it's 75 degrees in South Bend, wow.

12:02

Welcome to the post-Blue Gold Game/Spring Transfer Portal version of Notre Dame Football Live Chat.

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