JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 20, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 20, 2022

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Eric Hansen

1:34

Hi Ron, thanks for your support! It's funny, because Braylon was tweeting at Dante Moore last night. He told our Kyle Kelly that he plans to help with trying to recruit guys like Tate and Moore. We'll have to see. There are two recruits that come to mind who absolutely make a huge difference in recruiting. One from the past (Dayne Crist) and one from the present (Drayk Bowen). Incredibly impactful on other players in their class.

Ron dover, de

1:30

Good day Eric let me start by saying I have been enjoying your new venture with Tyler and Rivals. Keep up the great reporting. B James commitment tonight appears to be a great catch now we have to hope he signs.
Does James joining the Irish have any impact with D Moore and C. Tate joining ND.

Eric Hansen

1:30

I think we're seeing the sublte moves like Riley Mills DT to DE, Botelho and Schweitzer from Vyper to Rover, Josh Burnham from LB to DE. Bellamy may move to safety eventually though he looks like an answer at nickel when Bracy leaves. And then offensive line -- Michael Carmody from OT to C, etc. I don't think you'll see as many drastic moves -- like offense to defense or vice versa, but Marcus is open to it. I think one of the reasons it won't be as common is Marcus is recruiting players who are more plug-and-play at their positions rather than good athletes who have to be molded.

Guest

1:19

Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric Love getting your insight on the weekly chats.It seems to me that Brian Kelly and his staff did a good job over the years in identifying players strengths and weaknesses and switching players to different positions My question to you is do you see that trend continuing under Marcus Freeman and if so which players on our roster do you think might benefit from a position change

Eric Hansen

1:13

Hi Nick. That all clears up in the next 10 days. May 1 is the deadline for anyone who wants 2022 eligiblity to be in the portal. They don't have to have a landing spot, just have to have submitted their names. My guess is ND will probably lose another 2-3 players after spring, people buried deep on the depth chart and likely will add a couple.When we do the chat next week, all that will be clearer.

1:10

I would say 3 and 10 on the nose. So since I have to go over/under. I'll go over 3 commitments in April and yikes under 10 in wins. Ask me again in August.

1:09

OK, operator error. I split up Ted's question with Nick's in the middle ... so Ted first, then Nick.

Guest

1:09

and 2022 regular season wins: 10.

Nick, Granger

1:08

Spring ball is finishing up around the country. Transfer portals are opening, who are we losing, what positions are we looking for? Any solid info on who may be coming? Thanks for all you do.

Guest

1:08

Ted from Ann Arbor (but ND class of “04). There are actually lots of ND grads in the enemy territory of the shadow of the big house. Two simple, but not easy over/unders. New commitments in April: 3

Eric Hansen

1:08

Notre Dame looks for donations, yes, for those kinds of projects. I don't think that's universal, especially at state schools. ... I do think Marcus' personality will help with the fund-raising. Winning will help even more.

1:06

Hi Marie. Wish you could take it in, in person, too, since we're going to be having Atlanta-esque weather on Saturday. I don't think there is anything I'll see in the Blue-Gold game that will confirm or amend my projected win total. But I can answer that question if you'll let me change the timeline to August? Let's do that: 1. Better versions of Buchner and Pyne than we saw in the spring, and we saw significant growth from both already. 2. Answers at wide receiver, and some of them may come from Tobias Merriweather or someone from the transfer portal. 3) Continual upgrades at the cornerback position, which we saw to a degree this spring. 4. A healthy Jarrett Patterson and a Harry Hiestand-looking O-line. 5. A front seven that gets after the passer and consistently stifles the run. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:01

Hi Eric, happy Blue And Gold week! Wish I could be there for the game. What four or five things would you like to see on Saturday that would make you confident that Notre Dame will win 10 or more games next year? Also, how are improvements to the GOOG etc. funded at Notre Dame is it completely through donation? Can the university use some of the revenue generated from football to finance these projects? How do other major universities fund these projects? Do you think the fact that Marcus Freeman is extremely charismatic will increase fundraising? Enjoy the game!

Eric Hansen

1:01

Hi Mike. He's not expected to play the whole game. He's expected to play for both sides because of the Buchner injury. So I'd expect him to play the whole first half. When it goes to a running clock in the second half, I think we'll see Angeli and Powlus.

Mike from Rochester, NY

12:59

Eric, I see Drew Pyne is playing the entire game on Saturday. Is this because Freeman and Rees want to give Drew as many reps as possible in game-like conditions or because Angelli and Powlus haven’t gotten enough reps to play effectively Saturday, even in a very vanilla offense?

Eric Hansen

12:58

As far as trusting them, recruiting is always about reading a kids' intentions ... and it's constant. So it's not an one-size-fits-all philosophy. There really is an art form to it.

12:57

Hey Jeff. It's not a rare occurrence. And if you include strong leans, there are very few surprises. The one exception of a guy who shocked everyone was Aamil Wagner last fall. The silent commitments sometimes leak out to the media, but not to the general public. It makes sense to honor the kid's wishes and left him have his day whenever he wants it. Heck yes, there have been kids who have rescinded them. A kind of recent example is Thomas Graham, a cornerback from California who ended up at Oregon. (more)

Jeff from Phoenix

12:50

Good morning Eric. I see that Braylon James gave Freeman a 'silent commitment' about a month ago. From your experience, how often does this happen with recruits? Has this information ever leaked out prior to the formal announcement? Has a 'silent commitment' ever been rescinded by a recruit? And finally, does ND trust these pledges enough to shift resources/priorities in recruiting? Thanks much and looking forward to Blue/Gold game reporting-

Eric Hansen

12:50

Freshman running back Jadarian Price on offense. Freshman cornerback Jaden Mickey on defense (i thought he'd impress ... but he's exceeded that).

Shaun- Boston

12:48

Can you name one player on offense, and one player on defense that came in this spring and really surprised you in terms of “looking the part”. Thank you

Eric Hansen

12:48

Yep, on our website. Sprained right ankle. Suffered it walking down some stairs. Won't play at all on Saturday.

Nathan from Denver

12:46

Any word on how badly Buchner is injured or how it happened?

Eric Hansen

12:46

Tom, there are and will be good ones available, but if you're bringing them into be a third or fourth option, how attractive would Notre Dame be to them? And if you're bringing one in to compete to start, they should have been here for spring semester. This is why I have been saying Buchner and Drew Pyne both having a strong spring was the best-case scenario. The coaching staff believes they can win games with Drew Pyne. So no, I don't think a QB addition is likely without a long-term injury to one of the top two guys.

Tom from Maryland

12:43

Another portal question for you. It seems to me that Buchner has a history of injury problems. Are there any good quarterbacks available in the portal. Depth is needed.

Eric Hansen

12:42

Hi Chris. For the record, I like the kid and his family a lot. They make a very good impression. Parents seem to be super perceptive about the process. Sam has a twin sister who's a standout basketball player. The kids seems exactly what Harry Hiestand looks for. I think Notre Dame feels good about this one, but we'll see on his annoucement date on Monday. ... I think ND already has momentum even though there are no O-line commitments at the moment. There could be one or two no long after.

Guest

12:37

Chris from Sugar Grove, IL. -- What's your feeling about Sam Pendleton's upcoming commitment announcement? Do you think if he commits to ND, this could initiate a cascade of offensive line commitments?

Eric Hansen

12:37

I think we need to just let his process play out. If he makes a June decision after taking visits, that's in line with the timeline his father Otha laid out. There's not been anything negative with regard to ND. I think he'd like for himself and his family to see everything that's out there and to take those trips. Maybe he gets tired of it. Maybe not. I also think he'd like to take in the different approaches of different schools to NIL. Bottom line, unless this goes beyond June, my expectation is for him to end up in Notre Dame's class and without wavering once he announces his decision.

Jeremy from Goshen

12:34

What is your take on the Dante Moore Situation? My concern is the Lou Holtz phrase of "those who know Notre Dame, no explanation is necessary. Those who don't know Notre Dame, no explanation will suffice." Should ND fans be worried that he's taking so long to decide? What is it that he needs to be convinced of the right school?

Eric Hansen

12:33

David, it's a fascinating question. Here's my take: I think a portion of the fanbase and even some in the coaching business outside of Notre Dame look at the current snapshot without perhaps considering the context of the numbers and the player development ledger. Those closer to Rees in general, not only understand the context of the numbers, etc;. they are projecting ahead, projecting the growth. In my mind, Rees in the past few months has been a far more effective recruiter and evaluator than he was under Kelly, for instance. I also think some in the fanbase feel the only reason why Kelly hired Rees was because it was "an easy hire" and that he could control him without pushback. What I would say to that is Rees is a much more confident, able and mature version of himself than he was when he walked back in the door in 2017. But he still has things to prove. This is a big year for him.

David from DC

12:26

Thanks for doing the chat, Eric. There seems to be a disconnect in how coaches and players view Tommy Rees as an OC, and how many fans view him. The former, for the most part, sees a bright offensive mind who can relate to recruits and players, and who has gotten the most out of the offensive talent he's had during his time on the coaching staff. The latter, for the most part, sees a former player who hasn't been able to recruit or develop the QB and WR talent necessary to win at an elite level, couldn't adjust in the 2nd half of the Fiesta Bowl, and whose offenses have had unremarkable production. What do you think is the reason for this disconnect? Is it just the nature of a young coach who fans don't yet have a solid appreciation for?

Eric Hansen

12:26

Cheryl, I don't see quantity or quality as a problem with the linebackers position group. Jack Kiser, who's the starting rover/sniper, has had a really strong spring. The others at that position -- Jordan Botelho, Nolan Ziegler and Will Schweitzer play the position differently and have different body types. Botelho got picked fairly early in the Blue-Gold Draft and Houston Griffith (one of the Blue team captains) lavished Jordan with praise for the growth he's shown this spring. With a long-term injury to Kiser, the Irish have the option to shift Liufau or Kolloe there. So there are some good backup plans.

Cheryl from Royse City, Texas

12:21

Should ND drip into the portal for a backup for Kiser??

Eric Hansen

12:21

It wasn't a matter of distance, but accuracy with both that day. There was some speculation that the holding was far from perfect. Chris Salerno has been the No. 1 option this spring as the holder. It's possbile June-arriving freshman punter Bryce McFerson or one of the walk-on specialists coming in June might be the No. 1 option when we get to August. ... Marcus Freeman has said he might go with both kickers ... one for shorter distances, one for 50+. That'll play ot in August. If it makes you feel better, Grupe had a pretty good track record for accuracy at Arkansas State.

12:16

Steve, let me start with that it's not uncommon that what we see good and bad in the spring (usually bad) doesn't carry over to the fall, because the weather and being inside so much throws the kickers out of their normal routines and rhythms. So what's been going on in the spring. In the open practice we saw (indoors), both Blake Grupe and Josh Bryan looked pretty good. In a scrimmage a couple of weeks ago that was supposed to be in the stadium, they both reportedly struggled. Weather also pushed that indoors. We know they struggled because Marcus said so and because it was confirmed by someone we trust who got to see the scrimmage. (more)

Steve- Pittsburgh, PA

12:12

Eric, I hope you're doing well and surviving this last bout of wintery weather before what's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend. I'm interested in learning more about the kicking situation, since it'll inevitably play a big role at some point this season. I recall seeing was an early in spring practice it was reported that Grupe and Bryan were hitting from long distance and then the last I've heard about the kicking game was from Coach Freeman saying they were inconsistent during one practice. But that seems to about the extent of the talk. What are you hearing or seeing as relates to the battle between and performance of Bryan and Grupe?

Eric Hansen

12:10

Let's go.

Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN with your question.

Here are the rules.

12:09

Onward to the chat ...

12:08

Tune into the Inside ND Sports Podcast Thursday if you'd like to learn more about what Notre Dame is doing in the NIL space. Tom Mendoza of the Mendoza School of Business at Notre Dame will be our special guest.

Connecting…

Message History

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Eric Hansen hosts a chat