JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 21, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 21, 2021

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Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

2:13

Hi Eric, I saw that ND has canceled the George Strait concert on Aug. 7 for safety reasons. Do you think we can infer from that that they will make a similar decision on football games? Not cancel, but once again allow minimal attendance? Hard for me to see why they would treat one event different from another in terms of student/spectator safety. Also hard for me to understand the decision to cancel the concert altogether considering the fact that 90% of the student body is already vaccinated. Thoughts? This one has me stumped.

Eric Hansen

2:09

Jack, thanks. I had that conversation with Jack Swarbrick at the very beginning of the pandemic. I think you'll see more creative solutions to scheduling to save money in the non-revenue sports. It may not look exactly as you have it laid out, but certainly for non-conference games/matches it would make more sense if they were regional rather than cross country.

Jack Strongsville OH

2:06

Hi Eric. Not a football question. Do you think with the impact that Covid-19 has made on the revenue of all college programs that there will be a move to regionalize competition on a greater level. For example, does it make sense for Notre Dame's women's soccer team to travel to Duke and NC for competition when Purdue and IU are much closer. Football will always be viable but how long can it support all the non revenue sports. Thanks as always for your great work!

Eric Hansen

2:06

Mike ... Wait, when was Brian VanGorder's defense ever portrayed as "fun?" In what parallel universe did that happen? Even if it were, why would that get you antsy? If you had a bad hamburger at one restaurant, does that mean you should never eat burgers every again at someplace else? Marcus Freeman has a really good track record in college over the past three years. As good as you'll find anywhere. BVG did not have that. Nor could he recruit even a lick.

IrishMike, Altoona, PA

2:02

While I love the hiring of Marcus Freeman, I must admit I'm a little concerned. The last time we hired a defensive coordinator that was going to allow the players to "react" and "play with speed" and "have fun," we replaced Bob Diaco and his "bend but don't break" defense with Brian Van Gorder. We know how that turned out! Do you have similar concerns?

Eric Hansen

2:02

Charles, thanks for your concern about the radio. I hear from Darin all the time, and he's awesome. But radio is a funny business and it's going through difficult economic times. So I wouldn't anticipate me returning to that particular station. I am appreciative for the time I did have there, especially getting to work with someone as fun and talented as Darin. If you haven't tried our Pod of Gold podcasts, with Tyler James and me, please do and let me know what you think.

Charles from South Bend

Charles

Be well.

Hi Eric,

1:58

When (if ever) are you returning to WSBT radio's Week Night Sports Beat? It's not NEARLY the same w/o you and I have essentially resolved to boycott the show until they bring you back!!

Eric Hansen

1:57

Stan, thanks. Let's assume the two freshmen are able to hold down those two spots on the left side, then you're trying to figure out the best configuration of Lugg/Patterson/Correll. Lugg's best position is tackle. Correll's best position by far is center. Patterson would excel wherever you put him, so him at guard makes sense. I would not rule out a different alignment once they get him back in August. 2. I think it's as good as group of 2s as Kelly's had and there's a lot of position flexibility, which adds to your depth. ... You might be seeing the gong show of backup center auditions when you see the low snaps. I think your last question got cut off.

Stan from Rockford IL

1:48

Eric
Again, best wishes to you and your loved ones. Thanks for your insights during these chats. Two questions, a comment, and a prediction. I read (and saw the three minute clip) from a recent practice and there were a lot of low and inaccurate snaps from centers. 1) What do you think about Patterson back at Center, his proven position, and move Correll to his HS position of G, leaving Lugg at his preferred right tackle and have the two Frosh sensations on the OL, Blake and Rocco, manning the left side, whose teammates Lugg and Hinish and former ND OL Young commented on how impressed with them they are after ten practices? And with Baker, Carroll, Kristofic, Dirksen & Carmody, that’s a lot of quality OL depth. Time for Coach Quinn to prove he’s a developer of talent now that he’s established himself as an elite recruiter. 2) Would you say this was the deepest OL Kelly has ever had, despite their inexperience?
Hoping Austin, LB White and S Hamilton return to form and overcome injuries. Speaking of depth, Aust

Eric Hansen

1:48

Lawrence. Tyler James wrote about Bracy last night in his notebook. What happened last season I think was a combination of what you laid out ... Lewis continually developing and able to handle big moments and Bracy regressing. The good news is Marcus Freeman said he'd give Bracy (and everyone else) a clean slate. And so far Bracy has practiced well and positioned himself to be the No. 1 option at nickel.

Lawrence from San Diego

1:45

Can you dig in a little more to what happened with Tariq Bracy last year? A couple blown coverages and they just benched him for the season? Was he mentally out of it? Did he collapse or did Clarence Lewis ascend? Can he come back and regain his trajectory?

Eric Hansen

1:45

I think I might need a couple of beers to answer your question. I do think that Marcus is the real deal. And if you remember, when you all asked me who the next DC should be, I gave you two names -- Mike Elston if you were going internally and Marcus Freeman if you were going outside. Not sure I understand the bravado comment and Charlie Weis. You'll have to help me out there.

Jon from orlando

1:43

hi Eric. There is a lot of hype around Marcus freeman. I love it but do you think he’s the real deal. Bravado has come and gone. Just remember Charlie weis’s pressers. What do you think?

Eric Hansen

1:42

Gabriel, plenty warm here. The furnace works. Every early enrollee I've ever talked to is happy they did it, even if it didn't ultimately lead to great things down the road. They seem universal in the fact it gave them a better chance, that they were better positioned to climb the depth chart. ... You're able to acclimate to school when you're not in your playing season. Having 15 extra practices is incredibly valuable, even if it doesn't show up until year 2 or 3. That doesn't mean June arrivals can't be productive as freshmen, but it's a more difficult path.

Gabriel from North Liberty

1:39

Hello, hope you are staying healthy and warm. Brian Kelly made a statement about giving reps to early enrollees, even if they do not deserve it. How crucial is it and how much do early enrollees benefit from the extra time? How much of an impact does it have on potential playing time?

Eric Hansen

1:38

Rick, thank you. Notre Dame has certainly positioned itself well. The amount of top-of-the-board talent coming for official visits in June is truly stunning. Now, getting visits, and closing the process and landing the prospects are two different things. But having those official visits can not be overstated. That's huge.

Rk from Sartell mn

1:36

Eric, great show as always. Do you feel that the recruiting momentum at ND is building to the point that we will have a top 5 class soon? I sense this, but maybe it is just the espresso shot in my coffee!

Eric Hansen

1:36

Thank you, Mark.

Mark, Orange County CA

1:35

Hi Eric, Just wanted to thank you for hosting these chats. My questions have already been asked by others. Sorry for your loss of your friend and colleague. Thoughts and prayers sent.

Eric Hansen

1:34

Erik, thank you. Navy and Cincinnati play in the same conference (AAC) but not in the same division, so they don't play every year. They did play twice, however, during Marcus' four seasons as DC. In 2017, when the Bearcats went 4-8 and got scored on by everybody, Navy won 42-32. The next season, Cincy went 11-2, and smothered Navy, 42-0. The Mids amassed just 171 yards in total offense, 124 of those on the ground.

Erik (Granger, IN)

1:27

Thanks for being here! Does Freeman have experience playing Navy? Past D coordinators have struggled in their first time through against that offense.

Eric Hansen

1:25

Thank you.

Pat from Mississauga

1:25

Hi Eric: First I wanted to send my condolences to you and the South Bend community about the passing of Lou Smogoyi. Enjoyed reading and listening to everything about ND.

Eric Hansen

1:25

KP, not sure about the first one. Maybe around 22? The second, I could see Kyren or Tyree shift into the slot at times when originally lined up in a two-back set.

KP South Bend

1:24

Two questions, how many scholarships does ND plan to offer for 2022and will Chris Tyree be used in the slot?

Eric Hansen

1:23

For those who don't know, longtime Blue & Gold Illustrated writer Lou Somogyi died at age 58 of a heart attack this past weekend. I was physically ill when I saw the news. Literally, it was like having a bad stomach flu. Finally, I pushed myself to get to the gym and take a long walk Sunday afternoon, and that helped give me some perspective and relief. I always admired Lou's encyclopedia-esque knowledge of Notre Dame football, but more so I admired his kindness and integrity. And one day when I finally grow up, I'd like to exude those qualities in the proportions Lou did. We all process death in our own way. How I plan to do so is this: Lou is looking down smiling on us. Let's use that as inspiration to make him proud.

Dan, Granger, Indiana

1:17

Care to share any thoughts on the tragic and unexpected death of your colleague writer/reporter from BGI, Lou Somogyi? Our paths crossed a few times around town, he came across as a heck of a nice and humble guy to me.

Eric Hansen

1:17

Notre Dame is not the favorite for any of them. However, at least Swachuk and Rogers have scheduled official visits for June, and those visits sometimes can change the trajectory of a kid's recruitment. Of those three, I'd say Rogers has the best chance of ending up at ND.

Pat from Orlando

1:15

What kind of chance does the Irish have at big names like Gavin Sawchuk, Tetairoa McMillan, and Khamauri Rogers?

Eric Hansen

1:15

Lorne, I don't remember Pat Murphy's circumstances, but I vividly remember Paul. And he didn't leave because of money or lack of facilities. He left, because LSU was home and he felt he could win a national title there, which he did in 2009. The pandemic has made it difficult for all ADs to be free-wheeling with finances, particularly in non-revenue sports, but I think Jack would be willing to invest in Jarrett, who appears to be elite.

Lorne

1:10

Lorne (Canadian like Lorne Greene and Lorne Michaels) from Reno, NV. You said a couple weeks ago that ND was committed to top programs in all sports. Do you think (if baseball success continues) that Jack Swarbrick will be willing to spend what is necessary on salary and facilities to keep Link Jarrett around or will we see a replay of the Pat Murphy/Paul Mainieri scenario again, with a "name" program hiring him away? Thanks for the chats, and I hope you don't mind a b-ball question.

Eric Hansen

1:10

Jeff, thanks. We are compiling them, and perhaps it's possible to maybe do it on a weekly basis, but it's hard to prioritize them. The reason being they didn't get much traction as far as page views, so we've had to prioritize other things. For example, the Inside Recruiting feature literally will get at least 1,000 times more page views than the offer reports. I do appreciate you brining it up, and it's something we'll discuss.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:07

Hey Eric, I have a comment and a question on your ND coverage. First, I really enjoyed the story on Jordan Botelho as I was unaware of his struggles last year. Sounds like he is focused and going to have a big impact in 2021. My question is regarding the loss of the recruiting "Offer Reports" in the Irish Stew section of the SBT. I realize you lost Carter Karels at SBT and are short-handed, but any chance you could bring back the recruiting offer reports with maybe a weekly summary? Cheers-

Eric Hansen

1:07

Ken, the two freshman offensive linemen having a realistic chance to start (Rocco Spindler and Blake Fisher) .. that's the surprise, although I expected Rocco especially to compete to get into the two-deeps. Lawrence Keys has surprised me at WR. Drew Pyne at QB. ... I would think if there were going to be a position switch of major proportions they'd do it in the spring, not in fall camp.

Ken - Pensacola

1:04

Eric, Who is or was the greatest surprise during the spring workouts and do you expect any personal position changes in the fall. Thanks - Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

1:03

Like he always does, Ryan. Steady, dependable, better than expectations ... now that's from the coaches. I'll get my eye test on all these guys a week from Saturday, and so will you.

Ryan mars pa

1:02

Good afternoon Eric how has Kurt hinish looked so far in spring practice go Irish

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