JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 21, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 21, 2021

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Eric Hansen

1:01

Joey, thank you. Lou will be missed, big time. ... I'm not sure I interpreted doghouse for Jordan's status. I think his biggest asset is his friendship with Kyren Williams, who will challenge Jordan to bring out his best. ... and not coddle him because he was a high school five-star. I'm not sure why Jordan would look to the portal when his future at ND is really in his hands.

Joey G, Phila,Pa

12:57

Hi Eric, So sorry about the passing of Lou Somogyi what a great guy! I heard the comments from coach Kelly about Jordan Johnson. It seems like he’s in Kelly’s doghouse. There.are a lot of bodies ahead of him.Do you think he’ll stick it out or is it time for him to hit the transfer portal?

Eric Hansen

12:56

In fairness to Tommy Kraemer, this is a flaw in media/analysts rating offensive linemen and not with Tommy himself. There aren't really stats to help people determine who the offensive linemen should be on preseason All-America teams. Some people, like me, will ask coaches and pro scouts who's good and do their research. Some people don't want to put in the work. They'll look back at who was highly rated coming out of high school, and Kraemer was a top 50 player overall. So that extrapolate that to him being an All-American. Because of copy-catting, it just kind of snowballed. He showed up as a potential first-round draft choice and a midseason and postseason All-American, even though his play did not correlate to those honors. But those in the know knew that was not reality.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

12:52

How did Tommy Kraemer go from a projected 1st Round pick a couple years ago to now being projected as not being drafted?

Eric Hansen

12:52

Patrick, Shayne is cross training at the two inside LB positions. I think he'll settle at the Will, and rotate with Marist Liufau. Brian Kelly mentioned Bertrand the other day when I asked about the linebackers. He's been getting more work with Drew White sidelined. Again, he's training for the inside LB positions. Marcus Freeman's desire is to play a lot of people at the linebacker positions, so JD might get his chance.

Patrick, Fort Wayne, In

12:48

Eric, ND has a very talented and deep set of linebackers. Where and how do you see Shayne Simon fitting into Marcus Freeman's defense? Also, JD Bertrand was getting mentions in training camp last year. I haven't heard much since. Where do you think he fits on the depth chart at this time?

Eric Hansen

12:48

Hi Tom. Thanks for the compliments. ... I think getting a chance to talk to the assistant coaches is helpful in sort of cross-examining (if you will) what we're hearing from Brian Kelly. I don't think, though, that he's overinflating the performances. I think he's pretty happy with the way things are going this spring. My take is there has been significant progress, with significant work ahead. And that's a good place to be in late April. Of the June-arriving freshmen, Brian Polian already has said he has his eye on big RB Audric Estime for special teams. I'd add CBs JoJo Johnson and Chance Tucker, S Khari Gee, LB Prince Kollie and maybe WR Deion Colzie.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

12:41

Hi Eric, hope everyone is well and thanks for all the extra work you put in keeping all ND fans up to speed. Hard for me to tell from the limited videos if any group or individual is really making progress this spring. Can't really tell when they are going against each other. Do you have any info from the coaches that would help us know the real truth. Sometimes I feel BK is praising a lot of players just to boost their confidence and get them to play with more consistency. What is your take on where the Irish are today? Also, do you have any freshman who did not enroll early that you hear may have a chance to contribute, even if it is only Special Teams? Thanks and stay safe. Go Irish!!!!!

Eric Hansen

12:41

Alan, Notre Dame's defensive line culture is being able to play a lot of players and use that depth to its advantage during games ... to keep players fresh and wear down opposing offenses. So Foskey and Botelho are better in tandem, though there may be times (third and long) where you may see them actually on the field at the same time.

Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

12:38

Eric, Isaiah Foskey appears to be a player that can record double digit sacks this season. Is it just a matter of receiving more playing time for Foskey to reach his potential or is he simply a more effective player when he shares time with Jordan Botelho? Thank you for answering my question.

Eric Hansen

12:38

Jake, there are a lot of players making the kind of progress that will get fans excited about the unit's potential. But the cornerback position group has a long way to go to be elite. There are depth concerns at safety. And they're still looking for more consistency at the weakside linebacker (which used to be the Buck) Guys like Foskey and Botelho, who have flashed at end, need to keep coming with the consistency. There's nothing that isn't fixable, but this unit is far from a finished product. Love where this is headed.... eventually.

Jake Saratoga Springs

12:34

Hello Eric, my question is due to the depth and talent on the defensive line combined with probably the best safety in the country, if the linebackers play well do you think this could be the best total defensive unit during the Brian Kelly era which could make it the best defense in the country. Just curious on your thoughts. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:33

Hi John, and thank you. I did see the tweet, and didn't read anything into it other than the determination to get better. Everyone knew Alexander would be a project, but one that was worth taking. I've been wanting to ask about him and NaNa Osafo-Mensah for a while. With limited questions, I haven't gotten to it yet. ... Tyler Buchner is improving in leaps and bounds — with getting the rust off, with developing chemistry with the receivers, with his knowledge of the playbook and with his reads. If he had played last fall, I think his curriculum and expectations would be different this spring. Without it, he's doing exactly what he should be doing, and that's learning and acclimating.

John Buckley

12:27

John Buckley from San Diego, CA: Two quickies; First Alex Ehrensberger tweeted "making plans for next move, have something to prove" not exact quote but close. Do you have any insight into what he was referring too, and I haven't heard anything on how he is progressing. He looks like a future beast on the D-line, any word on him. Second, being from San Diego haven't heard a ton about Tyler B and his progress at QB other than he is progressing any little tibits of info? Thanks for these chats...LOVE them.

Eric Hansen

12:25

Defensively, No. 1 priority is developing cornerbacks you can trust. In abundance. The way the scheme is structured, it puts pressure on the corners. The better they are, the more creative and daring you can be with your front seven. ... Special teams ... get Jonathan Doerer kicking like he did in 2019. Magically change one thing? Notre Dame to be able to recruit and develop elite receivers on a consistent basis.

12:22

Hi Marie. I hope you are having a great week, too. I think the good news in your question is that we've seen broad progress in all of those areas. On offense, it's Jack Coan playing at a championship level. What that means is a pass-efficiency ranking in the top 15, preferably top 10. He was 19th in 2019, but with an offense in which the passing game was a complement to RB Jonathan Taylor. This offense will be much more balanced. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:14

Hi Eric, I hope you are having a great week. What is the most important thing that needs to happen on Offense, Defense and Special teams for the 2021 team to make the college football playoff? If you could magically make one change to the team/program that would most help it close the gap with the true elites of the college game right now, what would it be?Thanks for keeping us all updated on Spring football, your hard work is greatly appreciated!

Eric Hansen

12:13

Let's address the Vyper end. Notre Dame plays two defensive ends. The "big" end is where Justin Ademilola and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa play. This end is usually very good against the run, isn't quite as quick and twitchy as the Vyper. If they're a good pass rusher, as Khalid Kareem was when he played it, that's a nice bonus. The Vyper (Isaiah Foskey, Jordan Botelho) is usually your best pass rusher. At times he'll stand at the line of scrimmage instead of getting in a 3-point stance. He's also asked to drop into coverage on occasion. I hope that is a good start for you.

12:09

Bill, I try not to get too nuanced when I write so I don't lose people like you. And I'm happy to have people like you reading. The are more reasons that an article wouldn't work than there are reasons it would. However, I am happy to answers those kinds of questions in the chat. Also, that way if there's a follow-up (and you're following along during the live portion), you can submit that. Right now a lot of the positions on defense are being redefined. (more)

billkjb59@gmail.com

12:03

Bill Kaufman - Windsor, CO. As always, Eric thanks for the great chats. Your chats really help me stay connected to my favorite football team. My question (or request): As a fan, who never played football, it is sometimes difficult to understand what is meant by a name for a certain position, especially on defense, like vyper. Could you do an article that defines the different positions on both defense and offense. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:03

Let's get right into it.

Please, please remember to include your name and hometown with your question. Hint: "Guest" is not your name.

12:02

Here are the rules.