JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 27, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 27, 2022

View Full Chat Next Page

Eric Hansen

3:32

I went into overtime and still couldn't get to all the questions. Thank for all the great ones this week. We are going to do this next Wednesday at noon ET, then probably move from weekly into intermittent mode after that.

3:31

Jorge, I have a hard out in 2 minutes, so I can't give you the answer you deserve on this one. And it's really a cool question. So I hope you'll let me answer it next week.

Jorge, Rowlett, Texas

3:30

It's been nearly 5 months since Marcus Freeman was hired as Notre Dame's 30th Head Coach. What has impressed you most and where do you see him needing to improve the most? I know other than the bowl game, the real proof will be on the field, but having been around ND football long enough to see player/coach engagement, a coach's relationship with the media, alumni, etc., it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this? Thanks in advance for your answer and keep up the great work!!!

Eric Hansen

3:30

Hi Jacob, thanks for making the time to ask a great question. ... I enjoyed this year's game immensely, because it was an actual game ... not offense vs defense, where you have to concoct a scoring system so the defense has a chance to win the game. I also LOVED that there was a player draft, that the media could attend and the fans could watch on an app. What could make the game better? Show all of the trade secrets offensively and defensively, but that's not a good idea for winning games in September.

Jacob, Hobart, IN

3:27

Thanks for making time to do these chats and answer so many questions. I have a few about the Blue & Gold game. In terms of entertainment value, how would you rank this year's Blue & Gold game? Is there another year's game that stands out as your favorite? What could ND do to make the game better?

Eric Hansen

3:27

I'd be pursuing Jaylon Robinson from UCF. Now there are new names flooding in from now until May 1. There were 200 new players entering the portal in the last 48 hours. So new options will emerge ... and be vetted.

Jonathan Thie Sioux Falls, South Dakota

3:21

Who do you think we will get in the transfer portal for a wide receiver, who is the most likely guy?

Eric Hansen

3:21

Tony, it is a very smart move on Marcus' part -- and I've noticed it paying dividends in the way recruits on offense aren't eliminating the Irish because Tommy Rees may not be here in 2023 or 2024 and they have a great relationship with him. Now they also have one with Marcus.

Tony, Lake Mary FL

3:19

Hey Eric, I was thinking just now about the impact of having a head coach be the lead recruiter, as MF says. By the time many recruits come and become upper classmen, if there has been success, it is likely that the position coaches or coordinators have moved on and moved up, but a successful head coach at a place like ND will, in all but rare cases (wink wink) will not leave. I've always thought of I was good enough to be recruited, I would not care so much about the coordinators, positional coaches and that relationship. Have you or any of the rivals counterparts noticed a correlation here?

Eric Hansen

3:18

Pete, I looked up the video. It's just some guy who probably lives in his mother's basement fooling around on the computer. It's not a video from ND or any legit media outlet that covers it. By the way, Austin is committing next Wednesday.

Pete Cuozzo, Naples FLa

3:17

Eric, what’s with the video post from “Notre Dame Football Recruiting News Today” that says Austin Siereveld committed? I saw it on YouTube yesterday (Monday)… same day Sam Pendleton committed. Thought it would have been pulled by now. Or is it a counter-offensive move by another program pretending to be ND? Ahh, conspiracy theory perhaps? Or just a dumb mistake?

Eric Hansen

3:17

Jeff, not all two-QB systems are created equal and last year's Coan/Buchner was one in which recruits could understand and buy into. A young touted QB was getting a chance to play and develop on the field and the older QB was on board with it and now has a chance to get drafted. I think there would be other scenarios where that would be a bad look, as in "both these QBs stink, so we're going to play both and hope to get some good out of that." Those you want to avoid.

Jeff from Phoenix

3:14

Hey Eric. Last month on the chat I asked – and you answered - a question as to whether ND would consider a 2-QB system as the best offensive weapon. But now I’d like to take another angle and ask whether a 2-QB system could be a complete non-starter due to the impression it could create with highly ranked QB recruits. That is, could ND appear to recruits as indecisive or lacking player development focus if they even raised the possibility of going down the 2-QB road in 2022 or sometime in the future? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

3:14

Hi Kevin. Notre Dame wants to show its committed to Dante. And unless his recruitment become protracted beyond June, then I don't think they'll explore those options. If they get to that point, they're going to have to go to the portal or try to flip someone out of another class. I don't think there are many attractive uncommitted options left.

Guest

3:12

Kevin from Fort Wayne. I know Dante Moore is our priority QB recruit, but are you hearing of possible other options should Dante choose to commit elsewhere?

Eric Hansen

3:12

Steve, I'm not sure if you heard our podcast with Tom Mendoza, but we took a pretty deep dive there. Once, we get past the NFL Draft, I have some interviews set up to do some of those big-picture stories. To give you an oversimplified, succint answer for now, NIL is scary in what it's become, at least the gray area of it. There's still a lot to like about it. Notre Dame believes it needs to be competitive in terms of opportunities, but it doesn't need to be the most lucrative. We'll see how the 2023 recruiting cycle plays out, but so far, ND's position is holding true.

Steve, Kenosha WI

3:06

Eric, you, Tyler, and Kyle are definitely churning out some excellent content (and I’m appreciative of storied beyond football). I apologize if this may have been asked and answered earlier in the chat, but given your last story in the matter do you have some thoughts on how NIL will continue to evolve within the ND administration to benefit their student athletes?

Eric Hansen

3:06

Thank you, Don!

Don in Phoenix

3:06

Eric, Thanks for answering. You are very good at what you do!

Eric Hansen

3:06

Stan, if you're a mind reader, you're darn good at it. My answer is contained in your question. Good job.

Stan from Chester

3:05

Wishing all good things to you, Eric! Do you think too much emphasis is being laid on Pyne for his performance in the B/G game? Seems to me that the scenario he was a one off. I wonder how ANYone would respond to quarterbacking both teams behind offensive lines that were thrown together in a mix he had never seen. Granted the defensive lines were also tossed together, but I think it would take less time for a defensive line to gel that an offensive line needs repetitive reps to come together.

Eric Hansen

3:05

Hi Erik. I think a lot of teams look slow juxtaposed to Georgia. I think maybe the illusion of slowness was the amount of walk-on wide receivers used in the BG Game? I don't think speed on defense is an issue either. And it will become less of an issue as the 2023 and 2024 classes joint the roster and as some of the younger players in this class get their feet under them with the X's and O's.

Erik, Salina KS

3:00

Thanks again for these chats. In watching the spring game two things stood out to me when I compared ND to what I saw at other spring games (Penn State, Georgia, etc...). (1) I thought ND's players looked physically larger and stronger than other programs, especially our O-Line (2) I thought ND offensive players looked decidedly slower than those other programs, especially at the skill positions. What is your take on our physical size and speed as a program relative to any other spring games you've seen this year and to past ND teams?

Eric Hansen

3:00

I don't know Frank, so I'm sorry to be so blunt. But I think he has his head up his butt. There's not a formula of players coach or hardass that guarantees success. The coaches I've seen who are successful are 1) Authentic. They don't try to be someone they're not. 2) They evolve. They change with the X's and O's. They change with the way they relate to players so they can stay ahead of the curve. Brian Kelly actually did all of that. He lost the purple look ... until he went to LSU. ... Brian VanGorder was not warm and fuzzy. Mike Elko, Clark Lea and Marcus Freeman were all more successful. And because you're a players' coach, per se, doesn't mean you're not demanding and you don't set high standards.

IrishMike, Altoona,PA

2:54

Hi Eric! Cold and snowy here in central Pa! Following is an excerpt from a column in the Altoona Mirror from Frank Giardina, a former PSU athletic department employee. “I am not sold on the Marcus Freeman hire at Notre Dame. He has the reputation of being a ‘players coach.’ ‘Players coaches’ often don’t make good head coaches. Former Irish head coach Brian Kelly was never warm and fuzzy, but the man can coach. I have seen his teams play at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame. He was always a bit of a curmudgeon, but his teams were sound fundamentally. Freeman looked lost in Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl meltdown to Oklahoma State last season.” Marcus is a helluva recruiter! ND faithful, myself included, think he’s a great hire! Is Giardina’s opinion common outside ND circles? What are your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

2:54

Joey, simmer down now. You're taking the Blue-Gold Game way too literally. There's a mirage element build into its structure. I do think a WR from the portal is a necessity and not a luxury, and I think a potential starter is the right ambition. But remember, Davis and Wilkins will be back (Davis is almost already back) and Styles is much improved, WR 1 in my opinion even though he didn't get a chance to show that Saturday. ... I see QB Gerry Bohanon from Baylor hit the portal today, but I doubt he'd want to come to ND to be No. 2 since he's already the No. 2 at Baylor. So who would you see as a fit?

Joey G. Philadelphia,Pa

2:45

Hi Eric, We’ll I must say Blue Gold game is giving me a lot of angst. O Line & special teams didn’t play well. Pyne & Wr’s were out of sync. RB’s , D line & LB’s look great. Do you think Freeman is taking a huge gamble if he stays with his current QB’s & Wr rooms? And by not hitting the portal earlier could it doom his 1st season?

Eric Hansen

2:44

I assume your talking Notre Dame and not nationally ... though none of the top 2024 QBs have committed anywhere. In terms of Notre Dame I think CJ Carr has come to peace that he wouldn't shy away from going where Dante Moore does. I think ND leads with Carr, but I don't think he's in a hurry to commit and it's not a done deal. So I think it makes sense for him and the others to let June play out before they start to commit.

Steve from St. Louis

2:39

Any chance a '24 QB commits before a '23 or do you think the '24s will wait to see what happens?

Eric Hansen

2:39

Hi Pat. I'm excited too, believe me. This is a fun part of my week. 1) I think Tyler Buchner showed he's No. 1 and the hope is he'll continue to grow/improve over the summer they way he did this spring. But the hope is also that Pyne will too. 2) Yes, I do. As long as he doesn't extend the timeline into the fall, which so far he is NOT.

Pat (St. Paul)

2:37

Excited for the chat! Two questions…1) have you gotten a sense from those inside the program that TB had separated during the Spring practices and 2) still feel good about Dante Moore?

Eric Hansen

2:37

Andrew, I grew up in Columbus, and those fans aren't eager to give up their tickets even at a handsome profit. I think the ND fans who do get in the stadium will be loud and passionate, but they'll be greatly outnumbered. I'm glad you're going. The atmosphere will be epic.

Andrew Sioux Falls SD

2:34

Planning to make it to Columbus for the opener. Do you think there will be a decent ND representation?

Eric Hansen

2:34

I think he won it before the Blue-Gold Game, but Drew Pyne is better than he showed Saturday.

Dan, from Vernon Hills Il

2:33

Eric
After the Blue and Gold game, did Tyler Buchner win the QB1 derby?

Eric Hansen

2:33

Hi Len. This is your shortest question ever. Thank you. I owe you a beer for trying. .... If I hadn't seen Jadarian Price in earller practices, I would have been shocked out of my mind on Saturday. Similarly, but not to that extent, with Jayden Mickey and Junior Tuihalamaka. But I expect there will be another wave of freshmen who impress in August -- some of the June arrivals and some of the mid-year enrollees who got healthy and/or better as they adapt -- like Billy Scrhrauth, Joshua Burnham, Jayden Bellamy, to name a few.

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:29

Hello Eric, In the blue gold game did anyone make you say wow this recruit is going to be a player. What did he do to give you that impression? Thanks for hosting.

Eric Hansen

2:28

The way he left Notre Dame and the narrative he's concocted to explain it will overshadow a lot of the good he did. And it's hard to blame those who feel that way.

2:27

Hi Don. I think Brian Kelly has gotten credti and blame pretty well placed, but maybe that's a blind spot fo rme. I'm surprised sometimes at the takes people absorb from untrustworthy sources. So let me answer this question more straight up. Brian Kelly deserved credit for a strong player development model, particularly post-2016. For helping to strengthen the program infrastructure. For evolving as a coach. For recruiting better on defense than Weis did. For winning the games he was supposed to win and getting ND into the national title mix three times. ... What he did not do was immerse himself into the recruiting process enough. Early enough. Often enough. Ambitiously enough. He saw himself as a closer, and he was good at that. He did make himself more accessible after 2016 to his players, but to a point. He had a blind spot with some of this assistant coaching hires. BVG almost cost BK his job. (more)

Don in Phoenix

2:14

Eric, The long 4 months of begins. Hope you have some time off planned after starting the new venture. Listened to the podcast with Malik and in the question section liked your answer regarding the who's to blame for the players not being invited back during the Kelly years. My question is what did Kelly do that he did not get credit and what did he not do that is overlooked.

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