JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 3, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 3, 2024

View Full Chat Next Page

Eric Hansen

2:50

OK that's going to have to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon EDT.

2:49

Hi Jeff. I was only with Mickens for a couple of questions, then got pulled in a different direction. So I don't know yet if he actually addressed that, but I would be surprised if he did -- at least directly. The assistants like to let Marcus Freeman speak to injury timelines, and Marcus prefers that too. What I did hear him say was how mentally engaged Ben Morrison has been since the surgery and how confident he'll still benefit from spring practice even largely as an observer. We share transcripts of the coaches among the beat guys, so as soon as that one is done, I'll make sure to check to see if there's any more info and can let you know. Otherwise, we don't get Marcus again until late next week.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:44

Hey Eric, I just watched the 2 min comments from Mickens and there was nothing on the health of Ben Morrison. Will you be able to find out anything more about his injury and recovery schedule? Thanks

Eric Hansen

2:44

So just reacting to the second part of your question ... pass pro is something that need to master regardless of Payne's status ... and I would expect to see improvement across the board at that skill.

2:43

Hi Micah, and thanks. .... Deland is very good about trying to carve out roles and then letting his backs earn those. And that's one of the best ways he's able to keep five backs happy, or at least content, at the same time. I was with Deland when he was talking about Gi'Bran and his value. He emphasized that not only was he reliable but he has more talent that people give him credit for. To me, what will be interesting is if say Kedren Young can show the same kind of reliability and consistency eventually and in a bigger, more powerful body. Young hasn't been 100 percent for most of spring, so that's probably something to find out in August. Price may also prove too good to take off the field on third down. I'm not trying to write off Payne, just present some different scenarios that could unfold.

Micah B - Erie, Colorado

2:43

(sorry - message sent too quickly). Continuing with Payne / 3rd down backs - it seemed like Payne may have been assignment-correct, but was overpowered by defenders in pass protection at key points. Could we assume other backs are truly inferior at pass protection?

2:33

Hi Eric - appreciate the balanced coverage from you and team, recognizing thoughtfulness is not easy or commonplace. Question about the running back room, after the FNS discussion on Monday: Do you have any insight into GiBran Payne as the incumbent 3rd down back, including last season with Estime? Coach McCullough's comments have been clear around valuing certification, knowing assignments, etc.

Eric Hansen

2:32

Hi Ryan. I mentioned Cam Williams earlier, so I won't repeat that one. Neither Chris Terek, not Kennedy Urlacher project as guys this spring who are going to shake up the depth chart. Terek at guard has good size and strength, but he's not in the mix for playing time. I'll get a better look at him next week in competitive periods. Urlacher is not in the mix either to dent the two-deeps at safety, but he is active and physical and could find a role in special teams.

Ryan Mars PA

2:29

Good afternoon Eric how has Chris Terek and Cam Williams and Kennedy Urlacher looked So Far in Spring Practice GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

2:28

Hi Skip, that is out of my lane. I do follow the MBB team, but only covered a couple of their games. Way more plugged into the WBB team. Carey Booth expressed that a return to Notre Dame is possible, but what I'm hearing it is not at all probable.

skip - Houston

2:27

If I may slip in a basketball question, please help me with what is happening with Carey Booth and what do you think the chances are he will end up at Notre Dame. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:26

Ced, I love the new nickname, or maybe it's just newly revealed for Saginaw .. that is if nasty means the Janet Jackson sense of the word. ,,, Yes, Jordan Clark was and still is the No. 1 option at nickel. Now Micah Bell is two. DBs coach Mike Mickens told me today when I asked him the third option is now converted running back Devyn Ford, who's also working at safety.

cederickwalker

2:24

ced Walker saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride with Clarence Lewis transfer micha bell and Jordan Clark will get more reps at nickel here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

2:24

Where he has room to develop is as a consistent passer. And that's why he's at ND and that's what this offseason should show us. He has more experience than Angeli as well. And he beat a very good Clemson team that Sam Hartman, at least, struggled against. I'm not trying to change your mind necessarily, just give you some insight into my process ... and the coaches' process.

2:22

Hi Drue, now that you buttered me up, can't you blindly accept my opinion? I kid. Steve Angeli's performance against Oregon State should not be minimized. While the Beavers were missing key pieces from their defense due to opt-outs, so was the Irish offense. And if was an instance where Angeli was scouted and game-planned against. Having said that. Leonard brings a dimension with his legs that few quarterbacks in the country can match -- if any, now that Jayden Daniels is headed to the NFL. He also has an offensive coordinator who can enhance that. (more)

Drue in Springfield

2:09

Greetings...hope you dodged all the bad weather that went through here last night headed East...very scary. Since I consider your opinion in as high regard as any I could seek, tell me what upgrades per position group makes you think this team will be better than last year with a better record? Also, after seeing Angeli's strong performance against OSU, why do you seem to give Leonard the nod? It is hard to see what RL can do better than what SA has shown us on the field....which makes it very difficult for me to distinguish a clear advantage between the two. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

2:09

Hi Al. No relation to John Shumate but you are right, quite the basketball family.

Guest

2:08

Al from Syracuse, NY. When the WBB team played Kent St in round one Kent St was led by Katie Shumate, who scored 20 and had 11 rebounds both team highs. Is she the granddaughter of John Shumate? John was a 6'9" center/forward at ND from 71-74 and a two time AA. He scored 24 points in the famous 71-70 win in 1974 over UCLA that ended their 88 game win streak on the team led by Bill Walton. John was also the 4th player taken in round one of the NBA draft. According to the Kent St web site Katie's high school BB coach was her dad, JR and she has a sister playing at Ohio State and a bother playing professionally in Europe. Quite the basketball family.

Eric Hansen

2:08

Hi Bob. ... Micah Bell on the track and probably on the football field too. Lots of speed, though, throughout in that position group. I asked Deion Colzie today who the fastest WR was and he gave Kris Mitchell a slight edge over Jayden Harrison.

Bob (Oxnard, CA)

2:06

Who is our fastest defensive back?

Eric Hansen

2:06

As far as the scholarship numbers game, Notre Dame is so good at roster management, it's kind of like asking me if I might get spacesick if I decided to be an astronaut tomorrow. It's that remote of a possibility ... almost. But they could rescind a walk-on's scholarship or allow someone to continue on as a student without football. I just can't picture it ever being that close.

2:03

I think we were able to gain some valuable insight into where the O-Line spring experience is headed when we interviewed O-Line coach Joe Rudolph and some of the linemen earlier this spring ... but I think the next real checkpoint to get an eye test is coming up next week, when we get to see a full practice with competitive periods. There's not a lot of measurable activity for O-linemen in the partials we're seeing and they go outside for some of those periods, even on a drizzly day like today, and we can't follow them out there. So unless someone sends me a Ouija Board, I'm going to wait until that media-open full practice to give you the answer you deserve. (more)

Roger from Peoria

1:56

Hello Eric: As we near the halfway point for Spring practice, do you have any impression how the o-line is progressing? And, while it is not uncommon for the Irish (or presumably other teams for that matter) to be over the 85-player limit in the Spring, and while the Irish (and presumably other teams) always seem to reach that number through transfers or injury retirements, if the totally unexpected were to happen and there are 86 players the day before the 85 player limit must be met, can ND inform a player "You are no longer on the roster and cannot practice, dress for home games or play, but you can remain an ND student to pursue your degree? Thanks and GO IRISH!!?"

Eric Hansen

1:54

Hi Tony. I try to avoid publicly speculating about where I think roster attrition is going to come from, though privately I have ideas. And in this day and age where transfers are so easy, they don't always make sense. I think the type of player who is likely to strongly consider it is someone at a position where the numbers are maybe overloaded and they've been jumped on the depth chart by a younger player or simply been stalled there. How spring position competitions play out will influence some as well. And I think ND will continue to amass decent size classes, despite the lack of junior-eligibility players. There's just so much player movement. There's actually 15 players with expiring eligibility AND no COVID exemption on this year's roster, which is more than double what was on the roster last year ... and ND still brought in a large class.

Tony, Lake Mary

1:46

Hey Eric, any insight on roster math. Iirc currently there are 90 on scholarship. When I look at those with jr or Sr eligibility I didn't see 5 names that popped out as "a transfer makes sense". I wouldn't assume a lot of fr and soph eligibility guys would go there yet. Also curious on the analysis that the roster is very light on jr eligibility, and how that is affected by covid year, portal, and affects future roster management. Seems like large recruiting classes will be hard

Eric Hansen

1:43

Thanks Don. And there's more to come Thursday. I think there's momentum in all those areas, and I'd add the new media rights deal as significant. The talent and depth of that talent must continue to upgrade. But again, there's positive momentum in all of those areas.

Don in Scottsdale

1:41

Eric, Great article on Pete Bevaqua. Interesting to read the focus on a national championship. Thinking about it coaching, facilities, institutional commitment, players, and luck seem to be the ingredients for an NC. Are there any others and from your view where does ND stand on the 4 variables in their control? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:40

As to the Riley Leonard question, I should note he was at practice today in an ankle brace and did participate in some of the throwing drills -- just not the ones that requited him to roll out, etc. Even if Riley Leonard hasn't had the injury setback. I believe this was a Leonard-Angeli race and it will remain so until the end. If Leonard has an injury setback this summer or in August, then I think Angeli starts the season as No. 1.

1:35

Hi Matt. I don't mind mixing in some WBB questions since I covered them from this season. Who starts the year in the top five is going to be greatly affected by the transfer portal, both incoming and outgoing, but I think it's a realistic expectation that barring injuries and unexpected departures that the Irish will be a top 5 team in preseason and during the season. I think that's reasonable (more).

Matt from Austin

1:33

Hey Eric, good day to you. Sorry about the no shoes today as it is 77 in the ATX. Two quick questions. With your extensive involvement in the ND women's basketball program, do you see our (very exciting) team being pre-season top 5 with Ms. Miles returning and Ms. Koval arriving to supplement our big 3 or 4 returning stars? Secondly, if I may, with the injury to Leonard, do you see any chance that he could be supplanted as the presumed game 1 starter given the Spring performances, or are the other qb's fighting for spots in the two deep? Thank you as always.

Eric Hansen

1:32

Not necessarily. It wasn't last year. Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan won jobs in August. Notre Dame could still go to the transfer portal. And Aamil Wagner's viability as a starter includes him adding strength and weight. So, I would almost be surprised if all five BG starters were the Aug. 31 starters. Maybe four of them.

Bill from St Joe

1:30

Barring injuries, do you believe the starting O Line for the Blue Gold game will be the starters against Texas A&M?

Eric Hansen

1:28

So, I included all the 2026 QBs Notre Dame has offered so far, their measurements and their star ratings. Only one is off the board so far. The 2026s are a little out of my lane, but there's a lot of good options here. So if I'm going to take a stab at which one is best, I would go with the five-star Smigiel and for the one ND lands, I'll guess Brady Hart.

1:25

Hi Marie. It's always a great week when football is happening. I hope yours is going well too. So let's start with the CBs. Tyler and I led with this topic on Football Never Sleeps, so if you want some more depth on the topic ... Unless there is a setback to Ben Morrison in his recovery, I don't think the transfer portal perusing is urgent, but you want to cover your bases. But it's a tough sell, especially if Morrison is going to be healthy -- which is the expectation. "Come to ND and be at best the fourth option?" But again, keep an open mind and see where things are in late April (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:14

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a fantastic week. I’m going to revisit my question from last week about looking in the transfer portal for a cornerback, now that Clarence Lewis has entered the transfer portal do you think they will consider a cornerback from the portal? Also, did you find the timing of his transfer a little little bit unusual, right in the middle of spring practice, if so, do you have any insight into the timing? Switching gears, of the 2026 quarterbacks that Notre Dame is pursuing, who do you personally like the best, and why? Who do you think Notre Dame is most likely to end up with? As always, thanks for hosting the chats, and for the great insights.

Eric Hansen

1:14

Thanks Mark. I hope you did too. That was the easier question of the day so far.

Mark, Orange County Ca

1:14

Hi Eric, as always thank you for hosting these chats. I hope you had a great Easter

Eric Hansen

1:13

CJ Carr is impressive to watch and is impressive when you talk to him. He's kind of quietly going about his business. The ability is there to move up to No. 2 in the fall, but I'm not sure — barring injury — the opportunity is there. I think the way he's looking at it, and the way I would anyway, is learn as much as you can this season to position yourself to compete for the starting job in 2025.

Robb, Durango

1:09

This might be me trying to read too much into it, but it seems like CJ Carr is as good as hoped. Any chance he is QB2 by August or at some other point in the season?

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