JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 23, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 23, 2022

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Eric Hansen

1:59

Wow, two really great players. It's difficult to split hairs with them. I would expect both to be first-rounders. Mayer is bigger (6-5, 265) vs. 6-4, 230. I see that as an advantage for him. I think Bowers may get the tie-breaking votes in college based on TD receptions and playing for the national champs.

Roger from Cincinnati

1:50

Blake Bowers from Georgia is the consensus first-team preseason All-American TE, and Michael Mayer is the consensus second-team TE. Is this ranking consistent with how the NFL rates the two? I understand that Bowers is not draft eligible at the end of the year but I am curious who is thought of as the better pro prospect. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:48

Jeff, I love the creativity in your questions. Sometime this season, when the caffeine on a late night won't do the trick, I may turn to you. ... I think why you're not hearing much is because recruiting is in an NCAA-mandated dead period until the start of the season. So when visits can start happening again (ND has September home dates on the 10th and 17th), that's the time to start paying attention again. The possiblity of flipping Pitt commit Kenny Minchey won't gain any traction until/unless he schedules a visit. Same with Kansas State commit Avery Johnson, with whom the Irish have re-engaged. The coaching staff will also look at QBs who are having strong senior seasons that they hadn't previously considered. Brandon Wimbush several years ago was that kind of prospect. They took a hard pass on him after his junior season. He committed to Penn State. Then he made a huge leap as a senior. The Irish flipped him and signed him.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:33

Good morning Eric. First, I want to recognize the amazing positive attitude reflected in the statements/actions of Davis and Watts during the past week - excellent representatives of the school and football program. For my question, it seems the current 2023 quarterback recruiting situation might be labeled as “Run Silent, Run Deep” (putting aside any copyright considerations with the 1958 classic movie on WWII submarine warfare). News on Minchey is almost non-existent, and I am not hearing any other serious prospects mentioned. Can you shed any light here? Thanks much-

Eric Hansen

1:32

Hi Bob in Bermuda. Rivals generally settles on 32 five-stars at the very end of the cycle. Right now DE Brenan Vernon is No. 25. So if he just maintains, he'll end up a five-star. LB Drayk Bowen looks like a five-star to me. He's No. 41, and his Indiana Class 2A team plays against schools in larger enrollment classes every week. S Peyton Bowen is a possibility. He rocketed up to No. 47 from No. 93 in the last rankings and plays on a very good Texas team. I'd say CB Christian Gray (55) and OT Charles Jagusah (107) have a chance for a boost in All-Star settings in January. Realistically, I would not expect more than two from that group to end up as five-stars.

bobcorrao@me.com

1:25

forgot to add... Bob Corrao in Bermuda,,, do you see any of the current commitments being elavted to 5 star followng their senior season?

Guest

1:25

Do you see any of the current commitments being elevated to 5 star following their senor season.

Eric Hansen

1:25

Hi Tom. I actually went to a single-A baseball game on Sunday. First baseball game I've been to as a fan since before the pandemic. What a blast. The South Bend team is the Cubs' affiliate. They played a team called the Beloit Sky Carp. ... It's been a good camp for Notre Dame tight ends. Raridon and Staes, I think, are most dangerous detached. Kevin Bauman is you're do-everything guy. He can block. He's very good in the red zone. Cane Berrong has had his moments. Probably also projects more as a flex TE, thought he's at least up to 243 now. ... Brandon Joseph faced Ohio State twice ... as a true freshman in 2019 (one tackle) and in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2020 (5 tackles, 1 pick, 1 PBU vs Justin Fields). Neither of those games were in Columbus.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

1:19

Hi Eric, well we are getting closer to Game Time!!! A quick side note, we went to the Braves single A farm team game last week. Very good baseball and VERY affordable. Saw Mike Soroka pitch h is first rehab start. Struck out 8 of the 9 men he faced. I know you enjoy a good baseball story. As for the Irish, I'm really anxious to see the TE's other than Mayer play and see what they can do. From what you have seen how do you think each TE will be utilized? Raridon looks like he could be more of a split out TE to force some favorable matchups. Thanks for your help with this. Also, did the safety from Northwestern ever play at OSU? Hope he did so that he will have some idea of what to expect. Thanks again for all your help answering all of our questions. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

1:14

Bill, I think we'll have a very good idea by Marcus Freeman's Monday press conference. That's the next time we have access to him, and it will be 14 days out from when the injury first occurred. The process was complete rest for 7-10 days. He was one of those scooter things in Monday. We have media practice windows (the last two of the season) on Wednesday (day 9) and Thursday (day 10), so that seems just a little early to be back into practicing. ... So far from what we've seen in practice, Andrew Kristoric and Rocco Spindler have both been getting reps in Patterson's absence, and Kristofic appears to have the edge.

Bill from St Joe, MI

1:07

Hi Eric, Do you have an update on Patterson…if he’s not available for Ohio State who do you think is the current favorite to fill the void, Andrew or Rocco?

Eric Hansen

1:06

Ok, Ced, you realize if you're correct, this could become a regular gig for you?

cederickwalker

1:06

cederick walker saginaw michigan in my lee corso voice notre dame 34 ohio st 31 go irish corso head gear green hat sorry brutus the golden standard rally we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

1:03

You must not have seen any of our practice videos. Be prepared to see him line up detached, attached, in the slot, etc. And yes, Eli Raridon and Holden Staes show the ability to flex out. In fact, that may be their strongest skill set at this point.

steve, toledo oh

12:59

to finish an earlier message, are Riordan or Staes far enough along to flex in a 22 formation and attack OSU safeties who will be crashing the line in run support against a two back offense? Their size and athleticism could be a huge factor in this game. Hopefully Freeman will be more willing to use freshman than the past regime.

12:58

Eric, with Mayer at 265 it appears he'll be in- line and not flexed much of the time. In watching the Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St game, the Sooners used flexed tight ends against inbox safeties who were filling against the run. Are Riordan or Staes (?sp

Eric Hansen

12:58

Hey Mike. The summer has been great, thanks. There areplayers that have been able to use the COVID exemption to get a seventh season (former Irish DL Micah Dew-Treadway got one at Minnesota, for instance). I think it would take some innovative paper work and petitioning for Avery to do the same. Going into this season, he was using his COVID exemption ticket. ... As for Braden, I think he could play the slot and that may indeed happen with Avery sidelined. Most of the receivers are learning more than one of the receiver positions. The exception is Xavier Watts, who is just learning one to ease his growth curve.

Mike from Rochester NY

12:54

Hi, Eric, hope you’re having a great summer. I felt so bad for Avery Davis when he was injured again. Can he return next year if he wants to? Can they move Braden Lenzy to the slot or is there something about the slot position that doesn’t suit Braden’s skill set?

Eric Hansen

12:53

I'm not sure what rumors you are referring to, so I will leave those to "Brian" to address. ... As far as fans putting pressure on Marcus ... I don't see it and I certainly don't think he feels it. I think where it's important to outdo Brian Kelly is when they go head to head for an elite prospect. And the Irish notably have won those battles for CB Christian Gray and LB Jaiden Ausberry, the latter a Baton Rouge, La., product.

12:45

Brian?

Joey G Philadelphia, Pa

12:45

Hi Brian, There was so much excitement from the fan base a month ago in regards to recruiting. Some fans bashed Kelly for not being a great recruiter.With Keeley de-committing and rumors of the 2023 class imploding I’ve noticed Kelly has a LSU 2023 class ready to surpass ND’s. Seems like the ND fan base is putting pressure on young Freeman to out due Kelly. Are the rumors true? And who do you think ends up with the higher class LSU or ND?

Eric Hansen

12:45

Why? Transfers are a part of every good team out there (and some bad ones too). There's nothing wrong with Notre Dame's player development model. If there was, that would be cause for concern. But to amp up the competition at a particular position or fill holes with the portal, I think, is smart.

Drew- From Alexandria VA

12:43

Should Irish fans be concerned that our game day punter and kicker will likely be portal transfers (Sot and Grupe) rather than scholarship players (McFerson and Bryan)?

Eric Hansen

12:43

H Bob. It's not a decision coming from his boss. It's ideas and suggestions from his boss and others in Fighting Irish Media that Marcus Freeman has embraced as building the brand (as you say) and presenting that side of Marcus and ND football to recruits. The feedback I've received is that it's working.

Bob, Goshen, IN

12:41

I noticed Coach Freeman was in the Vegas Shamrock Series uniform unveil and the Manning Knute Rockne play recreation. Is that his decision or is it coming from his boss? And what do you is the motivation for it? My guess would be recruiting/creating his brand. And it's not a criticism, just an observation.

Eric Hansen

12:39

Hi Jacob. Injuries have been at the forefront. One step forward, two steps back at times. He came badk for a reason, to finally put it all together. He's had a good camp so far. I'm eager to see if we see the best version of him this season. ... I think he can be a home run threat, but I think it's necessary for him to be complete. I actually think the most dangerous deep threat on the roster is Lorenzo Styles.

Jacob, Hobart, IN

12:37

sorry, I think I hit return by mistake. You probably got the idea of what I was saying. The 2nd question was do you think he will be ND's "home run" threat this year and/or will he be more of a complete WR since that group is so thin?

12:36

Braden Lenzy showed big play ability in 2019, but has relatively struggled the last couple years. 1) What has been the main cause (injuries, scheme, depth chart)? 2) Do you think he will overcome those struggles and be ND

Eric Hansen

12:35

Jamie, it sounds like you have a better scouting report than Ohio State does, if your sources are accurate. What we can agree upon is the Notre Dame offense needs to be and should be more dynamic in 2022, in spite of some injury issues. An elite offensive line is the first (but not only) step in making that happen. And I believe ND's offensive line will be elite sooner than later. So much is tied to Tyler Buchner's development timeline. I know Tommy Rees in the offseason worked tirelessly in evolving his own playbook concepts. As long as Michael Mayer and Tyler Bucnher stay healthy, I think ND has a chance to be an improved offense in 2022.

Jamie Heflin, Conifer Colorado

12:31

Coach Freeman has stated he wants to run the ball at will. Without knowing what the offense is really going to look like I did hear 2 back sets or split gun are in the forecast. That leads me to believe pistol sets with Buchner’s run ability will be very much in play as well. 2 back set really opens TE play but Mayer is a nightmare matchup for any defense. Just hoping we see a more dynamic offense in 2022. Last season there were times the offense sputtered in 2nd half where defenses had made adjustments. Hoping in new era we adjust quickly to respond. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:30

The reaction from the Notre Dame community to the doc has been overwhelmingly positive. Maybe now finally is the fime for Manti to feel like Notre Dame is home again.

12:29

Hi Jorge. Thank you for the kind words. I have not had a chance to watch the documentary yet, but have heard from many who have. I do plan to get to it here in the next few weeks. I'm not sure unhappy would be how I would have described Manti during his time at ND, but I knew it wasn't easy and I believed he knew he was signing up for "not easy." I got to know his family well and some media members in Hawaii. Amazing people who provided insight. I think Robby Toma being at ND was huge for Manti. ... To your follow-up, he's been back on campus at least once, but I can't remember it being a formal setting or anything like that. I don't think ND wanted to sweep it under the rug. They always valued what he did for ND. I think the difficulty was maybe ND's own fan base wasn't sure how to process his time at ND untilt he documentary came out. (more)

Jorge, Rowlett, Texas

12:20

Jorge, Rowlett, TX Good day Eric... I don't know if you've had a chance to watch the Manti Teo' Doc, but it's fantastic! The toll the whole catfishing thing did on him was evident and I don't think he's fully recovered, although it seems he's on the way to getting there. My question for you is, at the time Manti was at Notre Dame, did you ever get the sense he wasn't happy? He was very honest in the Doc about his love for USC and how hard his time at Notre Dame was, the first year or two anyway. And a follow up question, Jack Swarbrick took part in the Doc, but Brian Kelly didn't nor any of the staff that was there at the time all this took place. Has Manti been a part of anything with the program since he left Notre Dame? It almost seemed like he wanted (or maybe Notre Dame wanted) to sweep this whole situation under the rug and pretend it didn't happen. Really appreciate you taking the time to reading my question Eric. Keep up the great work!!!!

Eric Hansen

12:20

Greg, I normally cringe a bit on uniform questins, just because they're off the relevance scale for me, but this one is a really good one. I wish I had an equally good answer, but I promise to look into it -- and report it if it's affirmative.

Greg

12:18

Greg from Charleston, SC. Any talk of ND going back to putting the player's names on the jerseys this year? It seems it would help in this NIL era. Thanks

Eric Hansen

12:18

Hi Fred. Thanks for the compliments and jumping in with a question today. I do think the oddsmakers are on point in making Ohio State a double-digit favorite. But I do believe there's a narrow path to vixtory for Notre Dame. ... The Irish must win the line of scrimmage on both sides. That means limiting the Ohio State run game. ND must win the turnover battle. And the Irish probably need some special teams gold at some point. They really need to check all those boxes, because Ohio State can outscore and outrun a lot of its mistakes.

Fred from Richmond

12:14

Eric, nice to see you doing the chats again, it's a pleasure reading your insights. The magic is about to begin, can we beat Ohio State? I like the fact that we now have a mobile quarterback which should help our running game. Do you feel we have the passing game to keep OSU and other teams from loading up to stop the run. Being an Akron Ohio native who grew up a Notre Dame fan, and whose family had a close relationship with Coach Parseghian, it would be a wonderful victory so I can finally give my OSU buddies some grief. Can we do it?

Eric Hansen

12:13

Well, Ohio State would be making a huge mistake if it doesn't at least respect the Irish passing game. Or else the Buckeyes are going to get sick of hearing Michael Mayer's name announced over the P.A. system. But Jim Knowles' defensive concept has long been built around stopping the run first, getting opponents in long third-down scenarios and then bringing pressure. That was especially true during his run at Oklahoma State. I don't see why that would change with the new OSU. The teams that gave Ohio State's defense the biggest fits in 2021 were those that could run the ball and eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark. With a QB who averaged more than 7 yards a rush last season, that needs to be a goal for the Irish. If ND can stay balanced, I believe it has the O-line and the backs to run the ball effectively on Sept. 3 -- and beyond. That's a big reason you go out and lure Harry Hiestand out of retirement.

Frank from Royse City, Texas

12:05

Do you feel ND will be able to run the ball against OSU especially when OSU will not fear ND passing game?

Eric Hansen

12:04

A quick plug, I'll be part of the 2022 NDSA Football Kickoff Event presented by the Notre Dame Senior Alumni Group on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. ET, with Pat Scanlon, Mike Golic and Jamie Uyeyama. If you want to submit questions for us, you can send them to Pat here: ndsa.midwest@alumni.nd.edu ... and if you want to watch live, you can do so here: https://my.nd.edu/networks/events/29379

As for today's chat, PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s). With no further blathering, let's roll.

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