JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 23, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 23, 2023

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Eric Hansen

1:55

Hi Matt. Very good, but difficult and very broad to do it justice in a chat format. I'll do my best and hope to do a better job than the St. Louis Cardinals front office is doing this summer ... Three storylines 1) The Sam Hartman effect 2) Can the Irish front seven rise to the occasion? 3) Marcus Freeman's coaching evolution (which includes how his decision to promote Gerad Parker to OC turns out). Three keys to sustained success: 1) Continue to elevate recruiting, 2) A Media rights deal that will allow the Irish to remain competitive with the SEC and Big Ten schools. 3) ND evolving its incoming transfer policy. Media question: I've been fortunate enough to interview everyone I've wanted to that was alive when I started by career, so I'll go into the past. Frank Leahy. To coach at ND for three years and win a national title in your third year THEN serve our country in the military for two years in WWII, THEN come back and be an elite coach again for years ... (more)

Matt from St. Louis

1:44

Hi Eric. Thank you for doing these chats. You always do such great reporting and have wonderful insight and balance. Two football questions: (1) What are the three biggest storylines for you this season? (2) What three things does ND have to do off the field to succeed this year and in years to come? And one media question: (3) Who in ND football (past or present) would you most like to interview and why? Thank you!

Eric Hansen

1:44

Thanks Jim. 1) The RB position truly goes five deep. If Jeremiyah Love is truly fifth, then I fee safe saying he's the best fifth-string RB in the nation. The surprise has been Gi'Bran Payne starting the season at No. 2. ND will be creative in getting those guys involved, including special teams roles and roles in the passing game. Devyn Ford, for instance, is the kickoff returnman. You can bet Jadarian Price and Love will be involved catching passes. Audric Estimé is too good not to get more than the 156 carries he got last year (but not much more), but I do think you'll see all five get meaningful touches even if it's intermittemnt. ... Yes, it will be a big letdown if ND didn't seize the opportunity from last season with a whole offseason to do so, even with two new starting O-linemen.

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.

1:32

Greetings Eric, hey with all the work you're doing are doing, are you angling to be the busiest man in show business? Man, you seem to be everywhere but always enjoy all that you do. A few quick questions. First of all, how deep does the ND running back position go in 2023? How many guys will get really meaningful carries and who are they? And won't it be a big letdown if the Irish don't figure out a way to effectively negate a Navy blitz package that totally overwhelmed them during the second half of last year's narrow win? Wishing you the best.

Eric Hansen

1:31

There is always Peacock streaming, but yikes. The NFL rules in ratings, but it's a preseason game. Thanks for sharing in g-rated fashion.

Jeff from Phoenix

As a follow-up to my chat comment, I've confirmed with local NBC programming that in the Phoenix area, the ND-Navy game will only be joined 'in progress' following the Arizona Cardinals game. Estimated to join ND game at half-time. My four-letter word tirade has been respectfully deleted...

1:30

Good morning Eric! No question today but, if I may, an important heads-up for Phoenix-area ND fans that want to watch the game on Saturday. The local NBC affiliate is listing the ND game as 1-3 pm local. The national NBC game coverage starts at 11:30 local. So it appears that the Phoenix affiliate is showing the Arizona Cardinals preseason game and I suspect showing only a late/condensed version of the ND-Navy game. I am searching for streaming alternatives to enable watching the entire game live. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:29

Hi Tanker. Barring a run of injuries, I don't think freshman Braylon James will be part of to core wide receiver rotation that will include two other freshmen — Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores Jr., but that doesn't reflect his talent level, as you alluded. I think it's reasonable to expect to see him in low-leverage situations from time to time in games that have been decided. The Irish coaches are excited about this future.

Tanker, NM

1:27

Hi Eric, happy game week! Do you anticipate Braylon James getting on the field this year or will he be in more a developmental phase this season? Such a freaky athlete that I hope he is able to get some looks here and there.

Eric Hansen

1:24

Nolan Ziegler, a sophomore linebacker, missed a large portion of preseason practice because of an off-the-field issue for which he's requested privacy. He is still expected to be part of the team this season. Freshman Drayk Bowen has moved into Ziegler's No. 2 position at middle linebacker with a strong training camp surge.

Joe, Nunica, Mi.

1:22

Is Nolan Ziegler injured, I didn't see his name on Saturday's game roster?

Eric Hansen

1:21

Hi Jack, and thanks. I think that's fair. If the Pac-12/Pac-4 ceases to exist, then it's silly to award automatic bids to six conference champs. Five would make more sense. There's also the chance the automatic bids completely go away and you're just picking the best 12 teams, which would open up the possibility for ND to be seeded 1-4 and not have a ceiling of the 5 seed. So far, I'm not getting any red-flag vibes.

Jack, Strongsville Ohio

1:18

Hi Eric. I see that the SEC Commissioner feels that the CFB Playoff system needs to be re-worked because of the pending conference shake ups. What are your thoughts on this. Thanks as always for your and Tyler's great work across all the outlets.

Eric Hansen

1:18

Hi Drue, thanks for the feedback. Hartman has improved his passing efficiency number every year for the past five years, so that's a good start, but his weakness has been interceptions at time. Some of that has been playing in a weak rushing offense, in which balance was hard to achieve, so often defenses could kind of force the agenda. One of the attractions of coming to ND was the offensive line play and a better running game to put him in better situations and not have to force passes. He as proven to be a better-than-average runner, but given how an injury could affect ND's bottom-line trajectory, the Irish coaches won't feature him in many planned runs. And when he does, he needs to slide. As far as your second question, the offensive line has to be as good as advertised by the time the Irish get to the Ohio State and USC games (and of course Clemson in November). And the defensive line's surprise camp surge needs to be real and hold up in those games.

Drue in Springfield

1:12

Eric...your wisdom and talent in handling some pretty tough questions with grace is always exemplary and sometimes greatly entertaining. I have two questions. 1. Is there any part of Hartman's game that can be considered a weakness? I am far from and expert, but all reports are than he can run and evade but is far from a duel threat. 2. Reports from camp are that this team has shown well in all facets...some being surprises and others expected. This is good. But from your perspective, is there any weakness on either side of the ball that could keep this team from winning any game (other than injury to Hartman, Morrison, or Mills)?

Eric Hansen

1:11

Hi Jeff, and thanks for the question. We got a similar question on the podcast this week, and I'll try to answer it more succinctly this time. To me, there have been five statistical metrics that playoff-caliber teams excel at or at least are better than average in four of the five. They are run defense, total defense, run offense, turnover margin and pass efficiency. Here are national champ Georgia's rankings nationally in those categories: 1st, 9th, 19th, 65th and 6th. And here are ND's: 36th, 21st, 35th, 84th, 31st. So those are the trend lines I would pay most attention to. The other big factor early -- new OC Gerad Parker's play-calling.

Jeff from Boston MA

1:05

First time questioner but loyal reader of these chats - I love them and look forward to them. Keep up the great work. What would the Irish need to do against Navy for you to meaningfully increase your expectations for the 2023 season? What would cause you to lower them?

Eric Hansen

1:05

Chuck, thank you for hyping us up. I hope we live up to that. And thanks for watching Football Never Sleeps! To your questions ... 1) Steve Angeli is about where Drew Pyne was last year at this time. He's a better athlete with a better arm and he was smart enough to be attached at the hip to Sam Hartman since he arrived. Pyne probably had a better mental command of the offense. 2) I think two years in the same defense for the players and some needed evolutions for DC Al Golden will prove to be big assets on Saturday, though it won't be easy. 3) I like your predictions a lot. Thanks again.

Chuck D from "The Land"

1:01

4 Cleve/Akron, area HS's THRASHED State Champs from Ind, Ga., Ky., and Va this w/e -- no game was close. Big time football lives in OHIO! Thanks to both YOU & TYLER for keeping us focused all year...it is finally HERE. My questions: 1) Where is Angeli? IMHO, he is the KEY to the Playoffs. Sam should take the Irish there but if he gets nicked up, cannot miss a beat with Steve A. 2) How confident are you that the Irish can learn from last year and a) pickup the blitzes and b) not give up the long passes? My opinions: 1) 35-17 vs Navy 2) 11-1 and a Playoff berth 3) Yours and Tyler's ratings SOAR this year! You guys are THAT good.

Eric Hansen

1:01

On defense, I'd start with the captains -- JD Bertrand and Cam Hart. But there are many others such as Jack Kiser, Xavier Watts, Nana Osafo-Mensah who fit that profile as well.

12:59

Hi Len. Thanks for the questions and the runup to them. I don't think the Marshall and Navy games were the product of emotional letdowns as much as they were tactical coaching shortfalls. Stanford too (which you didn't mention). And Cal was a matter of maybe playing too tight with a new starting QB in Drew Pyne who came out very, very tight, given the 0-2 start to the season. But your leadership point is certainly relevant in the context of this season. One of Marcus Freeman's three major objectives in training camp was developing strong leadership in the player ranks (the others developing depth and injury mitigation/load management). And he feels very good about where the team is with that. It's all theory until/unless you're tested by adversity. You could make the argument that the team already experienced a good dose of that when director of football performance Matt Balis resigned the week that training camp started. But yes, Sam Hartman's leadership has been and will be valuable. (more)

Len from the Jersey

12:52

Hello Eric, It's almost time for Notre Dame football. Marcus freeman in so many ways is putting his imprint on the program. It has quickly become his program. Whether it is how to practice, how much trash talking is allowed at practice, emotional talks with the team when he feels they are needed, leadership practices that he has demanded, all towards two purposes. First to make sure his team is physically, mentally and emotionally ready to play every week. 2cd, to foster a culture of accountability. All that being said IYO how often will this team this year have emotional letdowns such as last year against Marshall, Cal and the second half of Navy? Will those moments of adversity be met with strong player leadership or will the methods used in coaching this team foster discontent in those difficult and trying times? Can Sam Hartman help this team win and stay together when adversity happens? Who would be that leader on defense in adverse times?

Eric Hansen

12:51

Hi Marie. I never take college football season for granted. And having gotten to know you. I know how passionate you are. So time to to enjoy. ... Notre Dame's best matchup will be its passing game against Navy's pass defense. On defense, it will be ND's ability to bring players in waves. ... The bad matchups for the Irish is the unknowns about the Navy offense with a new offensive coordinator who is marrying option with passing principles, and Navy's pre-snap movement in their defensive front and aggressive pressures ... that was a challenge last year. I'll pick one of each as the player I'm most excited to see. Maybe boring picks here: Offense: Sam Hartman, defense Jordan Botelho, special teams Devyn Ford on kickoff returns.

Marie from Atlanta

12:44

Hi Eric, I am sure you must be as excited as I am, that we have finally made it to the college football season. Since football is a game of matchups, where do you feel Notre Dame matches up best against Navy and where do you think they match up worst? Also, which players on offense , Defense, and special teams are you the most excited to see? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights

Eric Hansen

12:44

But I think you did a good job of answering your own question with your speculation. Load management was used extensively in the preseason to reduce injuries, but also for the long haul. Transfer players like Devyn Ford remarked how he's never felt fresher going into a season. So I think ND is doing the best with what might not be an ideal hand.

12:42

It is not a complete non-issue, but it has been addressed. First, let's look at ND's choices. The Oct. 21 date for an open date is roughly when the bye week normally falls. But because of the Week Zero game with Navy and the calendar quirk of Week 1 being kind of early (Sept. 2), now you're playing eight games instead of six by that date. ND gets two bye weeks this year. So the choice was, take one after Navy (Sept. 2) or place the second one in November. They opted to schedule an FCS opponent on Sept. 2 and go with a bye week after a road game with Clemson as the second. Given the options, that would have been my choice as well. (more)

Dan, Whitby, ON

12:35

Eric, One hurdle that I have not heard discussed much this off-season, yet I believe could be quite problematic, is that we don't have a bye-week until after Game 8. Given our early start to camp back in July because of the Week 0 game in Ireland and extending through a very difficult schedule in mid-season which includes two of our three higher profile games against Ohio State and USC, as well as difficult road "trap" games against Louisville and Duke, I wonder if our guys will be physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted as they crawl towards their first off-week in late October? Am I correct to assume that this is a concern, and that some form of load-management will be applied? Has Coach Freeman spoken of how they might address this? Or, am I wrong and it is a complete non-issue? Thank you for your great work, Eric.

Eric Hansen

12:34

I am not disagreeing with your assessment of his status with the 2021 and 2022 lines. In fact, in 2021, he was knocked out of the starting lineup by Andrew Kristofic at midseason. But I am open to the possibility that we'll see his best football this season and that he will be an asset, and what I've seen in practice so far backs that up. Let's see if it holds up in games.

12:32

Steve, do you want to be my publicist? Thank you. ... The dilemma in measuring Zeke Correll as top five vs. non-top five is experience in recognizing fronts and technical expertise vs. in the past not being physical enough to make those count always at the point of attack. First-year O-Line coach Joe Rudolph is convinced the latter part of that equation has been addressed to the point that Correll is in his top three. That doesn't mean he has the third-highest ceiling. But it's where he is at now. For the record, Correll was a coveted recruit. He was the No. 114 player nationally in the 2019 class, a higher ranking that many of ND's offensive linemen. His offer sheet included Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Rudolph, at Wisconsin at the time, offered as well. (more)

Steve - Atlantic City

12:25

Eric – first time long time – Love your work, you are the best. Your reporting and analysis of ND is always measured, objective, fair, never sensationalized and always very similar to what my thoughts and opinions are (though I don’t know if that is necessarily a good thing) You are my go-to source to get a feel for, or explanation of our football team. Thanks for all you do. So, my question. How is it that Zeke Correll is one of our “5 best”? I get it if you want to say he’s our best “center” and even that doesn’t give me great comfort, but haven’t we been preaching what Harry H and now Joe R tout: “let’s figure out who’s the best 5 then figure out where they will play? A depth chart littered with 4-Star guys that would start on just about any other team in the country (Billy Schrauth, Amil Wagner, Tosh Baker etdc.) and for three years Zeke is our starting center? Seems like an over achiever, but man I would consider him the week link on our line for the last two years. What are your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

12:25

Hi Sam. Happy and Football Season in the same sentence might have a ring of redundancy for people like us, but I'll take it. The easier version of your question is picking non-starters who will have significant impact beyond Navy, because some of the Navy personnel will be unique to that game. But I will answer your version and say LB Jalen Sneed, DT Jason Onye, RB Gi'Bran Payne and TE Holden Staes will be non-starters who catch your eye vs. Navy.

Sam

12:21

Hi Eric - Sam from Ithaca, New York here. Happy Football season! The hype train has left the station and I am encouraged to hear Coach Freeman talk positively about the depth that has been created on the roster. With that, always easier said than done when the pads and lights come on. Who from the "depths" does something great on Saturday against Navy that makes us triple-take the roster and say who was that?

Eric Hansen

12:20

Five-star Blake Fisher enrolled early and was the first-ever Notre Dame freshman to start a season opener at left tackle in 50 years of freshman eligibility. The he got hurt. Even in those early games, and with Alt just having a month of training camp, he was involved as an extra blocker in ND's power packages early in the 2021 season. So it wasn't tough to see his potential. Fisher got hurt and Michael Carmody and Tosh Baker got auditions (and got hurt) and so Joe Alt started the final eight games of that season. He became the ninth freshman to start at least one game on the O-Line for the Irish, and he and Fisher are the only two to start at left tackle. ... The next Joe Alt? So we're talking someone who was overlooked in the recruiting process. It's Saturday's starting left guard, the guy who will line up next to Alt, three-star prospect and classmate Pat Coogan.

12:14

Hi Paul. Offensive line can be difficult to evaluate, because so much projection goes on in terms of players growing into their bodies and what that will look like when they do mature. Lots of people missed on Alt coming out of high school as a three-star prospect, but he was tight end-sized at the time, and that was his position even though he was recruited as a tackle. So his offer sheet was modest, considering who he's become: ND, Iowa, Iowa St., K-State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, Rutgers, Stanford and Wisconsin. Working against him as a true freshman at the start of the season was being a June enrollee. (more)

Paul. Toronto

12:07

Hi Eric. Is Offensive Line the toughest position to evaluate? In Joe Alt’s freshman season he was the third LT off the bench. As we know he turned out to be the best of the bunch. Why was it so tough to see his potential and is there any other Irish player at any position waiting in the wings who might be the next Joe Alt?

Eric Hansen

On to the chat ...

12:05

In honor of Ireland, the "no drinking" rule has been rescinded for this week. And in honor of the heat index of over 100 degree in South Bend later today, the "no bare feet" rule has been waived.

12:04

Here are the rules: