JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Aug. 5, 2026

Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Aug. 5, 2026

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Berk

2:19

Hey Eric, Its Berk from Millington (Memphis). I have been waiting the last few weeks to ask you this question that is bugging the HELL out of me and hoping you may be able to answer or at least shed some light on it for me. We are going into year 3 for Logan Thomas and all I hear is how he can't add weight and this and that. My question is, If he flashes as a pass rusher and on special teams (means he can run and tackle), why not position change him to a hybrid LB (similar to OSU Arvell Reese) moving forward? I know LB is loaded this year and be hard to see much of the field except in some sub packages but moving forward may be the best move for him. As always you are the best and do such a great job! Thanks for the insight and countdown to 9/6/26 IS ON! LFG...IRISH!!!!!

Brendan from Yonkers

2:19

Given the likely departure of starting linebackers at the end of this season, the abundance of D linemen, and his difficulty adding weight, is it out of the question to see Loghan Thomas switch positions to LB?

Eric Hansen

2:18

I used a text-a-friend lifeline to tap colleague Mike Singer's knowledge, and he informed me that five-star linebacker prospect Kaden Henderson visited Notre Dame twice during his recruiting process.

Guest

2:15

mike from mclean

Guest

2:15

This is question about LBer Henderson. I realize he canceled his visit to ND once he committed to A&M. I get that... However, does anyone know how many times he may have visited ND in the past before?

Eric Hansen

2:15

Hi Dan. Yes, but I don't know the exact date yet. I can't wait to see if a "media appreciation lounge" was included in the floorplan.

Dan, Granger, IN

2:14

Are you media folks going to get a guided tour of the new Shields Football Facility before the first game?

Eric Hansen

2:14

Hi Matt, great to have you too. You'll have to keep my former teammate, Tyler Horka, company there in Austin. Horka started his new job with On3's Inside Texas site earlier this week. ... I might have already answered the weaknesses, and they would all be injury-related. And yet at most positions this team is extremely deep. So there are not obvious doomsday scenarios. .. I will give you my assessment of KVA after I see him Thursday for the first time actually doing drills. BUT, I got great intel in the summer, and wrote about it, about how good he was moving around. ... I love that the USC series is coming back, even though we have to wait for a while. I think both programs benefit from the resumption, and so does college football as a whole.

Matt from Austin

2:06

Hi Eric. It's great to be back with you. I hope you and your family are well! Two items. First, with all the positive hype that ND is getting in this preseason, what do you see as three potential weaknesses that could trip up our team this year? Secondly, I know that KVA has been given a clean bill of health. Have you seen much of him and I'd like your assessment of how he looks. OK, a third, if that's allowed. What do you make of the USC resumption and does that either program more than the other? Thanks so much Eric!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:06

Jim!!!!! Wow, thanks for the hype. I love it. But your question isn't simple, because there are so many levels to this. But I will try to boil it down for you. It's a very good question. I wrote about this in the story I did for our summer preview magazine. What CJ stands for is taking nothing for granted. And that comes from having lost his little brother, Chad, to a brain tumor in 2015. So he doesn't take opporunities for granted, challenges for granted, his talent for granted. He makes the most out of every day. And it shows up in so many ways.

Jim from Rochester, NY

1:59

Eric, I have been following your coverage on ND football since you started at the Tribune. You're undoubtedly the best in the business!!!!!!!! (I saved the exclamation points for their appropriate place). My question is a simple one. In all that has been said and written about CJ Carr, I have yet to hear what the CJ stands for. Could you enlighten me on that? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:58

Hi Aaron. Among the reasons why I wouldn't expect struggles on offense if everyone is healthy, is 1) not only does Notre Dame have a returning starter at QB for the first time since 2020, the Irish have a returning starter at QB who was fifth in the nation in pass effiiciency last season and had an incredible offseason. 2) ND has its offensive coordinator returning from an Irish offense that was the highest-scoring since its 1912 team, so there's lot of continuity in scheme, terminology, etc. 3) There's a lot of talent and depth. So no, I don't expect a struggle there. I also don't believe the defense will struggle. And the Rice game? No I don't see that as Northern Illinois 2.0. Different Irish team. Different dynamic. Different version of Marcus Freeman too.

Aaron, Washington DC

1:53

Hi Eric, thanks for the chat today. Given the breadth of new faces and position shifts on offense, is there a chance that the offense struggles early in the year and why/why not? The line usually takes time to coalesce and the loss of the lethal homerun threat at running back seem like they could be real factors. Is there any reason to believe that the defense will struggle early like they did last year? Finally, the Rice game seems eerily similar to Northern Illinois two years ago. Are there legitimate concerns with that one?

Eric Hansen

1:51

Hi Ced. I think there's momentum for Junior Tuihakamaka to take advantage of a recent court ruling to come back for a fifth year, and there is a roster spot for him. I wouldn't expect him to practice on Thursday.

ced

1:49

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride do u think nifaue junior tuihalamaka will be back on the team ready to practice Saturday how many true freshmen will play this season Im ready for Aug 6 10 am practice God Bless This Football Team 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

1:49

Notre Dame's staff has a lot of familarity with Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and some do with DC Mike Tressel and vice versa. Where the surprises can come is in personnel -- the Badgers brought in more than 30 transfers, including a new QB. There's also some new position coaches who could influence changes, especially on offense, after a 4-8 season. I think with an improved pass rush and an elite back seven, I think there will be more takeaways -- the Irish ranked 21st nationally last season. I will go under on special teams TDs and I will probably be very wrong.

1:44

Hi Tom. Only special workout is the one I do year rpound, a two-mile walk every day and this time of year I generally do it out at Notre Dame. ... As far as scrimmages. The media won't be invited to those. Thursday's practice is the only one with full access. We'll have some partials coming up, but none with scrimmage periods built in. However, we'll have intel from those who are invited to share. My best guess is that the siginficant one will be around Aug. 21. (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:28

Hi Eric!!!! Well, we finally made it to fall camp. Do you have any special workouts to get yourself ready for the upcoming season? Eat some spicy brats? Make sure your computer is fully charged? Has anyone told the media when the first scrimmage will be? Those were always the best practices to see where each player stood in competition with other players. I would guess not before 10-12 practices. What is the biggest unknown regarding the Wisconsin team? Something that might surprise us that first game. Given the "Leave no doubt" mantra I expect ND to play each game to the best of their ability at the time. I expect an aggressive team looking to dominate each opponent and improve each week. Is this realistic or am I drinking too much Kool-Aide??? Given the experienced playmakers on D, do you think we will have more or less take aways than 2025??Over/under 3.5 touchdowns by the special teams this year??? Thanks for all you do to keep us as informed as possible regarding ND football. Go Irish!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:28

Because of the transfer portal and larger scholarship counts, it's less and less likely for true freshmen to make huge impacts en masse. But the three who will likely do so early and often are punter Jasper Scaife, DE Rodney Dunham and TE Ian Premer. There are a lot of guys in that next tier, so picking two out of that bucket, I'll go with WR Kaydon Finley and S Joey O'Brien. Not really concerned about the new position coaches. I think changing coordinators and schemes is harder. Plus Chris Ash has a history with both Charlie Partridge and Aaron Henry.

1:24

Hi Marie, busy and fanstastic week. Glad to have some actual football practice to cover. ... I wouldn't call these weaknesses, but rather unknowns. For me it's quarterback depth on offense and the nickel position on defense. Both could end up being very good, but there are questions to answer in camp and beyond. ... Players most intrigued to watch tomorrow would be a massive list, but given that I get one on each side of the ball, I'm going to go with two players I haven't seen yet -- freshman TE Ian Premer, who's gleaned glowing reviews this summer, a likely starter in Colorado transfer CB DJ McKinney. Remember, they won't be in pads, so you're looking at more speed, athleticism, movement that how they would handle contact. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:13

hi Eric,

I hope you’re having a fantastic week and thanks for hosting the chat. Notre Dame seems pretty strong across the board on both offense and defense, but if you had to pick one weakness on each side of the ball which position would it be and why?. Which single player on both offense and defense are you most excited to watch in the first practice? Which five freshman are most likely to impress this season? Any concern about an adjustment period Given all the new coaches on defense? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights. Looking so forward to reading all about the first practice.

Eric Hansen

1:13

Pogo, love having you and your cool name back. For me, and I wrote this as my column for the national championship game at the end of the 2024 season, that felt way more like the beginning of something than a bitter end. And here we are with the best roster Notre Dame has had in decades, with an elite coaching staff and recruiting and transfer portal additions also at an elite level. So if not this year, it feels inevitable. But there are other really good, stacked programs right now, so it's nowhere close to a slam dunk. But that was the moment I felt like ND was a legit, persistent title contender.

Pogo from Madison

1:06

Love to see you doing these again, and the energy you feel following this team this year has got to be massive! My question is would there be a moment in the Wisconsin game where you feel there’s undeniable promise for this team to be the national champions? I ask as I remember watching Alabama/Saban destroying Clemson August 30th 2008 and distinctly remember watching their defense crush Clemson and saw their oline dominating in the run game and felt certain they would win a Championship or two within the next couple years. Seeing our lines dominate in Lambeau (I’m incredibly excited to be going there this year), especially the Oline against a solid Wisconsin defense, would give me that confidence in this year”s team.

Eric Hansen

1:04

I think Notre Dame can get into the playoff with a backup QB. I think there's enough talent around them. Winning playoff games would really be a tall task. Maybe one, yes. But winning a title would take a leap in consistency that I don't think is realistic for a freshman backup.

Robb, Edwardsburg

1:03

Eric, God forbid that CJ gets hurt at any point this year. If he does, is the balance of the team still capable of a playoff run with an inexperienced backup QB?

Eric Hansen

1:03

Robb!!! Here are my predictions on that: Noah Grubbs as No. 2 vs. Wisconsin, Teddy Jarrard No. 2 in November. That doesn't mean that any of those guys have the inside track in the spring of 2027 to be No. 1, should Carr -- as expected -- go pro. But I really like Jarrard as the highest-ceiling guy. Where I'll hedge a bit is Grubbs is a wild card who consistently proved people wrong who underestimate him, but for me it's still Jarrard.

Robb, Edwardsburg

12:57

Eric!!! Who is QB2 against Wisconsin and who is QB2 against Miami? I get the feeling that it is Jarrard in both cases as ND has to be prepping for LAC (life after Carr).

Eric Hansen

12:57

Hi Gabe. The ones that involve starts and that are NOT sneaky are right guard (Absher/Augustine) and nickel (Gray/Golden). Sneaky ones are center.... Ashton Craig is still limited and Joe Otting had a GREAT summer. RB rotation beyond Willams/James, WR rotation, which we talked about earlier, depth positions at DE and DT, and safety depth, as you mentioned. DJ McKinney still needs to win the field CB job, but that is the expectation. And backup QB isn't a sneaky battle either, but it's a very important one.

Guest

12:53

Gabe- Walkerton, IN Are there any sneaky position battles you will be watching this camp? For me I am interested in the backup safety positions and the rotation at running back- does coach Seider expand to 3 or play his usual 2? (Also, are you able to share how much Fall camp you will get to attend?)

Eric Hansen

12:52

Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The OG of the exclamation point! I think the two toughest games beyond Miami -- and I'm not going out on a limb here -- are Oct. 17 at BYU and the last home game of the season, Nov. 21 vs. SMU. If I had to pick a fourth. I'd say that Navy game in Foxborough the week before Miami is kind of trappy. ... As far as 10-2, I can't even imagine that without there being a wave of significant injuries. it would depend on who those losses were against and when in the season those happened.

Manny from San Pedro

12:48

Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Football season is back baby!!!!!!!!!!!! Besides Miami, what is the trap game we have to worry about the most. With this schedule 10-2 will leave us on the outside again.

Eric Hansen

12:47

I think at the start of the season, they'll continue to roll with Bowen/Ausberry, but eventually switch to Bowen/KVA. The guys who would rotate in regularly with those three would be Jaylen Sneed and Madden Faraimo. If ND went to three, if you're playing a team that plays a lot of 12 personnel, you might want to go with Sneed as the third starter. If you are playing a team that likes to spread you out, Faraimo probably makes the most sense. All five will play a lot. Keep in mind Luke Talich took some LB snaps in the spring as well and that could come into play.

12:41

Paul!!!!! I love the exclamation point-comma combo. Well-played, and thanks for diving in with a question. So with regard to the injury report, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is in the limited (but not out) category for camp and he makes his way back from November ACL surgery. So I am going to plug him in, with the expectation he'll be at or near 100 percent by Sept. 6. ND typically played two rather than three (and played nickel way more). Typically the starters were Drayk Bowen at MLB and Jaiden Ausberry at WLB. KVA only started one game. (more)

Paul - Gardnerville, NV

12:33

Hi Eric!!!,
First time submitting a question, but a long-time chat reader. Let’s talk linebackers today, and for this question assume three are on the field at the same time and exclude anyone listed as out on the injury report. Who are the first three on the field and at what LB position? Who are the next three in the rotation regardless of position – understanding many them can be interchangeable?

Eric Hansen

12:33

On the defense, the hiring of Charlie Partridge as D=line coach is already paying off big time in recruiting. I think you'll see it pay off just as profoundly on the field this fall. ND has size, athleticism, depth and a guy who teaches technique at an elite level.

12:31

Len!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are on your punctuation game today. I like the chances of Notre Dame not letting you down in either case. Getting more physical on the offensive line was a huge emphasis this offseason, and we've been seeing good progress in the spring and from intel reports this summer. Elevating Will Black to LT and moving Anthonie Knapp inside ot guard was a huge move in that direciton. So was shifting Guerby Lambert from guard to tackle. The other part of that is Aneyas Williams has a knack in short yardage, and from everything I'm hearing Kedren Young does too. (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

12:28

Hello Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have two areas of concern for this season. Today I will ask about one. Over the last two seasons, a CFP final appearance in 2024 and a 2025 team worthy of a try, the O line had issues with getting short yardage. The team succeeded due to the runners IMO, with short yardage performances from the likes of Riley Leonard and Jeremiah Love. This team will go as far as their O line and D line will take them. Will the O line be stellar in short yardage? Will the D line stop short yardage and consistently get a pass rush?

Eric Hansen

12:27

From working with Knapp at camp (and other players), he learns how coachable a player is, learns about his attention to detail, now important football is to him. He loved Knapp's ability to pick up concepts and apply them. And I don't think the recruiting analysts got to see those things. They saw a player who, as a high school junior/senior wasn't impressively physically developed, didn't have freaky length or athleticism, but he did have strength and smarts and he could move well. And guard really is the perfect spot for him, over tackle.

12:25

Hi Stanley, great memory on that one. I might be able to dig out a good quote for this when I convert this to a transcript later this afternoon. But here's what I remember when I asked Joe about Anthonie and why he believed in him. Rudoph actually had Knapp in a camp at Va Tech before he was hired to replace Harry Hiestand at ND. Knapp. who was being recruited by Va Tech, asked Rudolph if he'd still be interested in pursuing that arrangement at ND. Rudolph didn't hesitate. (more)

Stanley B from Glen Allen

12:22

Greetings from the Chesapeake! If I recall correctly, when Joe Rudolph was hired, one of the first recruits he signed was.a 3 star lineman named Anthonie Knapp, for which he was ridiculed unmercifully by the fan base. As we now know, JR was spot on with that choice. My question is, "What did he see, and how were the evaluators so wrong in their assessment of Knapp?"

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