JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 7, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Aug. 7, 2025

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Eric Hansen

1:57

Hi Ced. Thanks for following us over to On3 and Blue & Gold. Your question actually sparked a discussion we had in a group text and we're going to move forward with your idea and figure out how to format it in the new site. So, thanks for the assist/idea on that. ... I DO think we will know the starting quarterback on or before Aug. 18.

Guest

1:55

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw when will Notre Dame on3 have the full depth chart on its website very impress how the team been practicing glad to see Dallas golden getting reps as #2 corner back getting work at punt return do u think Marcus Freeman will name the starter quarterback by August 18 me personally I see minchey and carr both playing at Miami team will be doing a lot 2 set backs with love and price on the field at the same time 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

1:55

Mike D ... I'm paging Bob Morton. No, unless someone were cramping, Notre Dame has been preparing in that kind of weather and they lean into sports science, and I think it would be a mistake. I have started to study Miami's defense finally, because I had to vote in both the AP preseason poll, which comes out Monday and the AP preseason All-America team, which comes out the following Monday, Aug. 18. I think they're formidable and that's why I am predicting a lower scoring game for a matchup between the No.1 scoring offense in 2024 and the No. 10 scoring unit.

MikeD from Rochester NY

1:47

Good afternoon, Eric!!!!! I really enjoyed the article on Joe Rudolph and the O-line’s pursuit of the Joe Moore Award. It seems fitting that Joe Moore is memorialized with a prestigious national award like that and the man who had the audacity to fire him is memorialized with Dump Davie stickers. Karma, baby!!!

1:46

Sorry, Eric, I hit Return too soon. My question: have you had time to study Miami’s front seven on defense and if so how do they match up against ND’s O-line? This O-line looks to be something special even with Jagusah out for 6-8(?) weeks. Since it’s almost always hot and humid in Miami in August, do you think they’ll do any substitutions on the O-line throughout the game to prevent players from getting gassed? I know you and Bob Morton have talked a lot about “5 guys getting comfortable working as a unit and then sticking with those 5 guys” but if the offense is on the field a lot for the first three quarters, you don’t want them worn out in the 4th quarter. I hope Bob isn’t looking over your shoulder, he’d probably want to reach through the computer and smack the back of my head and say “Pay attention! They’re a unit and you don’t mess with the chemistry of the unit!”.

Eric Hansen

1:44

I am enjoying camp, by the way. Bandon Logan at safety is another player caught in a numbers game, but really an impressive athlete. But lets count the bodies ahead of him ... 1 Shuler, 2 Stroman, 3 Talich, 4 Tae Johnson, 5, Blair at the very least and likely Ethan Long too. I think long term his chances of moving up will be affected by how much he wants to put into baseball. And right now, that's a big priority for him. That can change, as we saw with Drayk Bowen.

1:39

Hi Bob. Logan is not competing directly with Elijah Burress per se. He's playing slot receiver and Burress is an outside receiver on the field side. Logan has a tougher climb, because Jaden Greathouse and Will Pauling are ahead of him and Scrap Richardson is pushing from behind. So, I am not optimistic he'll be in the rotation's top six, but his prospects for next season are pretty good, especially if Greathouse comes out for the draft as a junior. Pauling will be gone. Burress has a clearer path to playing time and has done well. (more)

Bob from NJ

1:34

Hope you’re enjoying camp and your summer. No discussion of Logan Saldate. Understand everything you’ve seen in camp has been against air. Has he been passed by Burress? How does Freshman safety Logan ( former Vanderbilt baseball recruit) look. When he signed everyone was impressed with his athleticism. Compared to what’s in the room, does he have upper end relative athleticism or average because of how strong everyone else is?

Eric Hansen

1:33

Hi Matt. And thank you for the compliment today and for your email last week. I regret to say, I have not been able to keep pace with the volume in terms of volleying back, but it was much appreciated. ... Three things that would would be encourage me (but not convince) would be ... a strong pass rush, the ability to unload the box by an opposing defense. That means a strong passing game. And an improved rushing defense. ... to your all-important trick question about meat. I wouldn't turn down any of those options, but give me a ribeye any day of the week.

Matt from Austin

1:24

Hello Eric, good to be back. A couple of items. What are the three things you need to see from ND in the first two games to convince you that the Irish have a legitimate title shot? Do you have any insight on the timeframe for Jagusah"s return? Lastly, and most importantly, NY strip, ribeye, or filet? Yep, that was three, not two. My bad. Thank you for everything Eric. You are the best. Matt

Eric Hansen

1:24

Hi Jonathan. Cornerback, safety, linebacker, offensive line. I have high hopes for the edge players as well. QBs, TEs, interior D-line and WRs are the ones with the most to prove, but lots of talent to eventually do so.

Jonathan From Harrisburg

1:20

Outside of RB, what position group are you most confident will play at an elite level this season? OL, LB, Secondary, another?

Eric Hansen

1:15

I do see Notre Dame rotating at safety and cornerback both this year. They have the depth to do it that they didn't have last year. It's hardest to take Shuler and Moore off the field, and I think they'll get the most reps at safety and corner, respectively. But especially against a team like USC that throws so much, ND will benefit from the depth at both positions (and nickel) and you'll see some of that depth in niche packages as well. ... I don't know a lot about smelling salts, but I do know the NFL banned teams from providing them over concern that they may mask concussions. Players can still provide their own.

1:11

Hi Tom. I am enjoying my new teammates and new everything. I hope you are enjoying it as well. The portal tight end is Ty Washington. Mike Denbrock stood on the table to have Marcus Freeman bring Washington in. He's athletic and can fill an H-back role, split out wide or line up in the slot. I think Denbrock believes he can line up as a traditional tight end as well. He is a wild card at that position. I do want to see more of him. (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:08

Hi Eric, hope you are enjoying your new "teammates" and covering the Irish for another season. What does the portal TE bring to the TE room for this year? We know that QB and OL are two positions that does not lend itself to rotating players while DL is probably the group that benefits most from rotations. How would you judge rotating players at Safety and CB??? Would it be best in pairs or one at a time and keeping a starter on the field at all times. One quick note, I see the NFL has banned teams from providing smelling salts to their players. If that had been the case when I was a student trainer I would have been out of a job. They were the go to answer to "clear the cobwebs" when a player had his bell rung. With all of the research and information available and the concussion protocols now that makes sense. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

1:07

As far as the two-back looks, if fans get to call plays, we'd see it every down. I do think we'll see more of it than in the past, just not a steady diet of it. But I like what ND can do out of it on this team.

1:06

And when you say experienced, the last pass he threw as a QB in a game was 2023 at Alabama. (He threw out of punt formation last season at ND). In a start against South Florida, Buchner went 5-of-14 for 34 yards and was demoted and never threw another pass in a game during his time there. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have him back at ND and he's a valuable guy to have around. But I think we're overvaluing the four college starts he's made. (more)

1:04

I'd add freshman offensive lineman Matty Augustine getting into the two-deeps as another. The D-line is the position group we've seen the least from in terms of stuff you could evaluate. There may be some surprises lurking there. ... As far as closeness of QB race with 1 being not close and 10 being tight, I'd say a 7. I still think Carr will prevail, but Minchey has a great air about him and has improved a lot since the spring. Unless both of them are abducted by aliens in pregame or get hurt in the game, I don't see any scenario in which Tyler Buchner plays in that game as the No. 1 option. He has not yet won the No. 3 job. (more)

12:59

Hi Marie, thanks for jumping on board and with some challenging questions, per usual. Thanks for not making me hand out grades! As far as surprises, there haven't been a lot of them, positively or negative ones. Here are the five I discussed on Monday night's Football Never Sleeps show:

Jordan Botelho, that he’s doing as much as he’s doing already.
Will Black at guard
Scrap Richardon making some plays
Guerby Lambert looking healthy
Erik Schmidt looks ready in case they need him at kicker and punter

(more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:53

Hey Eric, I hope you’re enjoying camp, and getting to see actual players as opposed to just hearsay. I’m sure it’s very exciting. Can you give the top five positive surprises that you’ve seen so far in camp? On a scale of one to 10 how close do you think the quarterback race currently is? If for some reason, both Minchey and Carr just could not get over the jitters at the Miami game do you see a scenario where they would put Tyler Buckner in at the quarterback position, partially because he’s experienced but also he could give a different look with running? Finally, do you think we’ll see a lot of 20 personnel this season? Also, just to shake it up a bit do you think we might see some 22 personnel?
As always, thanks for all the great insights and for hosting the chat.

Eric Hansen

12:51

Ryan, you usually ask me about Chris Terek and for once, I have good intel on that. He's ascending and playing very well, played himself into a key backup role so far and still pushing. He is working at center and guard. Now to your question for today ... Burress looks fast and smooth. He's got a shot to make the six-man rotation. Bettis is a longer term project, but he's physical and I could see him helping out on special teams.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois

12:49

Good afternoon Eric how has Elijah burress and Jerome Bettis Jr looked during Camp GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈🏈 big fan of both of them Because of their Dads played for my Steelers team

Eric Hansen

12:48

Keep in mind with kickers, someone asked about overreactions. Kickers can elicit that, because we see a very small sample size in practice. Also, Marty Biagi fixes swings. And so sometimes that process is ugly when it's not at a finished stage. But I think Burnette is going to be pretty good.

12:47

Hi Tony. Both Tyler Buchner and Anthony Rezac have been doing the holding for field goals and PATs in practice. I'm not sure if one of the other has an edge, but I'll be sure to ask when Special Teams coordinator Marty Biagi comes up in the assistant coach interview rotation. Having QBs as the holder is interesting. ... I watched the kickers a bit on day 1, and I did see Erik Schmidt. He was attempting field goals, as were Noah Burnette and Marcello Diomede. And he and James Rendell were punting. He's a big, strong athletic kid. I'm not sure he'd challenge either Burnette or Rendell, but he looks like a good Plan B with a chance to grow into Plan A or maybe even kick off. (more)

2581

12:39

Tony (2581) from Lexington, KY by way of Somerset, PA (hometown of ND baseball coach Shawn Stiffler) - Let's talk special teams, Eric ! First, one of your colleagues reported earlier that Tyler Buchner was seen holding for kicks at practice. Is that still the case - i.e., do you expect him to be the regular holder for PATs and FGs? I, for one, hope so. Second, have you observed the kickers yet? Might Erik Schmidt challenge Noah Burnette for the starting position?

Eric Hansen

12:38

Java from Raleigh, N.C., thanks for the question. I think it helps from the standpoint you know he's getting the right play and not missing the signal. But remember the communication cuts off 15 seconds before the snap. So, you still have to communicate via signal if you're changing the play late at the line of scrimmage. You also still have to communicate the play to your teammates and figure out how to execute the snap count effectively. So it helps in that environment but only to a point.

Java65

12:29

QB discussion seems to be the big discussion but I have a different question regarding that. How much does the new helmet mic help young QBs in a hostile environment early in their career? Do you think crowd noise is mitigated to a degree because of the helmet mic?

Eric Hansen

12:29

Hi John, the goal in camp was to be 10 deep, so theoretically two you could trust at every position with lots of cross-training going on. If you count Jagusah as one of them, they probably are at 10. But he's likely October at the earliest in his return of that. So there's still a push to get to 10. I mentioned in the previous question the nine that have earned trust so far. And you are right about needing it.

John Sacramento

12:27

1st. Appreciate you and Tyler. Best wishes for your new endeavor. 2nd. Really optimistic about this group of young men & staff. Last. Does ND have the needed depth for the “O” line. Considering both pass blocking (agility) and run blocking (plowing). Knowing they lost 4. All starting at new homes. But none were starters at ND. But battled. Gotta love the “Nasty’s”. Again you’re much appreciated. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:26

Hi Robb, I still expect it to be LT: Knapp, LG Schrauth, C Craig, RG Absher, RT Wagner. The four guys that are pushing the hardest are Guerby Lambert, Will Black, Matty Augustine and Chris Terek. O-line coach Joe Rudolph told me yesterday during our group interview with him that "the competition is real."

Robb, Durango, CO

12:24

Eric!!!! Quite a few moving parts on the o-line right now. Lots of good choices at each position. Who lines up there on the first play in Miami?

Eric Hansen

12:24

Hi Bob, Adon Shuler's coverage grade per PFF wasn't bad, but there were some noticeable peaks and valleys, so consistency is key. He did improve lightyears from his limited role in 2023 to a starting role in 2024. I expect that evolution to continue. His speed is impressive and he's rocked up. I've liked what I have seen so far in our limited practice windows.

Bob (Oxnard CA)

12:20

Hi Eric, Aaron Shuler exceled last year, but in my view needs to improve in pass coverage from being OK to something even better. Do you expect much improvement in Adon’s coverage skills?

Eric Hansen

12:19

Hi Skip. The guys who were fielding punts in Wednesday's practice were Dallas Golden, Aneyas Williams, Gi'Bran Payne, KK Smith ... and then Jaden Greathouse was hanging out with them without his helmet on. He was not participating in practice, and we were told the injury was not considered long-term. Out of that group, I'd say Williams, Greathouse and Golden have the best chance to emerge. If the season started today, it'd be Aneyas Williams for me. But Golden is really intriguing if he can earn the coaching staff's trust.

Skip / Houston

12:15

What are your expectations for punt returns (both offense and defense) this year? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:14

Hi Stephen. And I should point out, if they do overreact, it's not always their fault. Sometimes there's way too much extrapolating without context. But the common thread for overreaction tends to be how the offense looks. There are stages in practice when the offense is put in really difficult positions to try to help it learn and grow. And that usually works well. But it's not made-for-video beauty, It's work that has to be done to get to where you want to be, not to impress practice observers.

Stephen from New Orleans

12:11

Hey Eric, in your time on the ND beat, what is one thing that fans always overreact to in training camp reports?

Eric Hansen

OK enough blathering, off we go ...

But every one of them has been rescinded today except for the "no spitting" rule.

12:08

Here are the rules.

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