JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 23, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 23, 2021

This chat is available to members only. Please log in to participate.

Eric Hansen

3:06

OK, that's going to have to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll do this one more time before the bowl, likely next Wednesday at 1 p.m., but I will confirm it early next week on my Twitter account. Merry Christmas to all of you.

3:05

It's not a long shot by any means.

NEIL

3:05

From Bucks County PA -- Here's a hope and earnest prayer that Marcus can reel back Harry Hiestand. It was almost amazing to hear so many Irish OL stars gush praise on him during (and after!) their tutelage under HH. You can count more than a dozen players who were drafted (many in early rounds) and have played at high levels in the NFL. How say you on the odds?

Eric Hansen

3:04

My mom had one dress. She wore it every day to school and her grandma, Lucia, washed it every night. Before any of that happened, during the depression, my grandparents got in arrears with their rent. When the financial tide turned, my grandma approached the landlady with a plan to pay it back. The landlady said, your debt is forgiven. When my mom's next sister was born, my grandma named her Dona, after the generous landlady. So each Christmas, as we open present, I remind myself how lucky I am to have family and presents.

3:00

Thanks Jude. I don't know how interesting this will be to anyone but me. But here goes. So when my grandma Mary Valverde Fatibeno was alive, we almost always had Christmas at her house. And as you opener your present, and she did this consistently, she'd tell you where she bought the present, how much she paid for it and how much she saved -- which for the record, was irrelevant to kids. The story behind it was how proud she was to be able to afford presents and how proud she was to have saved money. When my mom was a little girl, my grandparents were so poor, she had to go live my her grandparents, while her sisters stayed with their parents. (more)

Jude from Watertown, N.Y.

2:57

Merry Christmas, Eric. I loved hearing your story last year about the memory of your grandfather and his ketchup and baked beans at Thanksgiving. Does your family have any Christmas or New Year's traditions that you hold dear?

Eric Hansen

2:56

Merry Christmas, Greg. I'd throw safety into that pot as well. Otherwise, it'll look like to the teacher we were looking at each other's papers.

Greg, Natrona Heights, PA

2:55

Hi Eric, thanks for another great chat. I believe that this program is 3 position groups away talent wise from being considered elite and a national title threat, those being QB, CB and WR. I firmly believe that the dogged recruiter that Coach Freeman is that he will address that by landing the bodies at those positions and have us among the Alabamas, Georgias and Ohio States and take us from being a very good/great program to a top 5, national championship contender on a yearly basis. Would you also agree with that assessment? Merry Christmas to you and your family Eric!

Eric Hansen

2:55

Hi Marty, O mystic of Oregon. Marry Christmas. I don't think you'll necessarily see a more "wide open" offense on Jan. 1 -- not that you won't see that in 2022. The reason, the way Oklahoma's defense is constructed is going to limit deep passes and require some extra blocking help from the tight ends and/or running backs. Had the coaching search been protracted it would have been a lot more turbulent. Unpredictable and draining? Yes. Exhilarating? Hell yeah. This is why I do what I do. It gets my adrenalin going. Now I need a nap.

Marty in Lake Oswego,OR

2:51

Greetings Eric, O mystic of sport. Will we see a more open offense from the Irish Jan. 1 ? And how much playing time do you predict for Tyler Buchner? Has the last three weeks been the most turbulent of your career? Anything like it during your time at covering IU? Thanks and Merry Christmas.

Eric Hansen

2:50

Norris. 1) Alabama has no problem doing that ... In fairness to your question Tommy Rees knows his pitch needs to be that "we'll tailor out offense to who we have on the roster." And it's true. It is his approach. 2) ND didn't really play a 3-3-5 scheme. They were in four down much more than three down, and the rover is much more of a linebacker in Freeman's scheme than a hybrid. How many linebacker you play on passing downs depends on who the rover is. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's skill set, you could leave him on the field in nickel and dime. This year, not so much. When Nolan Ziegler is ready to play, you may be back to keeping the rover on the field on third down.

Norris from Singer Isl,FL

2:43

Two recruiting koolaid questions:1) if you glory in your OL talent, declare yourself “tight end U” and brag about your bevy of RB’s, how do you also recruit an accurate/throw first QB or a tall/fast “get me the ball” receiving corp? 2)the defensive strength of the new class seems to be the LB’s; in a 3-3-5 scheme how many LB ‘s and safeties/corners play on first downs; on third downs, short or long yardage situations?

Eric Hansen

2:42

Steve, I've got some good feelers on the kind of candidates and some specifics on all the openings and will share those in depth once it gets serious after the bowl game. Notre Dame has two openings -- defensive coordinator/linebackers and special teams. And then two more likely to open on Jan. 2, wide receivers and offensive line.

Steve from St. Louis

2:41

Merry Christmas to you and your family. How many coaching vacancies will Coach Freeman have to fill after the bowl game and where do you expect ND to look? Sounds like a couple of the current coaches may not be retained. Any truth to the rumor MF reached out to Brian Hartline at OSU? James Laurantits as LB coach? Thanks for your great work Eric.

Eric Hansen

2:41

The two you mentioned are candidates for two positions that aren't currently open, but are expected to be after the bowl game. I think Hartline is a pipe dream. He's Ohio State's wide receivers coach and one of the best recruiters in the nation. That Freeman is aiming that high bodes will for where that search ends up going. Harry certainly recognized talent, and develops it and his reputation will attract it. If Harry doesn't get in the weeds quite as much as the other staff members, I think you can more than live with that. Tommy Rees could certainly tag team on the offensive linemen, I'd take HH on the staff in a heartbeat.

Lawrence from San Diego

2:38

Are Brian Hartline and Harry Heistand just pipe dreams? Could HH work with Freeman’s “gotta be a recruiter” criterion?

Eric Hansen

2:36

Chris, Merry everything to you too! The wide receiver situation will start to define itself shortly after the bowl, and that includes wide receiver coach Del Alexander's status (he is not expected to return). As far as BK's doghouse, I'm not sure that's a fair portrayal. Austin was suspended for a year by the university, not Kelly.

Chris in Albuquerque

2:34

Hey Eric, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Anything new on the wide receiver front. Secondly, do you think Freeman will deal with players differently than BK did behavior wise? It seemed, admittedly from the far outside it was hard for players like Austin to get out of BK's dog house once they were in it. Thank you sir!

Eric Hansen

2:34

Ron, Merry Christmas. I think Shayne Simon would get a fair look, but his chances of starting would have been minimal. With Marist Liufau coming back, with JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Prince Kollie returning, with four stud linebackers coming in and the possibility of Bo Bauer and Paul Moala coming back, Simon at best would have been a reserve. He'd like to get a shot to start. ... Regarding Raridon, Ron, you lively minx, you need to read my stories. I had that info in there in the recent tight end overview, but yes it was basketball.

Ron Delaware

2:31

Again Merry Christmas to you and your family. Shayne Simon apparently leaving kind of a surprise as I thought this would be his year to put it together. Do you think he wouldn’t get a fair look with all LB ‘s .Curious how Eli Raridon tore his ACL. Was it from playing basketball?

Eric Hansen

2:30

Hi Mike. Thanks for joining in. Lawrence Keys III did not gain any additional eligibility by opting out early. He said he had a big academic load and wanted to focus on that, so he could graduate in December. ... I have no idea about how he'll approach the coin toss. I am glad I answered that question for the last time re the Kelly Era, to be honest with you.

Mike - Des Moines

2:28

Thanks for the chats! Long time reader, first time asking questions. 1) Thinking about Lawrence Keys entering the portal in October, why not wait until after the season? Did he save eligibility by announcing in October? Other reasons? 2) with Marcus Freeman as head coach, will ND be deferring to Defense when we win the coin toss? Thanks again, Enjoy the holidays!

Eric Hansen

2:24

Thank you, Patrick for being a part of the chat. Now first off, you need to let go of the Tulsa thing. That was 11 seasons ago, and maybe this will make you feel better. In the past few years, I've asked Kelly what his biggest regret was during his time at ND. From a player standpoint, it was not handling Dayne Crist better. From a player usage standpoint, it was not maximizing Jaylon Smith's full skill set. And for a game standpoint, it was not kicking the field goal vs. Tulsa. So there you go. ... I wouldn't put a ton of stock in how Marcus coaches on Jan. 1 will clue us into what that will look like in September. There's too much newness and duct tape involved now.

Patrick, Fort Wayne,In

2:19

Eric, thank you for hosting a Christmas Eve chat. This is a stocking stuffer for all die-hard ND football fans. January 1st will be Marcus Freeman's first game as head coach. What should I be looking for to get an idea of how he will coach going forward? I still can't get over Brian Kelly calling a pass to the end zone (interception) when a field goal would have won the game over Tulsa in his first year and his reasoning afterwards about his philosophy of coaching.

Eric Hansen

2:18

Alan, I think that could have all happened under Kelly at ND. But Freeman's involvement in the recruiting process vs. Kelly's approach I think will pay dividends.

Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

2:17

Eric, a tough question but here it is: In your opinion, is Brian Kelly's leaving for LSU and the subsequent hiring of Marcus Freeman the unknown facelift the Notre Dame program needed to move into this new era of college football that now features constant recruiting, the transfer portal, name/image/likeness and a sustained presence on all social media? I know this is a complex question, but your expertise is most appreciated.

Eric Hansen

2:16

What impact do Lou Holtz losing his first two games have on winning a national title in his third season? What impact did Knute Rockne winning only three of his first six games have on his coaching career at ND? How telling was Tyrone Willingham's 8-0 start? Charlie Weis' 2-0 start? Brian Kelly's 1-3 start? It would be great for Marcus to start his head coaching career with two wins over two top 10 teams. But how he fills out his coaching staff and how he restructures recruiting with himself as the lead recruiter will have far greater impact short and long term on recruiting than the outcome of those two games.

Naples,FL Neil

2:12

With taking recruiting to new level being the #1 need for the program; what impact on recruiting would Marcus losing his first 2 games as ND head football coach?

Eric Hansen

2:12

Hi Rick. I think it's imperative that Tyler Buchner gets to do those things in practice, and he has this month. But Marcus Freeman made it very clear several times, this bowl game isn't about 2022. It's about finishing 2021 off right.

Rick Dierolf

2:11

Rick Dierolf Sinking Spring Pa. Merry Christmas to you and your family Eric. Do you think now that Kelly is gone we will see Tyler Buchner get some drives in the bowl game that let him throw the ball and not just run it. I think this is imperative to success next year, thanks and go Irish

Eric Hansen

2:11

Hi Shane. Merry Christmas. It was an interesting and exciting team to cover. It's one of my favorite seasons, in fact. I think part of that was having fans back this year, too. Brian Kelly has had some teams in the past make impressive strides during the season -- 2010 comes to mind ... 8-5 after a 4-5 start. The 2019 team post-Michigan and the 2018 team also rate along those lines. But I would put this team at the top of the heap for in-season improvement in the Kelly Era, Absolutely, the Okie State defense is a test. They would have been a test for the Joe Moore Award winners in 2017. But I do believe ND's O-line improvement is real and having multiple weeks to put together a game plan should help some.

Shane from White Deer, Texas

2:05

Hey Eric, Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope Santa will be good to you this year. Out of your years covering Notre Dame football, how would you rate this years regular season from how the team started until they finished compared with other seasons? To come from some near disasters at the first of the year to just missing the playoffs has to make this one of the most exciting years in a while. What do you think? Also, I think we will see just how far our offensive line has progressed when we play the Cowboys. How do you think this matchup will play out? Thanks for all you do, it has been a great season. Go Irish.

Eric Hansen

2:02

He was 45-6 in his last four seasons at ND with two playoff appearances and almost a third. The next step in his evolution and in shaping his legacy was winning on the big stages, not just getting there, Longevity at a place like Notre Dame means something. He was the only ND head coach who coached into his 60s at ND. And returning the Irish to relevance shouldn't just be a footnote. So I am not going to brush aside the nonsense. The fact that he left to go to LSU shouldn't affect any of that. The WAY in which he left will, and justifiably so. In my opinion, Kelly had his flaws, but to put Notre Dame in position to compete for championships under the next coach and helping build the infrastructure to do so, to me, means Notre Dame is better off for Brian Kelly having been here. Perhaps the next few years will also reveal that they're better off without him now. We'll just have to see.

1:53

Hi Jim. Best wishes to you and your family. Again, this is such a broad and deep topic, I'm probably doing it an injustice trying to address it in a chat format, but darn it, I'd want an answer to this question, too, if I were in your shoes. So let me give it a try. I guess it starts with what your definition of greatness is vs. everyone else's. Going into this season, Brian Kelly was widely regarded by the national media (and they wrote about this) as the third-best current coach in college football behind Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney. (more)

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

1:49

Hi Eric, wishing you and yours the happiest of a holiday season. As of late, there have been some prominent talking heads that have labeled Brian Kelly's tenure at Notre Dame as having been great. Huh? No major bowls wins and painfully disappointing efforts in the playoffs and in a championship game. Sure, Kelly did a nice job of returning the Irish to relevance and he deserves credit for that but he was nowhere close to being great. Will you please help put an end to this nonsense and provide your honest appraisal of Kelly's tenure in South Bend. Greatness is reserved for only the very elite and Kelly didn't come close to meeting that standard. Your thoughts, please and many thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:48

I think it was the rule rather than the exception. And it was puzzling. The QBs tended to level off or regress statistically as they got more experienced. Some of that had to do with the surrounding cast (DeShone Kizer) for instance. But most of the time it did not. Kelly's player development model overall for all positions, however, was outstanding, but the QB development deserved to be scrutinized.

Jack Strongsville Oh

1:45

Eric. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Looking back on Brian Kelly's tenure at ND what do you think of the perception that he was unable to develop quarterbacks during his period especially because that was thought to be a strength when hired.

Eric Hansen

1:45

Merry Christmas, Len. You and I are thinking the same on this. I've leaned into my fascination of Buchner from the start and continued to do so. Love his maturity, his mental makeup and his skill set.

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:43

Hi Eric, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Do you expect QB Tyler B to have a greater tha usual inprovement from year 1 to year 2 because he had played so little prior to enrolling? Seems he might have a bigger bump than someon who played his sophomore and Senior year

Eric Hansen

1:41

John, Happy Holidays to you. You are correct to have eliminated two of the seven offers (Arch Manning and Malachi Nelson) and are focusing on five. Those five are Dante Moore, Nico Iamaleava, Jackson Arnold, Christopher Vizzina and Avery Johnson. All but Johnson are top 100 prospects per Rivals, 247Sports or both. Johnson is No. 154 on 247Sports. Moore and Iamaleava will likely end up five-stars. Vizzina and Arnold are both dramatically ascending. I would say all are good fits. My favorites would be Moore or Iamaleava. I'm worried I'm sleeping on Arnold, who may be the most likely to end up at ND of the five.

Load More Messages

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