JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 27, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 27, 2023

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Eric Hansen

2:05

Hi Rich. So let's do the math here first. Notre Dame is sitting at 89 scholarships with the need to get down to 85 by the first day of fall semester. Typically, they're over 100 at this point. But a lot of the portal movement happened quickly in December this year, as it did around the country. ... And I think ND will add a few more transfers ... O-line, WR and safety if they can find a match, maybe tight end. So that means eight departures, maybe more. Incoming transfers could trigger them. Spring competition could. Just getting through the bowl game could. And not all of them might be transfers. Xavier Watts could go pro, There would be a medical retirement or two. I'm not sure you'll see a run at certain positions more spread out.

Rich Key West

2:00

I continue to be impressed with the top line talent Coach Freeman pursues not only on a player basis but also for his coaching staff. All his hard work and persistence has been rewarded with impressive results. I also see a real similarity with Saban's theory of working the transfer portal; don't build your team on it but rather work to fill in needs. What would your numbers estimate be for portal losses in the spring and what position are most vulnerable to being hit with them?

Eric Hansen

2:00

Haha, Merry Christmas, Bob. His is listed at 6 feet even and 168 pounds. I've only walked by him a couple of times back in August when he was wearing a sling. The 6 feet seems legit. He definitely isn't padding his weight listing. I would be shocked if he's over 170.

Bob (Oxnard CA)

1:58

Merry Christmas, guys — yeah, I am taking it out to the Epiphany. How tall is KK?

Eric Hansen

1:58

To the second part of your question, these heavy opt-out bowl games do provide some glimpses of the future, but more so impressions than lasting conclusions. With that in mind, Charles Jagusah at left tackle, Josh Burnham rotating on at field end, Jaylen Sneed at linebacker and Drayk Bowen rotating in, Jaden Mickey and Christian Gray at CB and Eli Raridon at tight end are all key players to watch.

1:55

Happy Holidays Marie. I expect you'll be eating Frosted Flakes with your daughter on Friday morning? Or maybe not. ... Both offensive line/D-line matchups are fascinating to me, because both teams are missing their standout tackles on offense and at least one other O-line piece. And both D-lines are intact and were stellar during the season. So how both offenses navigate that with a backup quarterback is really interesting to me. I think ND's receivers, how they play, is going to interest me as well, particularly with three of them not having been 100 percent for months and now prominent in the game plan. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:51

Hi Eric, I hope you are having a Gr-r-reat time in El Paso. With the line ups being so different due to opt outs, could you give us a couple of pointers on what matchups will be the most interesting and pivotal for the game? Also, during the game what are four or five things that you would like to see from Notre Dame that will give you added confidence that they will be moving in the right direction and improving for 2024? Thanks for taking the time to host the chat. We all know you are super busy down there in Texas. Have a great time.

Eric Hansen

1:51

Hey Scuba, he had a chance to do that at Cincinnati from 2017-2021 before he and BK reunited at LSU. I don't think Brian Kelly was overbearing in the process at LSU. I think you got a pretty good snapshot of what Mike Denbrock likes to run. Again, he'll tailor it to ND's personnel and then recruit to what might be missing for future years. Since it was the No. 1 offense in the nation this year, I think conceptually it won't change a ton.

Scubatvt56

Do you think Denbrock will change his offensive philosophy at all since he no longer coaches under BK?

1:49

TN. Hoping you had a great Christmas with family and friends.

Eric Hansen

1:48

Just a side note. Someone asked last week if Gino Guidugli was going to call plays from the sideline in the Sun Bowl or be up in the box. He initially committed to the sideline, but I was told today that he has changed his mind and will call plays from upstairs in the coaches' box.

1:47

Thanks, and Happy New Year to you, Don. I think there will be staff members who will get attractive offers elsewhere that they'll have to consider. Marcus Freeman said last offseason every coach on staff had a least one, or a serious interview for one. Just given those odds, it's hard to see everyone else staying in place, but i wouldn't rule it out. ... With the road games, it starts with creating a different mindset on the road, how and when they travel perhaps, how they think about road games. But yes, there are functional aspects too, like a deeper plan with regard to dealing with crowd noise and communications and having that all worked out. I think Mike Denbrock will have some good suggestions there.

Don in Scottsdale

1:42

Eric, Happy New Year! Congrats on breaking the Denbrock story. Couple of questions. Do you think there will be more staff moves after the Sun Bowl? If Angeli plays great how does that impact spring ball? CMF has grown in the past 2 years. With 2 top coordinators what does he need to do to road games and game management where they need to be?

Eric Hansen

1:42

Hi Scott. Happy New Year. I tried to find a combination that was comparable ... and it one exists, it was before I was covering college football, which I've been doing since 1883. ... If Al Golden stays on, yes I think this is a great combination to support a man growing into a head coaching role. Now there are some roster challenges to get right this offseason, but I think the roster is in great hands. ... Thanks for the compliment on the shades. I have keratoconus in my right eye, (had cornea transplant surgery in my left), so they're functional as well!

Scott from Augusta, Ga

1:33

Eric, best wishes for you and the family this holiday season. I'm not Italian but would have enjoyed a pasta-filled Christmas dinner. I have a coaching question for you that I'm sure you've already answered but here goes; regarding our two Coordinators, do you remember the last time we had this type of experience? And do you see this transitioning ND into a more complete team for the coming season? Happy New Year to you! By the way, your sunglasses are awesome! Trendsetter!

Eric Hansen

1:32

Hi Jack. Thanks for following us and Happy New Year to you. I've kept in touch with Mike Denbrock periodically since he left ND after the 2016 season. There are some strong factors that led to this move: I'll keep this simple. His love for Notre Dame. His belief in Marcus Freeman. A financial offer and security that made the other two factors come to life. He believes he can make a difference at ND.

Jack, Strongsville Ohio

1:29

Hi Eric. Happy New Year! Having been a reader of the SBT and now at Rivals my sense is you have a good relationship with Mike Denbrock. Why do you think he chose to leave his friend Brian Kelly at LSU and return to Notre Dame?

Eric Hansen

1:29

The Gator is also in the tier with the Pop-Tarts Bowl, so is the Holiday Bowl. But ND went to the Gator last year and the Holiday had invited a Caleb Williams-less USC team, so the Pop-Tarts Bowl made sense, and they were under the impression they were getting ND, When Florida State did not make the playoff, part of the collateral frustration, as I understand it, spilled over into ND's bowl destination and NC State was given the Pop-Tarts Bowl berth. Frankly, I think ND ended up in the better bowl ... if you remove proximity to theme parks. They'll have a home-crowd feel in El Paso, They're playing a slightly better team (at least pre-opt-outs), and the game sold out in a day. Quite frankly, new AD Pete Bevacqua needs to have some conversations with the league this winter on what went down, but I think it ended well for the Irish.

1:23

Hey Jonathan. Happy Holidays to you. So, I played around with Google maps to see if the ACC did this for your convenience. They did not. I see El Paso is a 10 1/2-hour drive from Hideaway Texas. It's only two hours farther to go to El Paso, Ill,, and four and a half more to Orlando, which is where ND should have ended up -- in the Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Kansas State. And that's really what it came down to Pop-Tarts vs. Sun/Duke's Mayo/Pinstripe. (more)

Jonathan, Hideaway, TX

1:13

Eric, Merry Christmas Happy New Year! Hope your nog is full of egg, your lights full of twinkle, and your work full of fun! My question has been asked before, I know. But time has passed and perhaps your many sources have sorted things out? Anyway, here goes: What’s the deal with the ACC bowl fiasco and Notre Dame’s late and surprising availability to the Sunniest one? Something strange was afoot and I haven’t seen a very enlightening answer anywhere. Can you shine some light on this?

Eric Hansen

1:13

Marcus Freeman is going to present an open competition, and I think it's important that the team see who clearly is No.1 and they see that in the course of practices. If not, why would anyone else have to earn their sport and earn respect. Now, Marcus Freeman knows Riley Leonard is going to be the overwhelming favorite, but he wants to let it play out on the field. I agree with that.

Guest

1:11

Mike from Houston.
Do you think that CMF is going to let the QB's compete in the off season or did he promise it to the Duke QB in order to get him here?

Eric Hansen

1:11

Jaylen Sneed is going to start at the will linebacker position in the bowl game, DC Al Golden said on Tuesday. But Kiser, starting at rover, will move inside when ND goes to nickel. So that means Sneed is off the field, or he rushes the passer as an end. He averaged 17 snaps a game during the season, but it fluctuated wildly, from a low of 1 vs. Duke to a high of 32 on defense vs. Stanford. I think he'll be in the 30 range for this game. ... I'm sure kids talk about their goals, their dreams and frustrations with each other. Maybe not as calculating as you present it, but more for support and feedback. Thanks again.

1:05

OK, to Tom's questions. ... Merry Christmas. ... You're right, not a New Year's resolution type person. I tend to set goals when needed and not after a fun party. ... Resolution for ND football? To make the playoff in 2024. Marcus Freeman? To evolve his game-management skills and continue to ask the hard questions ... including to himself. ... I think it's cool that Javontae Jean-Baptiste is playing in the Sun Bowl. I still think he's a day three pick (rounds 4-7). Maybe his predraft work could improve that, how he tests, etc. He's got some intruiging traits and improved a lot this season, but doesn't have a long résumé. (more)

1:01

I hope to pick up the pace here. I had to update my Mike Denbrock story now that he's officially been named, so there was multitasking going on. Thanks for your patience.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

1:00

Hey Eric, I hope you had a great Christmas. I'm thinking that you are not a New Year's Resolution person but if you were what would your Resolutions be for ND football for 2024?? Marcus Freeman?? I think it speaks volumes that JJB would feel committed enough to ND after being here only one year to play in the Bowl game. Where do you see him going in the draft? How many snaps do you think Sneed will have in the Bowl game? What number did he average during the season, 15 or so?? Do you know if players talk to other players in their position group before making a decision to transfer?? Something like, "if you are leaving I 'm staying or if you're staying, I will be leaving". Thanks for all your great work and let's hope for a great game and win #10 on Friday. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:00

There may be some additions he'd like to add as 2025 targets and have more of a voice in the 2026 offers that will go out on St. Patrick's Day en masse, but I don't think he's going to find ND was aiming too low or looking at the wrong kind of prospects.

12:59

Boxing Day started out as kind of a cool concept, giving gifts to those in need. It is my understanding it's more like a second Black Friday now and used to look for deals, but maybe our friends from Canada can shed some light. ... You're spot on about some different areas in which Mike Denbrock has had recruiting success in the past. How I envision his role as a recruiter in this iteration is to be actively involved in the recruitment of ND's offensive players beyond his own position group (tight ends). Tommy Rees and Gerad Parker intermittently exerted themselves in that fashion (Rees beyond QBs and Parker beyond tight ends), but the last OC to do that consistently was Chip Long. And although he had flaws that led to his firing, shortfalls in recruiting was not one of them. So I see Denbrock moving around and reinforcing what the position coaches are doing on the recruiting trail. ... I don't know that they'll need to pause. He's a pretty quick study. (more)

Jeff from Phoenix

12:46

Hey Eric, I hope you survived Boxing Day, a holiday I never have understood. So, I want to get your take on Denbrock and how ND can best use his recruiting expertise. In terms of geographical regions, he now has a brief stint in the south to add to his Midwest roots and west coast connections. Where do you see him focusing his recruiting time? And do you see ND maybe taking a brief/few month pause on taking commitments on offense until Denbrock has had a chance to evaluate current roster talent, the 2024 class, and the ND 2025 targets?

Eric Hansen

12:45

The fact that he was able to edge out highly touted Aamil Wagner for the start in the Sun Bowl is an accomplishment. But this offseason is critical to how/where Baker ends up. Wagner is going to keep surging as he continues to add weight. The Irish may bring in a transfer offensive tackle. So Baker has to show he is deserving to start over those other options. Of stay as a backup. Or start over somewhere else. Because of redshirting and a COVID exemption, he has up to two years left. What Lugg had going for him was position versatility and experience. Baker doesn't have those, but he can still be a high-end tackle. Just not sure if it's at ND.

12:42

Merry Christmas to you, Len. Tosh Baker had an incredible offer list coming out of Pinnacle High in Phoenix. That included Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, USC, Texas, Texas A&M and on and on. He wasn't anywhere close to a finished product, having been a Division I basketball prospect who took up football late and showed a promising growth curve. His best football still might be ahead of him or not. When he was a sophomore in 2021, he got two starts at left tackle and struggled largely. Just like Liam Eichenberg would have or Mike McGlinchey. Not every standout offensive lineman looks like a finished product as a freshman or sophomore. And look at who Baker was playing behind this year, a unanimous All-American in Joe Alt and a former five-star prospect in Blake Fisher. (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

12:29

Hello Eric, I want to wish you and the staff a Happy New Year. Simple question, how good is Tosh Baker. He was a highly sought after and ranked recruit. In his very short stint in 2021 as the left tackle, he gave up consistent QB pressures. And playing next to Zeke Corell the left side could not block effectively for the run game. And as I recall he was behind Michael Carmody on the depth chart in 2021 and only played after Fischer and Carmody were injured. Is he Josh Lugg or better? Can he be as good as Robert Hainsey? What are your expectations for his play in the bowl? Do you expect he will be the starting RT next season?

Eric Hansen

12:29

I would have put them at less than 50 percent a couple of weeks ago that he'd stay, but the rumblings that he will remain are getting louder. However, the true test is going to be when the NFL coaching carousel gets into full spin in the next month or so. Even if his inclination were to stay, there may be an opportunity too good to pass up. If he does leave, I think Notre Dame is well positioned to get an top outside candidate or promote a deserving and ready Mike Mickens. The last three ND defensive coordinators before Golden are now all Power 5 head coaches.

Robert, Lansing

12:22

Eric, like all others was really thrilled to hear that Mike Denbrock is returning. With now a top OC in place what are the chances of retaining Al Golden? Secondly, with the game now being all business what seems to be the probability that ND will put out the $ for not only the best coaches but the really the top athletes? Happy and healthy New Year.

Eric Hansen

12:22

I also think you'll see a difference in big games -- Denbrock being able to evolve his game plan within games against elite defenses and defensive coordinators. More so as the season goes on, but I expect it to show up in the Texas A&M opener as well. He'll adapt to the talent ND has and work to maximize the potential of that talent rather than forcing his ideology on a team that doesn't have those skills.

12:19

Merry Christmas, Matt, and thank you. The offense was going to have to evolve whether Gerad Parker stayed on or not as offensive coordinator to take advantage of incoming transfer QB Riley Leonard's different skill set. Beyond that, and it's a big one because of how much running the quarterback will do, I don't think it will look radically different. Mike Denbrock, like Marcus Freeman, believes in trying to put opposing defensive coordinators into pass-run dilemmas as much as possible, and the best way to do that is have a balanced arsenal. It may not play out balanced every week, because he's going to attack weaknesses of the opposition. I also think it's going to be very important and emphasized to develop a difference-maker at the field receiver position. That can open up other options on offense. Think about the effect Will Fuller had and Kevin Stepherson at that position when Denbrock was calling plays the last time. (more)

Matt from Austin

12:11

Eric, Merry Christmas to you and your family. We frequently hear that sweeping changes will occur with the hiring of a new coordinator, but they rarely seem to happen. Given what appears to be a fairly loaded returning offense, albeit with a somewhat inexperienced offensive line, what do you expect from Coach Denbrock? Thank you from the Class of 1983.

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

12:10

Here are the rules.

12:09