JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 7, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 7, 2022

Eric Hansen

3:47

OK, that's going to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back next Wednesday at noon ET to do it all over again.

3:46

As far as the 2024 class, it's time to button down 2023. Not sure what more that you want. It's the No. 1 class in 2024 out of 131 schools with the second-most commitments. And I think you'll see more on the way in the next month. 5. Deion Sanders at Colorado? Haven't given it much thought. It won't be easy for him.

3:43

Adam I appreciate you too, but these aren't rapid fire questions. I'll do my best to get to what I can. 1. I don't understand the first one. What I'll offer is it's not that ND can't take underclassman transfers. It's that it's more challenging. And freshmen are less challenging in general than are juniors for instance. 2. I have not heard that. Not sure what the point would be if you care about graduation rates. 3. I really like the class, like it more with Peyton Bowen in it. I think surprises each way for ND will be minimal. And yes there could be a pleasant surprise in store (but not likely). (more)

Adam (Dayton, OH)

3:36

Eric, we appreciate you! A few questions. 1.) I see that ND is offering undergrad transfers...is this confirmation that the school recognizes they must adapt from long-held beliefs/pushbacks on transfers? Or will the same internal conflicts wage on (not accepting a transfers because that kid gets the same ND degree as a student that has been in school all four years)? 2.) Heard anything about the school re-thinking graduation timelines, as in it is okay to to graduate a player in 5 years, or are they still trying to hold on to the 3.5 year thing? 3.) 2023 recruiting. How do you view the class? With and without Peyton Bowen? Are we in store for surprises, good or bad? 4.) Momentum seems to have stalled with 2024...slipping with Justin Scott, Marquise Lightfoot, and Ryan Wingo. All difference makers. What are you expectations for recruiting going forward, can ND stack multiple top 5 classes in a row, or is that next-to-impossible in the current era? 5.) What do you make of Deon at Colorado?

Eric Hansen

3:36

Peyton Bowen, the safety out of Texas, as opposed to Drayk, the linebacker from Indiana. We probably won't know for sure until he puts pen to paper on Dec. 21. ND and Oklahoma both feel good about their chances.

Chris in Abq

3:34

Any news on Bowen, I keep reading it not if but when he flips to OU. If he is doing so why wait so long and is ND prepared? Thank you sir

Eric Hansen

3:34

Much appreciated.

Len from the Jersey Shore

3:34

Very well done in a concise manner. Your the best at what you do!!

Eric Hansen

3:34

Hi Matt. 1. Yes. 2. First round, yes. 3. Billy Schrauth, Eli Raridon, Jaylen Sneed. 4. Awesome human beings. 5. Barnaby's for takeout, Rocco's to eat in.

Matt (KC)

3:30

Rapid fire is back! 1. With the running back room so deep next year, do you expect any of those RB's to transition to receiver? 2. Is Joe Alt a 1st overall pick type talent/candidate? 3. Who was unheralded this year that we should have on our radar next year, someone who wasn't out because they were hurt, maybe buried in depth chart? 4. What kind of people are M. Mayer and I. Foskey, great ball players, but I want them to be great guys I can cheer for in the pros too. 5. Most important, Barnaby's or Roccos's?

Eric Hansen

3:29

Happy Holidays, Irish Rob. First, I don' think Marcus Freeman sees Tommy Rees in the same light you do. So let's address your question with any generic assistant coach. I think Marcus does have the authority to make changes as he sees fit. I think it's accurate to say he was given Rees and director of football performance Matt Balis, and welcomed that. But I don't think coaching moves are made in a vacuum. I'm sure when Brian Kelly got rid or Chip Long and Brian VanGorder, AD Jack Swarbrick was on board. And Marcus was given the latitude not to retain Del Alexander, Jeff Quinn and Brian Polian last year.

Irish Rob, Scranton PA

3:25

Eric, I am a frequent reader of chats with occasional inquiries. I believe this forum has covered, in depth, the shortcomings of Coach/OC Tommy Rees. He lost me when I read in one of the early season chats that Rees was resistant to Coach Freeman bringing in an offensive analyst. My question is this. Does Freeman have the authority to move on from Rees, if he decided that was a direction he wanted to go? It's hard to ignore Rees history with the university and I always got the feeling that Swarbrick liked him too. I would hope the HC has the authority to make changes that he sees fit, but I don't ignore the fact that ND is a unique place with its own set of expectations and procedures. Happy Holidays to you and yours btw!

Eric Hansen

3:25

Hi Lorne. The new transfer portal windows -- Dec. 5 to Jan. 18 and May 1-15 were designed to make roster management less chaotic. But it doesn't help with bowl roster management. I don't know that there's a fix for this. As far as the bowls, not only do the minor ones have to deal with this issue, but will the coming 12-team playoff diminish them even further to the point where they cease to exist?

Lorne

3:19

Lorne from Reno. While the combination of the portal and NIL has a multiplicative effect on the problem, I'm beginning to think that the wild world of portal transfers is the larger problem. A student-athlete who can do better under different circumstances should be allowed to transfer, but the ease of transferring is making it difficult for coaches to plan for the future and wreaking havoc on the already-compromised bowl system. Are there any changes being proposed or considered for the portal system? Or are some teams going to face the prospect of playing scrubs in bowl games because their best players all left for greener pastures? I know it's not THAT bad yet, but I fear that a disaster scenario is inevitable.

Eric Hansen

3:18

Len, thanks for your thoughtful questions and your thorough prefacing. Each of these would require a pretty expansive answer, which I can't do justice to in a chat format with that volume. So, if you'll forgive me, I''ll try to answer concisely, but not int he depth it deserves. 1. Has ND caught up. No, because of transfer portal complications, but in most other areas, yes. There's certainly an effort to make the portal admissions process something both football and the college deans can live with. 2. Committed to keeping up? Yes, as long as it doesn't compromise the school's academic mission. 3. Swarbrick support. Yes, if I understand your question correctly. 4. No, they have not reached that point. Classifying student-athletes as employees would cross that line. Father Jenkins has long been a proponent of NIL, though not the way many schools are doing it.

Len from the Jersey Shore

3:11

Hi Eric, Kudos to you in your wrap up from last week. My question was accurately described as "long". It probably met your manifesto criteria. LOL No one knows exactly where roster mgt is going. It seems ND is recruiting at a high talent level. That no longer is good enough. A plan is needed for NIL and entrance/transfer req'ts when recruiting, with the portal and when recruiting your own roster to stay. That's a lot, especially for a new HC. In addition there are all the aspects of player dev't, game planning, coordinating the extras that analysts and grad asst. can bring and taking the time to develop a relationship with the players. I have felt that ND pre NIL was late in providing the resources a current HC will need to succeed in today's game. Have they caught up? Are they committed to keeping up? Is ND/Swarbrick also providing "CEO" level skills support to our young head coach? Have we reached the point per the NYT article with Fr.Jenkins that ND will not pass? Your thoughts are appreciated

Eric Hansen

3:11

Kevin, thank you. I can only speak for myself on the beat and how I do things. The No. 1 rule on dealing with sources is to NEVER reveal their identity, either directly or by process of elimination. So to stay true to that, I'm going to give you a rather disappointing answer. There are a lot of different forms/roles a source can be, It's important that that are correct with the info they're providing and trustworthy.

Kevin from Chicago

3:08

Really appreciate your intelligent and interesting journalism. Just curious...when writers on the beat mention a source, is this a coach, player, support staff? Do you always need to find new sources. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

3:08

Hi Jim. Actually some of them do, but Jaylon Smith's case showed they are not necessarily easy to collect on. And for them, it's not all about potential loss of income, but the potential loss of opportunity, to realize a dream. I'm not saying that's how I would look at it in their position, but I do understand their position.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

3:05

Eric, wishing you the best as always. Question, couldn't some of these high-profile players like Mayer, K. Williams and Hamilton either themselves or through Notre Dame take out insurance policies to guard against serious injury either during the regular season or in a bowl game. If so, that seems an avenue by which some of these stars would opt to keep playing on as opposed to walking away before a season has fully run its course. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

3:05

Hi Tom, I hit the second part of your question earlier. As for contacting Pyne, we are free to do so. I look forward to trying to talk to him after he's found his new school.

Tom from Sister Lakes

3:04

Hi Eric, Now that Pyne has entered the portal is he no longer off-limits from contact from reporters such as yourself? It would be nice to get his thoughts on why he did it. Secondly, who are the top 3 quarterbacks in the portal who you believe ND should target. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

3:03

Scott, thanks, I'll take wnd to none as a compliment. And yes, I type so fast in these, trying to get to as many questions as I can, I have to go back and clean up all my own typos. Thanks for putting up with me. So far Marcus Freeman has extended offers to wide receivers and a defensive lineman in the portal. I think an additional D-lineman is in play. Obviously, quarterback too, although there haven't been any public offers. Depending on additional attrition, I could see a safety or cornerback come into play as well. Happy Holidays, Scott.

Guest

2:59

Scott, Augusta, Ga. Eric, thanks very much for you excellent coverage of the Irish. Your insight is wnd to none. Great to hear ND in the Gator Bowl, but frankly, it's the extra practice for next year's guys. Obviously transition is on everyone's mind. Curious as to what positions you see Coach Freeman focusing on in the portal and our incoming freshman. What gaps need the most fills? Happy holidays to you and your family.

Eric Hansen

2:59

The whole superconference thing and ND's independence was something I've covered extensively, particularly after USC and UCLA opted to join the Big Ten. Once there's new ground to cover considering ND's next media rights deal, then let's dig into that again. The NCAA may not exist -- at least for major college football -- for much longer, so I'm not sure that's worth us worrying about. Unless, you compliment the NCAA, you're probably not going to get an argument from me.

2:56

Sean, there are some question here and some venting that may be subtly asking for a response. I don't like to let those things stand in general, because it sounds like I'm cosigning on them, which I am not necessarily. So let me try to answer the obvious questions. Buchner's health, level of rust, level of play, will determine his reps. Notre Dame has always gone 60-40 when it comes to reps splits in practices for the No. 1 and No. 2 QBs, so I don't see why that would change. Game reps will likely be determined on the basis of practice performance. Yes, it would be ideal if both played, but the coaches should be able to glean quite a bit from the practices as well. (more)

Sean-Schaumburg, Il

2:48

I'm surprised Buchner has been cleared. How do you see him and Angeli splitting reps in the game? Wouldn't it make sense to give Angeli several series throughout the game? This game needs to flesh out who can play/be counted on moving to 2023. Will Buchner ask for a redshirt year? Heaven forbid Buchner is injured in the game. Also, I realize that Notre Dame wanting to stay independent is of paramount importance. However, I see 16-team(Power 5)conferences in the near future. I understand that litigation would occur to get ND out of the ACC agreement early. It's only money. ND has plenty of it. Moving to the Big Ten sounds the most prudent of choices with USC/UCLA moving to the Big Ten. I think the powers-that-be in the NCAA hold NDs independence against us. Removing the wins from Kelly a decade ago for self-reporting academic misconduct while UNC suffered zero consequences for sham courses/majors, denying Alohi Gilman immediate eligibility, the NC State game are three instances that come to mind. Merry Xmas.

Eric Hansen

2:47

the fabric of college football and why we love it so much. It's too early for me to tell. There are a lot of powerful people who care about the game and who will look for and work for answers.

2:45

Hi Mark and thank you. I have to double check on Pyne, but I don't think he's going to graduate this month. I seem to remember him telling us his graduation timeline earlier this season and I don't remember it as being imminent. I will check on that. ... Business as usual in college football has changed so much it is dizzying. But I think it's too early to discount PRIMARILY building through recruiting and player development then supplementing through the portal rather than the other way around. We don't have long-term evidence what that will do to a program and its culture. What if Congress changes the NIL rules? There's a lot to consider. ... As far as Caleb Williams' naughty message on his fingernails, for me it was a bad look and isn't the way I'd expect a player to present himself. If I were his dad or his coach, I'd let him know that. As far as the landscape and where it's heading. it's a pretty broad question. I think your fear is the same fear a lot of us share, is that it could change (more)

Mark from Orange County, CA

2:38

Hi Eric, Thank you for all that you do in covering ND sports. Is Drew Pyne graduating from ND this month? I've seen comments on social media that he is which, if true, makes his transfer easier to accept for me. I feel college football is passing me by though with the no wait transfer portal and the pay players can now take. Scholar athletes, coaches developing players , meaningful bowl games and building teams over the course of a few seasons are sadly, for me, looking to be things of the past. A player painting his finger nails " F---- opposing team name and being called a Heisman candidate is so wrong yet I have not seen any outrage to this behavior. What do you think about the current landscape of college football and where do you see it heading?

Eric Hansen

2:38

Hi Ced. Notre Dame will start practicing in Jacksonville on Dec. 26. ND would love to add Dasan McCullough, and elite edge player in the portal from Indiana and the son of ND running backs coach Deland McCullough. I would not consider the Irish the favorites to land him.

ced walker

2:35

ced walker saginaw michigan when will notre dame report to the gator bowl and dasan mccullogh will he consider nd the golden standard rally we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

2:34

Mike, I think your questions are valid and yet it is filled with so many hypotheticals, it is reminiscent for me of the conversations I had with my kids when they were little about monsters being under the bed. Let me take the last part first. No I don't think there's any circumstance in which early signees would be allowed to play for their new team in a playoff. The other part is really interesting. I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the first sort of opt-out of a playoff game. He hasn't played since the Notre Dame game and portrays himself as injured, though there are some who question if he still is. The opt-out syndrome is about playing in a meaningless game. I don't think there would be many, if any, players who consider the playoffs meaningless. But I don't think the CFP committee would even have that info in time to affect their decision. nor should it affect their decision. This is a good idea for me to explore perhaps after the bowls with Michael McCann, who's an expert on these sports/legal issues.

MikeMcFadden, Williamsport, PA

2:20

Howdy Eric, With the way the landscape has now changed with all the loose NIL money flying around and legal PLUS a new 12 team NCAA playoff on TV, you would think the players of the 12 teams would need to sign commit to play in the bowl IF the playoff committee picked their team, correct? With players opting out now of bowls b/c of injury (Jaylon Smith), do you think the NFL should be permitted to early sign any player in college pre-NCAA playoff games which would eliminate bowl injury issues? I really think this will happen. What do you think and are their conversations already about this?

Eric Hansen

2:17

Here's the Michael Mayer story: ND tight end Michael Mayer opts out of Gator Bowl and opts into NFL Draft

2:16

Hi Steve, the portal number is going to be easy, because the Rivals portal tracker lets you sort by position, outgoing school, incoming school and the players' year in school. Because of the sheer volume, there's a little delay on the absolute numbers, but it will eventually be in sync on a daily basis. As far as the decommitments, Rivals doesn't have the same kind of tracker per se, but I know Rivals director of recruiting Adam Gorney tracks it personally, so at the end of the cycle, I can check with him and get those numbers. Adam was on our podcast last Thursday and predicts there will be lots of movement here among high school commitments over the final two weeks before signing day.

2:09

Now to Steve's question.

2:08

Michael Mayer, as expected, is opting out of the Gator Bowl. I will have a story posted momentarily.

Steve, Kenosha WI

2:06

Eric, do you know whether Rivals tracks the number of decommittments? I recall an interview you had this summer with Tom Lemming in which he forecasted about 50% of the top 100 recruits decommitting not to mention others. Also, calculating turnover per team on portal transfers would also be interesting. Thanks for all your resourcefulness and expertise!

Eric Hansen

2:01

I forgot to answer one part of Doug's question, who would be the go-to receiver if Mayer doesn't play? I think he would be spread out among many receivers. The go-to third down guy might be Deion Colzie. I think Mitchell Evans and Holden Staes will get some receptions, but overall just a mix of a bunch of receivers.

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