JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 28, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Feb. 28, 2025

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Eric Hansen

1:18

I think basic concepts will stay the same. For instance ND will be a base 4-3. I think they'll still embrace rotating players, especially on the defensive line. I do think terminology changes and as Chris Ash suggested, some teaching techniques will change. I would liken this closer to the Elko/Lea transition over say Lea to Freeman, Freeman to Golden or VanGorder (gasp) to Elko.

Bob (Oxnard, CA)

1:15

What do you expect to remain the same under Coach Ash? Most of the defensive alignments, the names of the schemes, the defensive play calls, etc.?

Eric Hansen

1:15

Hi Scott. There are a lot of schools going through what Notre Dame is going through that have good personnel people, because they are in demand with GM positions being created everywhere and those "front office" job expanding. But to answer your question, I think it would benefit Notre Dame to have a new director of recruiting in place by the start of spring practice, which is presumed to be March 18. With Mike Martin getting his official stamp as GM Thursday afternoon, that should be a workable timeframe. And while those positions are really valuable, you're still selling Marcus Freeman and his vision, and the most important relationships are those developed between Freeman and the recruits and the assistant coaches and the recruits. Great question, no sky falling.

Scott from Bossier City, LA

1:06

Being that we are about to move into March, and with March being a pretty big month for recruiting for the Irish. What is the urgency level of replacing our open recruiting positions? I know another spot came open yesterday but also doesn't feel like it was a big shock. Winning builds momentum in recruiting, but seems we are losing that the longer it takes to replace those who left.

Eric Hansen

1:06

Hi Ryan, yes Rylie Mills started slow but really picked up momentum. By the end of the season, he was playing the best football of his career.

Ryan Frankfort illinois

1:05

Good afternoon Eric what do you think about the season Rylie Mills had before he got injured vs Indiana in the playoffs i think he had a good season GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

1:05

I think you're parsing Chris Ash's comments way, way, way too much and reading things that aren't there. They are two different personalities, two different situations, one with a long history of knowing Marcus and one who does not, leaving very different situations for different roles at ND. I was impressed with both of them and thought both really appreciated and were excited about what they're getting into. And yes, both have big aspirations. Seider would like to be a head coach. Golden wanted to put himself in position to be either an NFL DC or a college head coach. I think you want coaches who have that kind of ambition working for you.

1:02

Hi Irish Mike. Thank you for your questions. I get this a lot, the who's decision was it, and I understand the curiosity, because you want to know who to praise/blame I assume? These things are done more collaboratively than maybe you're imagining. I guess the football equivalent of a food chain exists, but there's a lot of respect for different viewpoints and experiences, so why not talk about things? Ultimately, Marcus Freeman leads those discussions in terms of who he'd like to hire. And he's got a pretty good track record. But it's not like the old Caddyshack movie when Spaulding, says, "I want a hamburger, no, a cheeseburger." And Judge Smails says, "You'll get nothing and like it." (more)

IrishMike, Altoona, PA

12:55

Hi Eric!!! Thanks for the chats! When ND has football openings does Marcus come up with the list of potential replacements or is it more with the AD and/or a committee? After watching the press conferences of Ash and Seider. I think they will be fine additions. I was a little surprised that Ash was a little less effusive concerning the lure of Notre Dame than Ju’Juan. Seider definitely sounded like he really wanted to be at ND and especially to get the opportunity to coach with Freeman. Chris Ash…..not so much. His comments stating that Freeman called him not the other way around and also that he didn’t take the time to contact Joe Rudolph, whom he spent time with at Wisconsin to discuss the Irish, sounds unusual. Seems like it’s a job to try and re-establish his coaching career and less about “wanting” to be in South Bend. What say you?

Eric Hansen

12:53

I do think Notre Dame will be competitive in all those areas. And that is why Notre Dame not only needs a really good GM in Mike Martin, who is great at roster construction and scouting and evaluation, they need people around him who can recruit and people around him who understand the financial dynamics and how to play that game. ... As far spring surprises, my instructions here are to go WAY off the radar, so I'll go with WR Cam Williams on offense and DT Elijah Hughes from USC on defense.

12:50

Hi Marie I am having a great but busy week, which beats the alternative. Thanks for asking. Here is the No. 1 thing to keep in mind with your first question. Everything you asked about in terms of financial dynamics is about to change. As early as this summer, based on a court hearing on April 7, colleges will be making direct payments to athletes with a cap for all sports of $20.5 million in the first year. The huge majority of that will go toward football. NIL will exist as truer NIL and as a side financial resource except by those schools that look to circumvent that intent. So what recruits get, what transfers get, what existing players get will be changing ... theoretically for everyone, but Notre Dame for sure. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:46

hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. I know Notre Dame really wants to get over the hump and win a national championship and they seem to be doing a lot of the right things. It is my understanding that their policy has been to only pay transfer portal players as opposed to high school players. They may give high school players an idea of what NIL will be like once they get to ND but they don’t pay cash upfront. Do you think ultimately they will have to revise that policy slightly for certain positions such as defensive line and wide receivers so they can get the top players they need to win a national championship? Changing gears completely, with spring practice about to start, Can you pick one or two spring surprises on each side of the ball. Players that no one is even thinking about right now that might surprise us by the end of the spring practice. As always, thanks for hosting the chat and for all the great insights.

Eric Hansen

12:45

OK Tom, I hope I am understanding my assignment correctly. So I am going to take who I think are the top seven linemen regardless of specific traits, separate them out and then rank them on the nasty scale and thus not considering the other traits in that part of the game? OK, here goes. From extreme nasty to adequately nasty: Billy Schrauth, Charles Jagusah, Guerby Lambert, Anthonie Knapp, Aamil Wagner, Ashton Craig, Sullivan Absher.

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

12:36

Hey Eric, imho, one of the traits that sets an elite OL player from the good OL's is a certain mean streak or nastiness to their game. Athleticism is probably the #1 trait that coaches look for, but a certain attack-mode attitude is not far behind. In rewatching ND games this season, especially in the Playoffs, there were some plays from practically every OL that was a "wow" moment. That block that put a defender on his backside, or just stepping over someone they had just flattened. Coogan, Knapp and others played with that attitude. Can you please rank the returning top 7 or 8 OL in terms of that nasty, Pat Coogan pregame attitude??!!!

Eric Hansen

12:33

Len!!! I have not heard anything about that, no, and why would they? Now have there been conversations about graded revenue distribution, heck yes. But that's way different from kicking someone out. And if the schools you mention don't generate great revenue, it doesn't affect the other members, just themselves, so I'm not sure I see the point.

Len from the Jersey Shore

12:31

Hello Eric!!! Nothing yet from SEC and Big 10 meetings on new CFP format past 2026. I am sure they are working with ESPN et al to determine what combination of season games, conference championships and CFP games generates the most revenue potential for them. Or perhaps their antitrust lawyers keep muddling the plans. Question, have you heard anything about the big 2 buying out members that are not generating enough TV dollars from football? An SEC without Vanderbilt? A BIG 10 without Purdue or Northwestern?

Eric Hansen

12:31

But even if Golden had stayed, there would have been evolutions. One, I would like to see is more emphasis on run defense. That means schematically and in recruiting. I'm also curious what happens with the rover position. Does it get redefined? Do it get used more or less or about the same? And how will Ash go about generate pressures and disguising them? Those are the things I'll be looking at/for in the early days of spring football.

12:29

Pogo, I love that your name is Pogo and thanks for being part of the chats. I think the intention is as much continuity as possible, and his background and Al Golden's mesh somewhere anyway in that Ash was a head coach at one point, spent some years in the NFL, etc. I think he HAD to be vague in that he's just learning the personnel and all the particulars and will continue that learning process for some time. I know Al Golden said it really took him to year 2 to really get everything the way he wanted to. With the minimal changes Ash plans to make, that timeline likely speeds up. (more)

Pogo from Madison

12:25

as always, love reading the chats and your thoughts. Now that you’ve heard coach Ash, do you have a feel for how the defense may evolve next year. He seemed very clear that there would not be a full overhaul, which makes sense, but he seemed vague on any specific tendencies he would have versus Golden. He may not be able to tell much without actually coaching . I also feel very lucky with the continuity of the coaching staff on defense in particular, where we could have had more losses.

Eric Hansen

12:24

That happened with the Big East years ago, and then the ACC came along with the five-game football commitment that worked. For a time there, it looked like the ACC was fragile, but it seems to have stabilized for now. The funny thing about Notre Dame joining a conference, when they actually did in 2020 for football during the pandemic, they went undefeated on regular-season conference play. To the NIL question, I am sure it's in the contract, but I don't know the answer. But if Notre Dame were in a conference, I bet I would!

12:22

Now there are times where examining it makes sense ... and these are the three topics that apply. 1) ND suddenly doesn't have a competitive media rights deal (but their extension with NBC quells that challenge). 2) They lose access to winning a national title in football. (So far through all the iterations of the Alliance, the BCS, the four-team playoff, the 12-team playoff and what's coming in 2026, Notre Dame has kept that access.) 3) The conference where its basketball teams and Olympic Sports teams called home implodes. (more)

12:18

Hi Kevin and thanks for coming up with fun questions like these to keep my fingers busy and my brain trying to keep up with them. ... Let's start with the independence question first. For us on the beat, it's become a punch line of sorts. How can Notre Dame's offensive line improve? Join a conference. How can ND get more five-star recruits? Join a conference. How can someone get their spouse to stop burning dinner? Join a conference. It's become a knee-jerk reaction to people who are either too lazy to understand the dynamic of what it would take for ND to consider it or not creative enough to come up with good ideas on a slow news day. (more)

Kevin from Calgary

12:08

Eric, nice to see you keep the chat going in the off-season, although I hope you get a break soon. Couple questions for this week's chat. First, do you think (or know if) Jadarian Price's NIL deal with jeweler Johnny Dang is contingent on him staying with the Irish. I know he might be able to put up better numbers if he transferred to a lesser school, but could leaving jeopardize his deal with the "King of Bling?" Secondly, it seems I can't google Notre Dame football without having a news story pop up about how the Irish are going to, or must, give up their independence. Any idea why so many football writers are obsessed with wanting ND to join a conference? Thanks, and keep up the great work!!!

Eric Hansen

Off we go ...

12:05

And heck, scratch the No Bare Feet rule today as well. We might get near 60 degrees here today.

Here are the rules ... with the exception of the No Drinking rule, which has been rescinded until further notice.

12:04

Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN with your question unless you're in the Federal Witness Protection Program ... then just make one up.

12:03

As far as this week's chat ...

► Finally, at WSBT Sports Radio 96.1, we’re rolling through a heavy news cycle in the run-up to Notre Dame spring football practice. Darin Pritchett and I are together this week on Wednesday and Thursday, and each week moving forward on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. You can download all episodes as podcasts.

12:02

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on YouTube. We’re back in our normal Monday night spot for the live presentation early this week and next.

12:01

Some quick programming notes:

12:00

Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat from sultry South Bend, Ind.

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