JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 18, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 18, 2021

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Eric Hansen

1:31

With Hartman having just one year to play at ND, I'm not sure why Steve Angeli would think about leaving. I could understand if Tyler Buchner wanted to consider that, but my expectation is that he will stay.

Shaun- Boston

1:30

Will both Tyler Buchner, and Steve Angeli be on the roster when the Irish take the field in Ireland? Thank you

Eric Hansen

1:30

Hi Mike. Yes, I/we will have the chance to talk with Sam Hartman. I believe the first opportunity to do so will be next month. Since I've never spoken to Sam, I'm not sure how he processed the multiple-turnover game against Louisville. But when USC, Ohio State and Clemson are also on your schedule and your team has playoff aspirations, my sense is a 24-year-old QB would be pretty locked in every week. As far as playing Tennessee State in week two, it's not a universal concept that is an embarrassment, but there are plenty who would agree with your assessment. I did a pretty thorough analysis of the situation last April, when the game was first announced. I'd recommend taking a look at that for in-depth pros and cons.

Mike, Gilbert, AZ

1:21

Eric, Do you or will you have an opportunity to talk with Hartman? Assuming he wins the QB job, do you think he will have the Louisville game circled on his calendar based on his performance in that game last year? Can ND drop the FCS school as it is embarrassing to have that game on the schedule. They can add Georgia that week who plays UT Martin. What happened to playing the best of the best? Tennessee state? Who? Come on man. Hope you are doing well. Cheers!

Eric Hansen

1:20

Hi Roger. There is no penalty -- as in a luxury tax, like Major League Baseball. You have to get to 85 by the date of the first classes of fall semester. No exceptions.

Roger from Peoria

1:18

With the recent Transfer Portal acquisitions and the signed 2023 Class the potential numbers are well beyond the 85 that will be the max later this year. I understand this "over subscription" has occurred at ND in the past but when crunch time arrives, the numbers have always been equal to or less than the 85 max. What is the penalty, if any, for a school that has more than 85 at crunch time? Thanks to you Eric, as always, and GO IRISH!!

Eric Hansen

1:17

Hi John. I wouldn't expect that to happen, nor would I expect the junior-to-be offensive guard to be receptive to that. The Irish do have some size there in Aidan Keanaaina (6-3, 323), a rotational player. Gabe Rubio (6-5, 295) has the potential to add weight as well. If the Irish were going to add a body there, they'll do it from the portal after spring practice. They could use experience, not a project. As far as Rocco Spindler goes, he'll be in the thick of the competition to fill one of the two vacant offensive guard spots.

John -Palmyra, PA

1:10

Has Rocco been approached about playing NG? With the lack of size up the middle and the supposed direction the defensive front is headed in recruiting, it would seem a very practical move and a direct line to the field for Rocco. No?

Eric Hansen

1:09

Hey Dave. I have connecting with Kahanu on my pre-spring to-do list. The vyper end should be back from his Mission about this time next year. He is not bound to return to ND, by rule, but that is my expectation from the last time I spoke with the family. ND offered his younger brother, Ko'o — a 2025 linebacker from Punahou School in Honoluiu — a scholarship last night.

Dave from DC

1:00

Hey Eric, in 2021, Kahanu Kia enrolled at Notre Dame. I believe he played one season before deciding on taking a 2-year mission. Have you heard anything about his status and whether or not he intends to return to Notre Dame?

Eric Hansen

12:59

Hey Chris. I wish! Not sure yet, but last year it was kind of a tradeoff -- way more player/coach interview access and less actually watching of competitive practice periods. I am grateful for the increased interview opportunities, but I am not optimistic we'll get to many full practices. Just stretching and some non-competitive drills.

Chris in San Diego

12:55

Peeking ahead to spring practice, do you anticipate more media access to these practices than last year?

Eric Hansen

12:55

Hi Tom, thanks. Tyler James this week really did a good job of breaking down the answer to your first question in detail. But the short answer is yes. 2. I'd say the cornerbacks will be a decided strength, provided the nickel position by TaRiq Bracy gets adequately filled. But love the depth and talent at that position. There are some questions at safety, but Xavier Watt's late-season surge and DJ Brown's return give me optimism about that group. 3. Of the three players you mentioned, I'd say Correll is the safest.

Tom from Grand Rapids

12:45

Eric, I hope the new year finds you well, and allowing you to recharge your batteries before Spring Ball starts. With the additions & defections to this team 1) will a REAL vertical passing game come back into the equation, as the threat of a pass over 30 yards wasn’t there most of the year. The ability to keep safeties honest will make the running game more lethal. 2). Is the defensive backfield now the strength of the defense…….if not who is, and are the pieces available for the other units to raise their play? 3). Are Styles, Liufau and Correll in jeopardy of losing their starting positions (though wr is interchangeable). Or any others you could think of. Go IRISH ☘️

Eric Hansen

12:45

Hi Irish Mike. I get the first part of your two-parter pretty regularly now, and my answer remains yes. And if Buchner stays, the answer would be hell yes, because I think Buchner being around Hartman will make him better in the long run. As far as 2024, that would definitely be a strong consideration.

Irish Mike, Altoona, PA

12:43

Hi Eric! As always, thank you for the chats! Two questions. First, is the risk of losing Tyler Buchner worth bringing in Sam Hartman for one season? Second, if Buchner were to transfer, would ND bring in another QB transfer in 2024 due to the fact none of the current quarterbacks would have any experience?

Eric Hansen

Until we can figure out nicknames for them, we're going to call Kaleb Smith the transfer Kaleb Smith Sr., and the Kaleb arriving in June as a freshman Kaleb Smith Jr.

12:42

So, of the 12 early enrollees, the wide receivers and safeties are going to get long looks. I think you can add CB Christian Gray and LB Drayk Bowen to that group. Don't count out the June group. Eight of Notre Dame's nine freshman All-Americans since ND adopted early enrollment in the 2006 offseason have been June enrollees -- including Ben Morrison this past year. But with Sam Hartman learning the offense and needing time to build chemistry with the receiving corps, Greathouse, Flores and James are going to benefit greatly from being at ND early (grad transfer WR Kaleb Smith, too).

12:37

Hi Tom. We talked about this on our Monday Night Live Show this week. ... Just to reset things, here are how the freshman enrollment breaks down:

Tom Kennesaw, GA

12:35

Eric, which of the early admission freshmen do you think will have the best opportunity to gain the most from being on campus for Balis Camp and then Spring Practice?? Which players are not quite ready for D1 competition that could really improve by coming to campus now? Thanks. Just like Recruiting, there is no time off for ND Football fans. GoIrish!!

Eric Hansen

12:35

Jim, thank you for the kind words. It looked like the NCAA was going to let analysts actually coach in practice. And with no cap on the number of analysts a team can have, it's a rule that would have favored the bigger-budget Power 5 teams, including Notre Dame. Gut then the NCAA Division I Council opted not to vote on the proposal, and instead kicked it back to the Football Oversight Committee for further evaluation with no timetable for reconsideration. Even with the analysts unable to work with the players directly in practice, having an experienced offensive mind for Rees to be able to bounce ideas off of, I believe, would be of great value. More importantly, both Rees and Marcus Freeman say they're on board if they can find the right fit. Perhaps former tight ends coach John McNulty comes back? I think this is a concept that might benefit other positions as well -- and especially if the NCAA moves forward with its original idea of letting analysts coach in practices.

Jim, Oakwood, OH

12:18

Hi Eric, I've really enjoyed the volume and content of the articles from you, Tyler and Kyle. Just outstanding - my thanks to you and your team. My question goes back to a comment that I believe you made over the course of several past chats: That an experienced "offensive analyst" should be hired to work with Coach Rees. With the current talent and all of the new comers - especially the experienced QB Sam Hartman - it seems to this lay person, that such an analyst would be a necessary addition to enhance the player development of the QB position and the other offensive skill players. Is that potential hire still likely + your thoughts? Be well.

Eric Hansen

12:18

Hi Tom. Ohio State was not very active in the portal, and didn't need to be. Notably, defensive back Ja'Had Carter was added — a significant addition — as well as former Oregon State QB Tristan Gebbia for depth. The Buckeyes lost six players to the portal, including DE Jovantae Jean-Baptiste, who landed at Notre Dame. Ohio State's biggest challenges will be replacing its two starting offense tackles and center, and perhaps there might be some concerns with its secondary, even with the addition of Carter. ND should have the advantage at QB in that game and most of the games it plays, which is new for the Irish and one of the reasons the Irish could project as a playoff contender in 2023 The Buckeyes still have more overall talent, but if the Irish wide receiver corps develops and the defensive line surprises, then you can talk confidently about perhaps the gap closing.

Tom from Sister Lakes

12:05

Hi Eric, I can't help but think that the recent developments in the transfer portal helped ND close the talent gap with Ohio State, especially given that ND got Hartman and OSU lost Stroud. A nice bonus was getting that DE from OSU. I have no idea how OSU did in the portal regarding gains/losses. That said, I know this is waaaaay too early and you will qualify your answer (rightfully so) by saying you haven't seen spring practice, fall camp and fall practice, but do you believe ND has a good chance of beating OSU in the stadium next September?

Eric Hansen

Off we go ...

12:05

Here come the rules ...

As far as this week's chat goes ... please remember to include you name and hometown along with your question(s).

► Tyler James and I were back with our YouTube show, Monday Night Live, on Monday, Jan. 16. In that episode, we answer the question: Is Notre Dame’s 2023 roster better than the 2022 version? We also break down the latest in recruiting and size up the 12 freshman early enrollees. When you can’t catch us live, you can watch anytime during the week, as the show keeps its shelf life going through the entire week.

12:04

Some quick programming notes:
► Our Inside ND Sports Podcast presented by Dead Soxy records on Thursday this week. So be sure to look for it on our homepage or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean and Pocket Casts. If you missed last week’s, you’ll want to catch former Notre Dame two-time defensive coordinator Rick Minter, now an analyst at Michigan, discussing the lessons a first-year head coach learns, how to oversee an offense as a defensive coach, when critical changes can be made in the offseason, the importance of staff continuity, his role as a defensive analyst, the proposal to allow analysts to be on-field coaches in practices, how offense is crucial to win a national championship and more.

12:03

Speaking of byes. The 2023 Notre Dame football schedule was released in its final version today, complete with two byes.

12:02

Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat after a journalistic bye week.

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