JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 30, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 30, 2025

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Rui from Ossining, NY

2:07

Last week, i asked for you to give me your starting lineup for offense and defense in 2025...you said next week will get you something...its that time, no pressure...have at it

...and if its too much right now, no worries, will come back next chat and ask again

Eric Hansen

2:07

Chuck, when you say the land, I think you mean the city where I came roaring into the world a few decades ago, CleveLAND. Here are your quick answers. 1. Yes and more balanced. 2. Kind of, but having Mills and Traore/Botelho and Morrison would have evened the cards on the table. 3. Not a ton of difference in skill set. Carr stronger arm and slightly better runner, processes the game at a stunning speed considering his age. Mental toughness off the charts. Angeli also processes really quickly, also mentally tough. To me the biggest difference is ceiling, both high-floor guys, but Carr's ceiling might be scary high. And wow, that was a cool way to end those questions, thank you. Much appreciated.

CHUCK FROM "THE LAND"

2:02

Hi Eric, my 2025 debut. Still on a HIGH about this great season; beat iconics like FLA ST, USC, GA, PENN ST & TX A&M. Quick questions: 1) WHY will the ND offense be better next year? 2) Was Golden outcoached --so many chunk plays and wide open lanes & routes and 3) HOW are the skill sets of Carr & Angeli different? Appreciate you and your work ethic. We are lucky to have you.

Eric Hansen

2:01

I think Mickens is HUGE in Ash's success and its mutual. But Mickens brings continuity in scheme, in recruiting, brings elite development. And Ash brings expertise in safety development and another set of eyes as Mickens coaches two position groups.

1:59

Sorry, phone call from one of my sons, who doesn't quite grasp the concept of a LIVE chat LOL. Back to your question.

1:53

Jordan!! I will reciprocate your punctation and give you props for explaining it. Well-played. Staying beyond NEXT season, I think it comes down to if he feels like he's continuing to move toward a DC position at ND or elsewhere and what the long-term plan for Ash is. Does he aspire to be a head coach again? An NFL DC? Because if he does a great job, he will not be at ND long. The other part of that is: Does Marcus feel Mickens needs to go somewhere else as a firs-time DC before he could potentially come back and be the DC at Notre Dame? Now to No. 2 of your question ... (more)

Jordan, from Seattle

1:47

Eric!! Second post so second exclamation point. I hope to earn more. Thank you for your tireless coverage and great humor. Two questions: 1. what are the odds/factors coaxing Mickens to stay beyond next season? 2. How important to Golden was Mickens?; that is, what fundamental changes would Golden (now Ash, in perhaps 2026?) have needed to make without Mickens’s elite development and coaching?

Eric Hansen

1:46

For those who didn't see this story last May, it may be worth your time: Inside the Notre Dame football program’s seismic off-the-field evolution ... But the big takeaway is that director of scouting Matt Jansen starts accruing a list of 30-50 potential transfers at EVERY position group in July. That's how much science goes into it. Now, to your question (FINALLY!!! I know). I have not talked to any draft analysts yet, so this is very off the top of my head. I'd expect Riley Leonard and Beaux Collins at the very least to get drafted. Probably Jordan Clark too. So that's three. But there are a bunch on the mix to make rosters ... Jeter, Oben, Heard, Harrison, maybe Mitchell. If I had to guess a number, including practice squad guys, I'd guess 6? I may revise that after talking to some draft folks.

1:41

Hi Tom. Tell me about it. My phone told me it wants either a raise or a vacation! Football Never Sleeps. And I love it. .... Thanks for your questions and for the book and for spending time with us in Atlanta. Awesome visit. I want to verbally commit to Atlanta. ... I will trust your stats for the past transfer classes. This is something important to point out before I give you my answer. Notre Dame puts WAY more into it (and they should) under Freeman than they did under Brian Kelly. And in BK's defense, he does that at LSU, but let me show you why ND is better in the portal. (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:28

Hey Eric, things just don't slow down!!! What a crazy time. My question is about ND's use of the portal. It looks like they had 3 in 2022; 6 in '23; 9 in '24 and so far 8 for '25. This will be the 4th year we have brought in a kicker via the portal. I don't see that changing anytime soon. From the 9 transfers from '22 and '23 it looks like there were 6 players that were on NFL rosters this past season. Of the 9 that were on this year's team, how many do you think will make an NFL roster this coming season??? 3 or 4?? And, who do you think they might be?? Hopefully we can continue to add high quality players from the portal. Thanks for all your great coverage. All of us "mad chatters" really appreciate it!! Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

1:28

Hi Skip. Jeremiyah Love was feeling pretty good going into the game and may have got dinged a bit, but everyone else was healthy. That's not why there were only seven running backs carries (and 17 from the QB and one from a WR). When you play the nation's No.1 defense and they're balanced in being elite against both the run and the pass, they can have more influence on your offensive game plan than say, Stanford. And Ohio State was determined to commit to limiting ND's traditional run game and forcing the Irish to do something else to move the ball and score points. Plus being down 31-7 also limits the practicality of feeding the ball to the running backs.

skip - houston

1:23

Our running backs had only seven carries against Ohio State. How injured were each of the three? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:22

Hi Ced. Tae is listed as a safety for spring, so that's where I expect him to start the spring. If there are injuries at corner, he may have to migrate back there. We're going to find out about Cam Williams. Two things I love about him -- he has the want-to, humility and work ethic of a walk-on and the talent to be something really special. Will it all come together this spring/summer? We're about to find out together, but I like his chances.

Guest

1:19

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride what position will tae Johnson play in spring practice will cam Williams b be ready to step up at wr this spring god bless this football team here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

1:19

Offensive philosophy of the OC. This OC is committed to having an offense that can do all things like OSU's. Do I have faith that Mike Brown will change the narrative? I think Marcus Freeman does, which is more important. What I have faith in is the notion this is a big recruiting cycle for Mike Brown.

1:17

They had a QB who was third in pass efficiency, dynamic WRs at all three positions. A really good O-line. Two dynamic RBs. And that same QB can extend plays, is poised and experience and can hurt you with his legs. So what can you take away? Nothing without giving something away or gambling. And that's where ND's offense is headed. Why not more dynamic receivers in bunches since the days of Michael Floyd/Golden Tate? Lots of reasons, including not a lot of recent success at the position. Some of its wide receiver coaches. Look at ND WR recruiting during the Del Alexander stretch. (more)

1:14

True, because it played out on the other side. And they almost had a chance with the configuration they had. It really would have been interesting to see what happened in the final minute if they get the third-down stop. Why do I say true? Because that's what Ohio State had paired with an elite defense. As a defensive coordinator OSU is exactly what you DON'T want to game plan against. Because they have an answer for just about everything you can throw at them if they can handle your disguises and surprises. (more)

Mike from Rockville, MD

1:05

Hi, Eric!!! True or False. With a more accurate QB and more dynamic WRs, ND had a chance against Ohio State. Explain. Also, why has ND historically had trouble recruiting dynamic WRs? Do you have faith in Mike Brown to change that narrative?

Eric Hansen

1:04

I think Steve Angeli could start for a top 25 program, yes. Especially is they have a really good O-line. I really admire how he's approached being a backup and has taken advantage of every opportunity, including learning from Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard instead of sulking about them.

1:02

Hi Jack, and thanks for your questions. We hit the QB competition timeline earlier, but let me get to the others. Not surprised that all four QBs stayed, given the length of ND's playoff run and the belief this will truly be an open competition. With ND finishing on Jan. 20, they were already a starting their second week of spring-semester classes and Ohio State its third week. So finding a landing spot and getting enrolled in time meant a small inventory of fits. Now do I expect all four to stay behind the spring portal period? Probably not. But if I'm one of those four guys, I'm excited about spring and playing behind THAT offensive line, with those running backs and an upgraded receiver room. (more)

Jack, Strongsville,Ohio

12:56

Hi Eric. Were you surprised that none of the 4 quarterbacks on the roster opted for the transfer portal? Do expect a starter to emerge during the spring or will the competition extend to the fall? Do you feel Steve Angeli could start for a top 25 program? Thanks as always for your great work.

Eric Hansen

12:55

Quickly, on Chad Bowden, he's a really talented and creative guy who I think will do well at USC and I think ND could have kept and they did last year when Michigan went after him. But I think there is an opportunity here to get someone who not only is really good at the recruiting and scouting side, but also the business/money/retention side. And you're right that may end up being more than one person.

12:53

Really good recruiter (except at Rutgers), has some NFL vibe going on from the last few years. Weaknesses. He inherited a mess at Rutgers and it didn't get better. Not concerned about his last college DC job being 2020. Al Golden's last coordinator's job on any level before ND was 2005 and his last job in college was 2015, so much longer gap. Not sure I can answer quickly the question about who I might have hired beyond the guys Marcus considered. My mind doesn't go there easily, because it wasn't a reality, so I don't do that kind of research I would need to give you a good answer. I just kind of deal with the cards on the table. (more)

12:49

I'll give you an example. Ash's most recent season as a college DC was 2020. With Texas. The Longhorns were 64th in total defense and head coach Tom Herman got fired at the end of that season. BUT, what was Texas the year before Ash was DC? 97th, so quite a significant improvement. I tend to trust Marcus' track record of hires and the big endorsement from Urban Meyer carries weight with me too. Strengths, I hit some of those in the hiring story and will have more in the days ahead, but the quick chat answer is, really good at coaching safeties, aggressive in his approach (more)

12:42

Hi Marie, great to have you on the chat and still digesting the largest chicken parm portion I think I've ever had. Really enjoyed meeting in Atlanta. My knee-jerk reaction when I sensed Golden was leaving was that Mike Mickens would be promoted. And it sounds like he will be, just not to the defensive coordinator position. I though Marcus would and should consider everything, including an outside hire. Perhaps this is the best of both worlds? My experience with these kind of hires is the résumés need to have context. And so that takes some digging. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:37

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. I’m sure it’s been very busy. Can you give your thoughts on Chris Ash as the new defensive coordinator, were you surprised by his hiring, what are his strengths and what would be some potential weaknesses, and are you at all concerned that it’s been several years since he held a coordinator position in college football? Excluding Knowles and Leonhard who would have been a couple of your choices for the job? I’m assuming if Notre Dame wanted to they could’ve matched USC to keep Chad Bowden, how big of a loss do you feel that he is and how do you think Notre Dame will move forward in replacing him could you see them replacing him with more than one person and potentially dividing up the general manager position a little differently? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights.

Eric Hansen

12:37

I think you could pencil in Fields, Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison in as the starters. So you have three rotation spots, maybe four behind them and eight players competing for those. Wisconsin grad transfer Will Pauling and Gilbert are the most likely. And that's where it gets interesting. There are always surprises, but I see Jerome Bettis Jr. and Scrap Richardson having the longest odds to make an early impact. So now it's down to Saldate, Williams, KK Smith and Elijah Burress. For one or two spots. My sense is Williams ascends.

12:33

Gilbert played well in the spring and in training camp. And of the freshman receivers, he got the most game reps (43). He did not grade well in that limited sample size. But he is much better than that. The problem was numbers. He was at the deepest receiver position. Boundary. Beaux Collins, the starter at that position, played by far the most snaps of any receiver. Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie, were 2 and 3, so it's hard to get your No. 4 at a position meaningful reps. So how might things play out in the spring and then once Fields joins in, in June? (more)

12:30

Hi Michael. That Malachi Fields, the grad transfer from Virginia, is a June arrival and not a January one, opens the door wider for some young receivers to make an impression, especially Micah Gilbert -- who plays the boundary receiver. And there is a huge opportunity this spring for all three sophomores-to-be to make a move .., that's Gilbert, Logan Saldate and Cam Williams. So let me answer the Gilbert question first, and then we'll spin forward until what this spring might look like. (more)

Michael from Chicago

12:21

Which young WR(s) do you anticipate cracking the rotation next year? And was it a surprise that Gilbert didn’t get more run this year considering his production in the spring?

Eric Hansen

12:19

Marcus Freeman talked about doing just that before he hired Al Golden in 2022, and it all went out the window pretty fast. So the intention to do so is a good one, but the practicality of it doesn't always sync up. The fact that the rest of the defensive staff is staying, especially Mike Mickens, will ease with the translation and continuity.

Bob (Oxnard)

12:15

To smooth the transition for our players, will Chris Ash adapt/express his scheme by using the language/vocabulary/calls that our players already know?

Eric Hansen

12:15

And to better answer your more-specific question, the timing is all about naming the starter, not naming the leader. So there should be confidence the starter named is actually the eventual starter. Now might someone drop out during the spring transfer-portal window (April 16-25)? Maybe. We need to see some of this play out. Otherwise, I need a Ouija board to give you an answer.

12:13

Hi Brendan. Since it will be an actual competition among three viable options, with freshman Blake Hebert perceived as a back-burner QB this spring, the competition itself will inform the timetable. Head coach Marcus Freeman isn't going to pick an arbitrary deadline and then force-fit the competition to that deadline. My best guess is that there will be a loose pecking order coming out of spring, open to those shifting over the summer. And then eventually the starter would be named in the first couple of weeks of training camp. (more)

Brendan from Pittsburgh

12:07

How quickly do you think will the QB battle will be decided? And should timing inject any confidence or doubt concerning the eventual starter? (i.e. Carr winning in the spring means he is significantly ahead of Angeli/Minchey)

Eric Hansen

12:07

And we're off ...

I am stuck with caffeine, which actually helps.

The "No drinking" rule continues to be rescinded, except as it applies to me.

12:06