JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 4, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Jan. 4, 2023

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Eric Hansen

2:38

Happy Holidays Shane. I did see quite a few of the bowl games, at least portions of them. I couldn't find a way to track the total number of fourth downs nationally without hours of math, but I did track the leaders. And the top 10 teams from this year, ranging from 53 to 36 were pretty similar to the range from 2021. But if you roll it back to 2013, the range in the top 10 was from 38 to 29, so yes it appears there were fewer. Notre Dame attempted 16 and its opponents 22 in games against the Irish.

Shane from White Deer, Texas

2:32

Hey Eric. I hope you had some great holidays. My question depends on if you were able to watch many of the bowl games. Question - do you believe teams are going on fourth down more now than in the past? I used to be one of those fans that thought teams should go for it when they only had a foot or two to go. Now it seems that teams are willing to go for the first down with yards to go. I think this is happening early in games, not when teams “have” to have it because of minimal time. Is there a trend here, or am I imagining this. Maybe in bowl games teams are willing to take the risk, but I think I have noticed this throughout the season. Any stats on this? Thank you for answering our questions.

Eric Hansen

2:31

Hi John. I agree with some of the analysts you've perused. I think the D-line was not as good as it should have been and needs to be better in 2023. Part of you answer hinges on Justin Ademilola's return (or not) and portal additions (or not). But if there are going to be surprises, they're going to come from this year's freshman class, who other than Junior Tuihalamaka, played very little. To me, if there's not multiple members of the group that includes Josh Burnham, Tyson Ford, Aiden Gobaira and Donovan Hinish pushing for spots in the rotation, that's a red flag for me.

Guest

2:16

This is John from Richardson Texas. Lifetime Notre Dame fan who is very excited about the current position of the program and it's prospects to compete for a national championship. Currently analysts are saying that the defensive line as it stands now will be a weakness in 2023. It had been a strength in recent years. I get the feeling that the analysts are overly pessimistic . My question is which lineman borderline men may unexpectedly emerge to be a starter or heavy in the rotation?

Eric Hansen

2:16

Kevin!! The NCAA implemented some rules to speed up the game a few years ago and it's helped. The average length of a college game is three hours and 27 minutes. The average time for a Notre Dame game is 3:18. I can live with that.

Kevin-Sleepy Eye,MN

2:13

Eric!! Let's talk NFL vs College game a little here. Do you feel college games take too long? Should changes be made to shorten college games?

Eric Hansen

2:13

Hi Tom. Best wishes to you and your family. ,,, It's Rees' choice about returning or not. Marcus Freeman isn't trying to push him out the door. Now, a lot of people on our Insider Lounge message board wanted to fire Rees at different junctures during the game. Unless Jack Swarbrick was using an assumed name, it's not happening. Now, could Rees leave for an NFL job, yes it could happen, but I anticipate him coming back for 2023. What I think you're driving at is SHOULD Rees be back? I think he is a pretty creative guy with a lot of potential. I think the biggest reason the potential doesn't match production is inexperience. And I think the best thing for Rees and the Notre Dame offense is to hire an experienced analyst who could act as a sounding board for Rees and help him accelerate his growth curve.

Tom from Toronto

2:06

Hi Eric, I hope that you and your family had a good Christmas and will have a healthy and happy 2023. To borrow from Charles Dickens, it was the best of offensive play calling and it was the worst of offensive play calling. On more than a few occasions during the South Carolina game I thought that it would be good to see Coach Rees in the NFL next year. The 100-yard interception for a touchdown on the "play whose time had not yet come", was one of those occasions. On other times, I saw plays that were creative and timely, real works of art, such as ND’s last touchdown and the pass on the fake field goal that went for 20 yards and a first down. My late Scottish mother-in-law had a saying that, “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” My question is, do you think that Coach Rees has shown such skills, creativity and improvement that next year ND should stick with the devil they know? As usual, I appreciate your insights. All the best to you and the InsideNDSports team in the new year. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

2:05

I want to sit down with him in the not-too-distant future and ask him about that, but from my observations, there's a confidence and an air about him now that's he's not just delegating, he's in charge. And I do think in the bowl game, his decisions positively impacted the outcome of that game. One of his biggest strengths, win or lose, is constantly with a critical eye, taking a hard look at how different aspects of his coaching can improve.

Jorge, Rowlett, TX

2:02

Happy New Year Eric!!! Great win by the Irish especially after playing from behind for the entirety of the 1st half!!! In watching the game, I couldn't help but notice a certain level of growth and maturity from the coaching staff especially from Marcus Freeman. How would you summarize his 1st full year as coach at Notre Dame from last years bowl through this years bowl and how does that summary project to the job he'll do as HC going forward?

Eric Hansen

2:02

Hi Don. Thanks for the congrats, and thanks for supporting us through subscribing. I means a lot. I plan to do a larger version of this answer in the not-too-distant future, but I can give you some bullet points. Recruiting (both high school and transfers) will always be on the front burner. He won't likely have much (if any) coaching turnover, but the NFL cycle hasn't begun, so he may have to deal with that at some point. I think a big part of his evolution will be investing in learning more about the nuances of offensive football from an offensive standpoint. I also think he'll want to look back at gameday operations and how those can be improved. How can he impact the game more in a positive way? And he'll look hard at his player development model at all positions.

Don in PHX

1:56

Eric, Happy New Year. I know it's longer than a year but congratulations to you, Tyler and the rest of the staff for a great year 1. Coach Freeman is now starting his second year. What do you think will be his focus this off season compared to last off season when he was pulled in many directions? As always, thanks for the great work.

Eric Hansen

1:55

Yes there is surprise around the program and outside of it too. He's a very talented receiver with a big spring ahead of him.

Dave from DC

1:54

Is there some surprise around the program that Lorenzo Styles regressed this year? Is he a potential candidate as a slot receiver, with Thomas, Colzie and Meriweather on the outside?

Eric Hansen

1:53

I see that Happy Hour has started?

lavilleman911

1:52

just why did you tell drew pyne what you did ?????????????

Eric Hansen

1:52

Ced, it's a shame there are errors in the official stats that go uncorrected. You are right about Barnes. He didn't play. The official book even had Avery Davis starting for Notre Dame at wide receiver in the game. How can that happen? I'm not sure what you're reading into Barnes and Riley, but they got leaped over by two freshmen and played six defensive snaps all year between them. Maybe Barnes moves to safety, but they could seem to have a decision to make.

ced walker

1:45

ced walker saginaw michigan I notice on und.com on stats they had ryan bo barnes as 1 quarterback hurry he wasnt dress for the game I notice phillip riley didnt take a pic with coach mickens and the group of cb after the win im a reding too much god bless the golden standard rally we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

1:45

There was a thought early in his career that he might grow into that position. This late in his career, I'd be surprised if that happens now.

Bob (Oxnard CA)

1:43

Can Marist effectively play defensive end?

Eric Hansen

1:42

Thank you, Myliah. Alexander Ehrensberger was ascending in 2021 under Mike Elston and became an afterthought in 2022 under Al Washington. That surprised me. I didn't expect him to be a starter, but I didn't expect him to go backwards. Perhaps there's more involved. There's a need for quality players at that field defensive end spot, but unless there's a shift this spring, it feels like he's being jumped over on the depth chart by younger players.

Myliah, El Cerrito

I've been wondering... how has the development of DE Alexander Ehrensberger from Germany come along? I don't see/read much about him. He was always an interesting project, and I know there's an acute need at edge rusher in 2023... Is he panning out? Will he?

1:39

Hello Eric, your chats last year were always a pleasant mid-week break from work; I hope they'll provide a little added warmth on this miserable, bomb-cyclone day in the SF Bay Area...

Eric Hansen

1:38

And when we spoke, it was like talking to someone I had known my whole life. He was interested in my background too and made me feel at ease with him. That authenticity is an incredibly huge asset and will continue to be in an era in which you not only have to be able to recruit elite high school players and transfers, but you need to continually re-recruit you own roster. Thanks again for jumping in today.

1:35

Hi John. Thanks for not only submitting a question, but doing so with a large does of compliments. I'm truly humbled. Thank you. Marcus' openness and vulnerability was as refreshing as it was surprising. And while it may have opened him up to criticism by some people, it opened him up to great relationships with his players. And that made him better. It's funny, the summer before Marcus was hired in January of 2021 as defensive coordinator, I reached out to him at Cincinnati for a story I was doing on cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens. Mickens worked for Freeman at UC and the two were former high school teammates. (more)

John, Indianapoliis

1:30

Hi, Eric. I join the ranks of first-time questioners who have long appreciated and admired your insightful coverage of Notre Dame football through the years. And once again, you have provided excellent insight and analysis into this year's team. Your talent as a writer also shines through in your coverage. In looking back on this past season, one of the most intriguing parts of it has been the transparency and even vulnerability that Marcus Freeman has often displayed in his press conferences about his first year as a head coach, qualities that reflect his genuineness and make me root for him beyond his win and loss record--although I know that's what he will ultimately be judged upon as a coach. You've touched upon those qualities at different points in your coverage. But as his first season has come to an end, can you share your overall thoughts about his openness and vulnerability, and what that's been like for you covering him? Thanks again for sharing your gifts in covering the Irish.

Eric Hansen

1:30

With the NCAA recruiting dead period for transfers ending yesterday, face-to-face contact is now back in play, so I'd expect the Sam Hartman transfer to move quickly now. Anthony Lucas is a stud defensive lineman ND pursued in the 2022 recruiting cycle who ultimately chose Texas A&M. He played seven games (10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hurry) for the Aggies before being suspended with three other players for a locker room incident. I understand Lucas had worked his way back into good standing, but he is opting for the portal anyway. The suspension is a sticky situation, but ND has a long history with the kid and his family and I'm told there would be interest is Lucas indeed follows up and officially hits the portal.

Chris in Abq, NM

1:25

A great 2023 to you and all on this board today! Tell me we get Sam Hartman and Anthony Lucas this week.

Eric Hansen

1:24

Michael, the postgame press conference was unusually short with very limited question opportunities (and a couple of silly ones that helped no one). So while that was the assumption, it was never confirmed. Next time we have Marcus in front of us, we'll make sure that gets asked.

Michael from Elkview, WV

1:22

Did Ben Morrison suffer a concussion in the bowl game?

Eric Hansen

1:22

Hey Ben, let's assume there are no surprise transfers out from that position group. I think your three starters come from the three sophomores and freshman Tobias Merriweather. So Jayden Thomas, Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie and Merriweather are going to be the core. ND is not bringing in Va Tech transfer Kaleb Smith to sit. So I would say of the four freshmen coming in -- Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores Jr., Braylon James and the other Kaleb (KK) Smith, Greathouse is the one most likely to make the rotation. Also Matt Salerno is coming back for a sixth year.

Ben, Hinsdale IL

1:18

Hi Eric, with regards to turnover at the WR position do you envision multiple freshmen to be primary contributors next season?

Eric Hansen

1:17

Happy New Year Frank. ND has a pretty good idea who is going to transfer or who is considering it either now or in May. I would not consider it an absolute failure to your latter question, because of the limited pool of players ND can pursue in the portal, but the preference is to add at both those positions.

Frank from Royse City, Texas

1:16

Eric, Happy New Year to you and your family. Does the ND coaches know what players are transferring at this point? If ND doesn’t get transfers at DL and safety would you consider this an absolute failure by ND?

Eric Hansen

1:15

Notre Dame will have 10 wide receivers in the roster (nine this spring) without CJ Williams. So from a math standpoint it makes sense to be done. However, Williams would be the highest-rated WR on the roster should he end up at ND and that is a reasonable scenario. Should Williams follow through on his intention and actually take the portal plunge, I expect there to be interest from Notre Dame. But he better be ready to compete. There is quantity and quality now in the wide receiver room. At USC this past season, Williams played in 10 games and caught four passes for 34 yards.

Don

1:05

Happy New Year from rainy Los Angeles. Any chance Rees/Freeman/Chancy go back to CJ Williams or is he UCLA bound? Or maybe we are done at WR for now? Finally, any thoughts on who a safety portal pick could be. As always thanks for your thoughtful analysis.

Eric Hansen

1:04

Dan, I think I remember meeting you before the Blue-Gold Game when I had to do some TV stuff. ... And thanks. Re Rocco, remember it's the best five, not the upcoming guards, so backup tackles will also be in the mix. So essentially -- unless someone surprises, you have Andrew Kristofic, Rocco Spindler, Tosh Baker, Michael Carmody and Billy Schrauth all competing for two spots. My bold prediction is that Schrauth takes a spot. That leaves four really good players battling for the other spot. Kristofic as the edge with experience. So Rocco would have to have a great spring to leap over him. He's certainly talented, but I don't think he has the inside track unless my read on Schrauth is off.

Guest

Now that Patterson & Lugg have exhausted their eligibility, who’s next at the GUARD spots? Is it Spindler time? Dan (Plymouth, MI)

12:57

I enjoy your work guys!

Eric Hansen

12:57

I think recruiting and development on the defensive line needs to take a step up. Portal additions are necessary this offseason, I would say at edge and inside. There's plenty of talent at linebacker, so it's a matter of getting the best players on the field. ND is looking at a portal addition at safety, and I think that's a good thing. So your timetable depends a lot of what happens this offseason with development and portal additions. I'll have a better answer for you in the spring, rather than a guess. But I think it can be done. Clarence Lewis at safety? Some of that depends on how college ready early enrollee Christian Gray is and how Cam Hart is after another shoulder surgery. There may be some attrition at corner, so you may need Lewis there for depth.

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