JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat July 24, 2020

Notre Dame Football Live Chat July 24, 2020

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Eric Hansen

1:49

The media has not been allowed to watch the workouts, and to this point neither has the coaching staff. However, the strength staff and the players are plugged in, and Kelly knows who is excelling. Some of the players who have jumped up and caught his attention that he mentioned to me are Tyree, Johnson, Mayer, Griffith, Kiser, Oghoufo, Foskey and Bertrand.

Tyler - Cleveland OH

1:46

Eric thanks for the time! From my understanding media hasn’t been allowed to see any practices or conditioning since the players came back and ND started the Covid phases. Any word on players? How does the team look? Book to Austin connection via 7on7? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:45

Who said anything about the weather? Notre Dame recruits nationally. and during this pandemic a lot of recruits ... much more than normal ... are electing to stay close to home. That explains in part why USC is doing so well all of a sudden in California.

Chip Pawleys Island SC

1:44

Why do we get beat over the head with “must get recruits on campus to have a shot”? The weather sucks in Ann Arbor and Columbus, too.

Eric Hansen

1:43

Thanks RK. 1, I spoke to someone yesterday who's plugged in, but he admitted it was an educated guess and he thinks Rocco Spindler will choose ND over Michigan next month. 2. I'll go with Joey Tanona, a four-star OT from Zionsville, Ind. 3. I think Book will have a good year, and I think it's a blessing to have a returning starter in the year with a pandemic.

RK Anderson

I guess Joe cool Montana was good in NFL too...but it's been a long time since Irish QB was NFL STAR...

1:36

Keep up the great work, man. And stay healthy! Ok, a few question from a man with cabin fever, but one who is wearing his mask. 1. Will Rocco go Irish? 2. Who will be first 2022 commit? 3. Can Ian Book get us to the next level? And, can Book become the first good IRISH QB in NFL since Joey Theisman like Heisman?? Sorry for the litany of questions, but I'm going nuts without sports😳

Eric Hansen

1:35

That has not been addressed by the NCAA, and it's not something Jack Swarbrick has given any thought to, he told me. My sense is that you'd let them play because there will be roster attrition by draft-eligible players who won't want to play. So roster caps would expand and perhaps that year won't count against those freshmen.

Matt from LA

1:33

Hypothetically, if the football season is moved to the spring, what happens with the incoming early enrollees? Do they have to burn a red-shirt or would they be ineligible to play (but hopefully can still participate in workouts/practices)?

Eric Hansen

1:33

Yes they will. When I talked to Brian Kelly recently, he spoke very highly of Johnson, Tyree and TE Michael Mayer.

Lee from Lancaster.SC

1:32

How will all the adjustments that's being made due to COvID-19 affect the development of the freshmen? Will Jordan Johnson and Chris Tyree still be expected to contribute to the offense?

Eric Hansen

1:32

I don't think "a lot" will be the right descriptor, but I do think he'll have a significant role. I think he will surprise some people with his durability. Brian Kelly thinks so too.

Jack from Rutland, Vt

1:31

Hi Eric, long time reader, first time sender, my question is: How likely is it that we'll see a lot of plays being run by Chris Tyree this season, especially if he shows himself to be as fast and elusive on the run as it appears he has been?

Eric Hansen

1:31

Joe, there's a difference between can and will because of depth at certain positions. I'd say DL Rylie Mills and CB Caleb Offord.

Joe Asbury Pk Nj

1:27

Who is your best guess of the true freshman who contribute Defensively ?

Eric Hansen

1:26

Short answer: I think it is concerning to the fans and the coaching staff. Notre Dame is a school where getting kids on campus makes a difference. It confirms. It changes minds. It has a special aura. You can only do so much virtually. The best thing that can happen to Notre Dame recruiting is for kids to be able to make visits with their families safely. That may not happen until 2021.

Matt from Nappanee, IN

1:24

I know you are not the recruiting guru, but does the direction of the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes concern you at all? It seems ND has lost tangible momentum during this pandemic.

Eric Hansen

1:24

Haha. We'll have info on the ND Insider website by next weekend, but you can email me ehansen@sbtinfo.com, and I'll get you the info as soon as I have it. Thanks.

GEorge from El Segundo, CA

1:23

How can we mail order the special August 9 section And, no, Eric, did not put me up to asking this question!

Eric Hansen

1:23

Well it's a legit question to address how complicated travel could become for all.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

1:22

Eric, in retrospect that was a dumb question I asked. ND fans come from all over the country anyway so what's the difference as far a reducing people crossing state lines goes?

Eric Hansen

1:22

The visiting fans question is not one I've posed to Jack Swarbrick. When we started going down the ticket/attendance road, he didn't want to address it officially until he knew what the schedule looked like. All I can tell you is that at this time, Indiana is not banning travelers from other states or putting quarantine restrictions on them. That could change. There are other states where that's an issue. I see Ohio just joined that group yesterday in issuing a travel advisory. Again, as a nation, our behavior can change this. If the virus numbers go down, the travel restrictions begin to lessen.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

1:11

Hi Eric, Since ticket allotment will be severely limited this season and there will be no single game sales via alumni lottery, does this mean that visiting teams will not get an allotment so as to accommodate more home fans and reduce people traveling and crossing state lines during a pandemic? Not just at ND, but nationwide?

Eric Hansen

1:10

Robert, I see what you did there. Love it. THE answer to your question is I think there will be some uniformity, at least conference to conference. And ND fits in the ACC's profile. Even if the best-case scenario played out, this is going to be the most asterisk-laden season since 1918, Knute Rockne's first year as coach when the Irish were adjusting the schedule as they went along that season.

Robert, Evansville, IN

1:07

Eric,
Thanks for all that you do covering The Fighting Irish. What percentage of teams would have to play for it to be considered a season? Let’s say 50-70% of teams cannot play due to various travel bans, team infection rates, etc. And there’s the other 30-50% that do schedule and compete. I am thinking that N.D.’s independence might actually help here. The conferences cancel yet N.D. plays and wins out. The bowl games are cancelled and they award N.D. the title with an asterisk. With such a weak NCAA organization, anything is possible. Stay safe.

Eric Hansen

1:07

Hi Chauncey. Great question, but I don't see it happening. Now if the ACC wasn't going to help ND out, the answer may have been different. But since they are, that is not a realistic possibility.

Chauncey

1:05

Hi Eric - This is Chauncey Maher from Lake Charles, LA. With the Big 10 canceling all non-conference opponents do you think Notre Dame is exploring those schools impacted to perhaps get them on the 2020 schedule? For example I am graduate of FAU and our game with Minnesota got canceled I am sure FAU would love the opportunity to come to South Bend . Any chance that could happen? Thanks and Godspeed.

Eric Hansen

1:05

Dick, I can feel your frustration, but that's way. way, way out of my lane.

Dick from Scottsdale AZ

1:04

Eric, Not exactly a Football Question but sorta: any word on when the Refunds will actually be given back to those thousands of ND Fans who bought the Game and Lodging Package from Anthony Travel for the Navy game in Dublin (average cost of $5K/couple)? We’ve been told “the check’s in the mail” for a month now.

Eric Hansen

1:04

I'm writing an in-depth feature on him for our special section. So I'll give you a couple of Cliffs Notes. From a recruiting standpoint, he's competitive, genuine and able to communicate his philosophy and vision very well. From a coaching standpoint, he's a two-star recruit who became an All-American. He knows how to teach and he knows how to overcome obstacles.

Sean Greensboro

1:01

Eric, hope you and your family are safe and well during these hectic times.Mike Mickens seems to have a magic touch. In your opinion, what makes him so good? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:01

John, I think the perspective of whether there will be a season or not is influenced by where you live and how the virus is being managed in that area. I've been on a roller coaster with it. I acknowledge that of all the sports trying to come back, college football is logistically both the toughest plan to execute and also the one with the most dire consequences if it doesn't come back. Some people don't want to hear this, but how people behave with regard to the virus is the biggest factor in what the answer ultimately is. We need to see the numbers start to come down. ... As for the Alabama-Notre Dame speculation, that's all it ever was. But it was fun speculation, so it grew legs that were never real. It wasn't close to happening.

John St.Pete FL

12:50

Hello Eric, thanks for the chat! Really does not feel like there will be college football in the fall, what do you think will be the ultimate fate of the 2020 season? Also what were the main issues that prevented the proposed Alabama/ND game and how close was that game to actually taking place? Thanks take care and be safe.

Eric Hansen

12:50

Fred, you and me both are tired of the hypotheticals. I can't wait to have something tangible to hold onto and plan for and write about. Our upcoming special section (Aug. 9) will include the types of stories you're looking for. And my feature on Brian Kelly will go down the road of what happened at Michigan, including his thoughts (and others) on the subject.

Guest

The summer is about half way over. Are you making any progress on your "what happened to ND in the Michigan game" story? Personally, I'm sick and tired of stories related to hypotheticals about the upcoming season/no season/modified season.

12:48

Fred M. St. Louis

Eric Hansen

12:47

Hi Rich, thank you for being part of the chats. If football isn't played at all in 2020, I think it would be hard to bring seniors back in 2021 and expand rosters, simply because you couldn't afford it. Even the richest programs would be hurting financially, so they wouldn't be looking to add expenses in 2021.

Rich Fabbre

12:43

Eric,

Thanx for your great Chat series. If, God forbid, we end up not playing at all this year, lots of non-draftable seniors will retain eligibility and likely want to play at ND again next year. With the typical batch of incoming freshman, how will ND manage the 85-player scholarship cap?

Rich Fabbre Roseville, CA

Eric Hansen

12:43

As for how many people in the stands, if at all? My sense is Notre Dame wouldn't go more than a third full. Local/state health regulations would dictate a lot of this. Right now, Indiana would allow a crowd of that size or larger, provided there's a plan for social distancing and observing the state's mask order.
Now you wanted percentages. If the season is played at all in the fall, I'll say 25 percent for Arkansas happening and 25 percent of fans in the stands. BUT ONLY if the virus data becomes more favorable.

12:40

These percentage questions are tough, because I can't predict how the virus numbers will change in the next month. So let's at least assume the season is going to be played and work our percentages off that assumption? If ND plays the 10+1 ACC model that's being seriously discussed, and they're going to choose Navy, Arkansas or Western Michigan as the plus-one, I think you can eliminate Western Michigan. So it comes down to a home game vs. Arkansas and a road game with Navy. (And we still don't know what the SEC is going to do). I would tip the odds to Navy, because of the now 94-year relationship. The Arkansas game could be rescheduled. The Irish don't make the return trip until 2025. And if you're Arkansas, wouldn't you want to play that game when the stadium is full and your fans can go to the game?

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