JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat June 12, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat June 12, 2024

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Eric Hansen

1:22

Pogo, with that kind of intro, I can surmise one of two things -- you're either having a beer or I need to buy you one! Audric Estimé did big things for ND last year as did Kyren Williams before him and so on. ND is recruiting very well at that position. I think Jeremiyah Love is the next really good one at that position. Not only does he have breakaway speed, he's more robust physically now and able to break tackles. I really like what Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams bring as well, both over 200 pounds. I think the wild card is 6-0, 229-pound freshman Kedren Young. He has a chance to be that short-yardage back, and yet he's got some giddy-up as well. ND at times will use their tight ends as blocking backs. The traditional fullback will not return. How the blocking might be in front of them is a bigger concern than who's in the RB room.

Pogo in Springfield, Mo.

1:15

Keep waiting for you to prove you are not the a superhero of sports journalism, but so far there is not a shred of evidence. So, I trust you to give evidence that the running back room is...or is not...as strong as last year without Estime. Lot of speed and shiftiness, but who blows up the gut for 2-8 much needed yards? Any evidence of use of a fullback or H-back. I always love the shovel pass to the TE too. Just a bit concerned with the loss of a good RB for the season and looking for you to buoy my spirits!

Eric Hansen

1:15

Hi Jim. It's always good to have contingency plans in place. I think expanding the board was a result of Taylor trending toward Georgia, where he recently committed, and Shaun Terry decommitting. There are two 2025 WR prospects on visits to Notre Dame as we speak, Dylan Robinson and JonAnthony Hall, and two more uncommitted 2025s who will visit this weekend, Meadows and Tanook Hines. I think the best-case scenario is getting Hines and Meadows, but I like Hall a lot. The Irish would like to add two to Elijah Burress and Jerome Bettis Jr.

Jim G from Wheaton, IL

1:08

Greetings, Eric!! Thanks for giving us our regular "fix" through these chats- it is greatly appreciated! Are we seeing expanded offers to "new" 2025 WRs recently because the Irish knew that Talyn Taylor wasn't going to come to Notre Dame, and are they getting a similar vibe about Derek Meadows? Those two were clearly high priorities and ranked among the best receivers nationally, and now we are looking at several other recruits that we hadn't heard much about previously, and who aren't nearly as highly-regarded by comparison. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:07

Of the three transfer receivers, Jayden Harrison's biggest impact will likely be as a kick returner. So that narrows it to Kris Mitchell and Beaux Collins. Collins is at a much more crowded position (boundary) and yet the coaching staff is optimistic about his ability to rise in that situation. Mitchell has a clear path to playing time and the elite speed to be a big-impact player. As much as I'm intrigued by Collins, I'll lean toward Mitchell. ... As far as a concern that S commit Ivan Taylor is taking other visits, I'll put that as a 4 on the concern scale. We have a story on our site from our Alabama site that recaps his visit there. ... Trap game? I want to say the Georgia Tech game in October, but am opting for Virginia at home after FSU instead.

1:00

Hi Marie. Vacation was great (with more to come later). Glad to be back this week. Thanks. Of the new arrivals, eager to see all of them, but most curious about how Guerby Lambert looks at tackle, because I think he can be elite in time. I think the two corners, Karson Hobbs and Leonard Moore, have the greatest opportunity to earn playing time, based on numbers at CB. I could see Brauntae Johnson getting on the field if he can learn the nickel and back up Jordan Clark. My wild card is Logan Saldate. Slot receiver is stacked, and yet I like his game a lot. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:55

Hi Eric, I hope you had a fantastic vacation and that you are enjoying the start of summer. Of the new freshman that just arrived who are you the most excited to see, and who do you think will have the biggest opportunity to make a meaningful contribution in the fall? Of the three transfer receivers, who do you think will have the biggest impact this year? On a scale of one to 10, how worried are you about the Ivan Taylor situation? Finally, if you had to pick one trap game in the fall, which would it be? As always, thanks so much for the insights and hosting the chat,

Eric Hansen

12:55

Roger. I appreciate you jumping in the question queue today, and with a really good one. I think your observation about Jerome Bettis Jr., a 2025 WR commit, projecting well as a safety is an astute one. Like Micah Gilbert in the 2024 class, Bettis is starting to ascend as a WR later in his high school career. I think his first opportunity will be one that will let him try to prove himself on offense. Then there can be a reassessment based on how that goes, what the WR numbers look like and whether there is a need at safety at that point. The boundary receiver position could lose three players after the season -- Beaux Collins for sure, and maybe seniors Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie, so there could be opportunity there for Bettis in 2025.

Roger, Munster IN

12:50

hi Eric. do you get the sense that Jerome Bettis JR may be used on the defensive side of the ball rather then WR? He pops on film much more as a physical rangey sort of rover /SS rather than a pass catcher (in my humble opinion) so just curious what the sense is closer to the program or if coaches have added any color to their projections for the young man. All the best and i appreciate all you do

Eric Hansen

12:49

Hi Charlie. Timetables can shift when it comes to injury, either for the good or the not so good. But I think Marcus Freeman is sincere when he projects mid August as a timeline for Morrison to be 100 percent. And he has a plan in case that gets protracted. Ben Morrison may be the best CB in football, but Christian Gray and Jaden Mickey could start for a lot of FBS teams.

Charlie in Texas

12:47

Do you believe B. Morrison will be ready to start August 31st against A & M. I listen to Marcus Freeman's comments about the timetable for Morrison's return and I am not so certain. I think reading between the " tea leaves ", he will not be ready. What are you hearing " if anything " ?

Eric Hansen

12:46

As far as linebacker recruiting, development is also key and Notre Dame -- with Al Golden and Max Bullough -- earn high marks there as well. But let's just look at LB rankings. Rivals has been ranking players since the 2002 cycle. From 2002 to 2021, Notre Dame recruited two linebackers who were top 50 overall players in their class and a third, in Daelin Hayes, who was classified as a linebacker but who ND recruited as a DE. The two? Manti Te'o and Jaylon Smith. In the 2022-24 cycles, they stacked three -- Jaylen Sneed, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Notre Dame is now the perceived leader for 2025 LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (No. 28), which would give them four top 50s on the same roster. And they also lead for Madden Faraimo (No. 57) and have commitments from No. 72 Anthony Sacca and Ko'o Kia, the latter from Hawaii and way underrated in my opinion. Given the other talent at that position, I'm very optimistic of how strong that position group will be this year and in years ahead.

12:33

Hi Matt, and great to be back. We'll do the next chat in early July. And I'm ahead of you on the "no bare feet" rule. It's supposed to get 89 here today. "But it's a dry heat." Wait, no it isn't. ... To your questions. I think expecting an 11-1 season from this team is realistic, if healthy, so a 12-0 run isn't a stretch. But Florida State and USC in November are going to be tough. Even if those teams aren't impressive in September, they'll likely be at their best late in the season. There's potential for other prickly matchups after the A&M game and before November. Louisville, maybe Georgia Tech. (more)

Matt from Austin

12:24

Hi Eric, great to have you back. I hope all is well in your world. No shoes today due to 100 degrees in the ATX. A couple of quick ones. If ND wins the opener against A&M, what are the chances we run the table? The schedule looks pretty favorable in my opinion. Secondly, if we land Owusu-Boateng, will we have the premier linebacking corp in the nation in two years? Thank you Eric.

Eric Hansen

12:24

Hi Chris. There aren't a lot of later-arriving freshmen this summer -- just eight, with 15 having enrolled back in January. So to review, here are the 8: OT Guerby Lambert, WR Logan Saldate, LB Bodie Kahoun, LB Teddy Rezac, S Brauntae Johnson, S Taebron Bennie-Powell, CB Karson Hobbs and CB Leonard Moore. Lambert and Johnson are pretty highly rated recruits, so that eliminates them. Based on talent AND opportunity, I'll bet on Hobbs as the summer surprise. Aussie punter James Rendell is technically a recruit, but not a typical freshman at age 24, so I excluded him.

Chris, South Bend

12:20

It seems like every year a freshman who arrives in summer surprises outsiders and makes a big impact in the fall. Who do you think will be this summer’s surprise?

Eric Hansen

12:20

Hi Patrick. At this moment, there are 88 players on the Notre Dame summer roster. I expect Notre Dame to be at 85 this month. The NCAA max is 85, and Notre Dame doesn't have to be at that number until fall-semester classes start in late August. So, I expect three medical retirements. I do not expect any other players to be added to the roster.

Patrick, Fort Wayne, In

12:17

Good afternoon Eric. I think the number one topic for a summer chat is the scholarship numbers. How many players are on scholarship? How many players will leave ND before the first game of the season? Will there be any other players added?

Eric Hansen

"And I tell them, it’s not you vs. him. It’s you vs. you. He has no effect on what you do with your reps when you’re in there.

"At the end of the day it’s like golf. It’s them vs. them. You have to go out there, you have to operate, you have to lead, but that guy—they all want to be the starting quarterback—but that guy that’s vying for the job, he has no effect on what you do with your reps, how you prepare, and what kind of energy you bring to practice every day."

12:16

This is how Notre Dame QBs coach Gino Guidugli addressed how to keep everyone happy when asked about it this spring:

In the transfer portal era, holding onto backup quarterbacks has become even more difficult. Do you have to have a plan for that?

"I just try to be as transparent as I can with everybody in the room. I tell this to recruits parents all the time: I want to treat those guys, as a position coach like I’d want a position coach, or a head coach, to treat my son. That’s the lens I see it through and I think those guys trust me in that fact.

"You know, we never have to talk about the depth chart in my room, because if you recruit guys with great character and see the world through a realistic lens, you don’t have to tell them, because they know where they stand. They watch the same film. They get the grades from everybody every practice. They know where they stand. They know what they need to work on. They know what they’re better at than the other guy. ... (more)

12:14

Now let's flip it. Lots of people speculated Steve Angeli or Kenny Minchey would leave after spring football. That didn't happen. They feel like they're being developed and have a chance to be the starter in 2025. They've bought into competition making them better. Now one or both may leave in December, but they're here now. I think what Notre Dame is doing is very smart. Let the competition -- and not the star system -- determine who the best QB is. And if someone leaves, they leave. There is a scenario in which CJ Carr could be the starter in 2025 and 2026, for instance and then leave for the NFL. Then Knight or 2026 commit Noah Grubbs is the starter in 2027. (more)

12:11

Hi George. Actually, if you don't recruit this way, you're asking for problems. Let's break this down and start with not recruiting a quarterback in a given class or recruiting a QB that can't win games for you, but is just on the roster. If that scenario, you are going to be perennially transfer portal-reliant. And that's a trend head coach Marcus Freeman is determined on ending, after the Irish will have a transfer at the top of the QB depth chart for the third time in four years. (more)

George from El Segundo

12:06

HI Eric: hope you and yours remain safe and well. I'm puzzled by ND's QB recruiting. 4 guys already in the room this year, Deuce in '25, and now the new guy in '26. Regardless of how it shakes down, multiple players are destined to leave for lack of playing time. I specifically wonder why the big push to recruit Deuce for 25, when C.J. Carr appears to be the heir apparent to Riley Leonard and, unless something truly unexpected happens, C.J. will have 4 years left after this season. Is there a rhyme or a reason to all of this? Aren't we just asking for problems by recruiting all of these highly skilled guys when we know there's only 1 football? I'll hang up and listen to your response!

Eric Hansen

OK, off we go ...

The "no bare feet" rules has been rescinded for this week.

Here are the rules:

12:05

I know it's been a while, but PLEASE remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s). "Guest" doesn't count unless your name really is Guest.

12:04

As far as this week's chat ...

► Finally, we’re spinning forward into summer workouts for the Notre Dame football team as the entire roster is back on campus taking classes and working out. And Darin Pritchett and I are together this week on Wednesday and Thursday on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. You can download episodes as podcasts.

► No Inside ND Sports Podcast this week, with Tyler James on vacation. On the most recent Inside ND Sports Podcast, quarterback trainer Baylin Trujillo joined Tyler James to talk about Notre Dame’s recently committed 2026 QB prospect, Noah Grubbs. Trujillo, a former quarterback at USF and Webber International, discussed his work with Grubbs, where he's made the biggest strides, watching Grubbs handle the recruiting process, what it was like with fellow trainee Brady Hart also being recruited by ND, Trujillo's path as a quarterback trainer, how teaching the position has evolved and more. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.

12:03

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, it keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation. We remain in our normal Monday at 7 ET time slot and will continue on doing so into the offseason, though Tyler and I will be featuring some guest co-hosts this summer as we rotate on and off to take some vacation time. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube.

12:02

Some quick programming notes:

12:01

Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, June edition.

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