JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat June 2, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat June 2, 2021

Eric Hansen

3:04

That's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll do this again later this month, perhaps twice, depending on how recruiting goes and if any other major news comes up.

3:02

I think ND's most difficult game will be Cincinnati ... with Wisconsin, USC and North Carolina also challenging. They all come in a five-game stretch. I need to see how some things unfold in August before I can put this team on a playoff trajectory ... or not.

Robert from Minnesota Tundra

3:00

Which game on the schedule scares you? Any thoughts on a playoff appearance?

Eric Hansen

2:53

Tom, I hit on a couple of aspects of this earlier, but yes I do expect some commitments quickly. For a lot of these guys, getting to be on campus in person represents the last piece of the puzzle. Some have multiple visits set up for June that will help them make their decision. Busy, busy, busy recruiting month and one that could be very good for ND.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:51

Hi Eric. Hope you are going to have a great summer filled with lots of positive news from ND football. June is set up for a very busy camp and on-campus visit month. Do you expect any commitments soon after the visits are completed? Or, because so many of the kids visiting are top 100 players that it may take longer before any of them pull the trigger. When do the players report for fall practice and will they be back at Culver? Appreciate all you do for us. ND made the right choice is asking your opinion on the interviews. Shows they know a professional when they see one. Have a great summer!! Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

2:51

Patrick, I believe you're talking about Jay Toia. Good player. Notre Dame didn't recruit him out of high school, and I don't see a fit there now with tight numbers. If something changes, I'll report it.

Patrick, Fort Wayne

2:49

Eric, I read last week of a early enrollment Freshman DT at USC that is now wanting to transfer with ND possibly interested. Can you flesh out this story?

Eric Hansen

2:46

Well, my grandkids love the blizzards but I actually think the beer is more healthy for me. I'll be glad to have either one, but will choose the latter. I do have more work outside to do on my next say off. Lots of power washing in store.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:44

What is more satisfying summer treat: a DQ Blizzard or a cold beer after working outside?!? Either way, have one for me!!!

Eric Hansen

2:44

Matt. I haven't seen Greg from Oakland in a while, and I do remember him vividly. There's a midwestern version of him who emails me regularly, and Kelly can still do little right in his opinion.

Matt in Augusta NJ

2:43

Eric I have been doing these chats for years and really like them. I remember there was a guy “Greg from Oakland” who posted used to call for Kelly to be fired and was upset with the direction of the program. He had a point of view that many did years ago before the program turned the corner in the last few years. I have not seen his name on a chat in years and I would love to hear his opinion on coach Kelly today. Still disappointed? Think Kelly cannot take us any higher(NATIONAL Champion). I feel like the program is in the best place it was been in decades. I also thought Kelly was on thin ice after the losing season we had years ago. I am not sure if I got his name right, but if so I would like to hear from him. Keep up

Eric Hansen

2:42

Todd thank you for the kind words and blessings to you and your family. Barring the addition of a grad transfer, I'd expect the starting secondary to be Clarence Lewis and Cam Hart at corner, Kyle Hamilton and Houston Griffith at safety. Since there's not a returning linebacker who matches Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's skill set, I think we'll see ND in nickel more in 2021, with TaRiq Bracy possibly as the nickel. I think safety DJ Brown will play a lot in certain packages and rotations as well.

Todd from Palmyra

Thank you

2:34

You're Q&A one of highlights of my week. Have 4 girls who keep me busy and one is severely intellectually disabled. Shes sitting on my shoulder as I type. Any update on what starting secondary is shaping out to be?

Eric Hansen

2:34

Ryan. I mentioned this in one of my columns -- this team didn't hit any dead ends or unfixable problems in the spring. While that's not exactly an endorsement for a playoff run, it keeps alive the potential that this team can work itself into a team or that caliber or something close to it. When that happens, there are players who make big lunges forward. I did a piece a few weeks ago addressing six key players: Analysis: Notre Dame's quest for 'greatness' upgrade starts with these 6 players . You can check if out if you'd like.

Ryan mars pa

2:28

Good afternoon Eric what do you think about this team this upcoming season i think Cohen will win quarterback battle go Irish

Eric Hansen

2:28

Gordon, thank you. There's a window in June they can do some OTAs with coaches. But they have to be without a football. ... The more meaningful stuff happens in the weight room and on their own. There are eight SWAT team captains that organize the player-only workouts. No pads, but they can run plays, etc. They can watch film. They can throw extra on the side. All of this is technically voluntary. Teams tend to grow together or apart during the summer because of this dynamic.

Gordon

2:24

Gordon - Sacramento Take 2. Thanks for the chats. Nobody does it better than you. What activities are permitted during summer workouts? Who is in charge of organizing the practice? Thanks and have some fun today.

Eric Hansen

2:24

If Braden Lenzy can stay healthy. I expect him to be a starter and a key contributor.

Rob Connolly

2:23

Eric, we have yet to see the consistent production out of Lenzy we all have hoped to see. What are your expectations for Branden this year?

Eric Hansen

2:23

Ken, thanks for asking. It will be in an even different format this year and is going to publish around Aug. 1. I'll keep you posted.

Ken - Pensacola

2:22

Eric, When can we expect the 2021-2022 ND Insider to come out?

Eric Hansen

2:22

Joe, I'd feel better if you had included your hometown. Next time, please? How I feel about the statement is that they're not playing behind the same offensive line and you have to factor that in. ... Coan in 2019 was the slightly better passer statistically, finishing 19th nationally in passing efficiency to Book's No. 24 ranking. Book is the superior runner. I think some of that was the result of not spotting open receivers, but he also made plenty of plays with his legs when nothing was there.

Joe

2:17

How do you feel about this statement. I believe Notre Dame will be a better offense with Jack Coan than it was with Ian Book. The reason why is Ian Book hung onto the ball to long. He didnt like to throw the ball until he saw his receiver open rather than throwing the ball to where the receiver was suppose to be which is what caused him to run so much and as as result not see receivers break open

Eric Hansen

2:16

Robert, it's kind of a moving target, because players will move up and down, and because the services haven't handed the full allotment of five stars yet. Generally, there are 30-32 a year. So looking at the top 32 players on both Rivals and 247Sports, ND has five top 30 players visiting this month in the 2022 class and another seven in the top 100 who conceivably could move up. If all those positions were frozen and all the top 30 players were awarded five-star status, I also would expect ND to land three.

Robert from Minnesota Tundra

2:08

How many 5 stars will we land this year? I am hoping for 3!

Eric Hansen

2:05

Todd. thanks for the good vibes. Your question is kind of manifesto-ish, so I'm not sure if you're really looking for my opinion or just wanted to share yours. ... I'll try to boil things down. Not everyone makes college decisions uniformly, and you also left out geography as a factor. But the reality is most college football players have an NFL dream, realistic or not. They're looking for a place that can provide access to that dream. Some kids are interested in a school that can provide that dream and the best of academics. Some are looking for easy access to the dream without having to work hard in the classroom. That's reality.

Todd - Buffalo

All kinds of questions would asked. Shouldn't the academic schools, even with admissions winnowing the list of available recruits, have far more student athletes pushing to attend than scholarships or is the reality that the culture around too many of these kids (who have to be pretty intelligent to grasp some playbooks) put academics at best in the middle of the list of priorities? And I say the culture, since these are 17-18 year old kids we are talking about and while they should be held responsible for their own decisions, how you see the world around you is pretty heavily influenced at that age by the people and circumstances around you and I'm not sure its entirely fair to suggest the kid should be able to rise above that if the priorities of the people around them may not be in order. Thanks.

1:59

May the golf/fishing/grill gods treat you well. 1st off, l get that growing up a marginally athletic, upper middle class kid whose college choices came down to grades has may skew my view. What's your take on kids who supposedly have an offer from a highly ranked academic school choosing a school with both much lower academic ranking school and no track record of winning championships. Fan loyalty, fit and comfort, depth chart, style of play and coaching are all factors and a good education is not solely the purview of the supposed top 25 academic schools. Any student anywhere has to make the most of the opportunity. 5 stars choosing 'Bama or OSU over Duke is a tiny group - the rest will rise or fall on the education tied to their scholarship. ND is well known for the 40 versus 4 pitch. No insult intended, but if a non-athlete turned down Stanford, ND, Vandy, etc. for a someplace like Mich. State, Auburn or S.Carolina, w/o good reason (which there might be), all kinds of ?

Eric Hansen

1:58

The impression I'm getting is more of a hybrid model ... some in person, some Zoom. A lot of those details are still being discussed. I have been asked for my feedback, and I appreciated that.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

1:56

Hi Eric, do you expect to have greater access to the coaches and players this fall? Do you think that you'll be allowed to conduct in-person interviews or do you expect the zoom interviews to continue?

Eric Hansen

1:56

Well Joey, I don't know that I'd classify ND as a favorite to land the two players I mentioned earlier in the chat, but the Irish are very much in play. ND is one under the amended scholarship limit and has some wiggle room for two additions without anyone having to exit the roster.

Joey G from Philadelphia,Pa

1:54

Hi Eric, I recently heard on a SEC talk show that Norte Dame is going to sign 3 players from the transfers portal. An O lineman and 2 DB’s very soon. The discussion was that ND is ready to make another run at CFP. Who do you see as players that may leave ND because of this?

Eric Hansen

1:54

Mark, thanks great to have you all to chat with ... the last time I asked that question, I got a big "I don't know." The world has changed dramatically since then, at least our part of it. I will stay on that and keep asking.

Mark, Orange County CA

1:53

Hi Eric, great to have chat session, will the team be having an off campus camp session this summer?

Eric Hansen

1:52

Ade, when national media are trying to do perspectives on 130 teams, it's difficult to understand the more nuanced strengths of teams. I think they look at ND's D-line for example and just see the personnel losses. They don't see the tremendous depth or rising players. I do think concerns about the secondary are real, but I also think there are answers ... answers we'll all have a much better feel for in August. ... I think this will be a very difficult defense to run against.

Guest

What's your take on the national media underestimating ND, particularly the ND defense? could it be their lack on knowledge on ND's players?

1:48

this is Ade from NJ

Eric Hansen

1:48

I see Notre Dame as the clearly superior team, especially on defense. That doesn't mean things won't get interesting if the Irish get sloppy with turnovers.

cederick walker saginaw michigan

1:46

Im really concern about the sept 5 game sunday night at the noles 7:30pm abc how do u see this game my prediction nd 24 noles 23 but my heart say nd 31 noles 17 go irish ced walker saginaw michigan tory jackson hometown

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