JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat March 13, 2024 | 3/13/2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat March 13, 2024

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Eric Hansen

3:14

OK. That's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back next week to do it all over again, likely next Friday, but I will post the date on our website and on my Twitter/X account early next week once I know what the women's BB schedule looks like.

3:13

Hi David. I'm not sure about the three years left. That would mean he'd be a seventh-year player at the end of that. We'll see. His plan is to be Brady Cook's backup this year and then start in 2025. I think it's a good plan if it holds true. Happy for him. He gives a program his all.

David - NY

3:11

Hi Eric. Thanks for the chats. Any early thoughts on Drew Pyne's fit at Missouri? Was happy to see he came back to ND for his degree and can't believe he has 3 years of eligibility left.

Eric Hansen

3:07

John thank you. Wow, I'll take it. To your question, that's difficult, because I think the staff is ahead of the roster ... and yet there's potential on this roster to be better than it appeared in paper going into spring. Man, if I had a crystal ball or some kind of clairvoyance devise to know how the O-line play was going to be. If it's not 2015 (which doesn't satisfy the coaching part) or 2018/2020, where ND falls short at certain key positions, you'd have to go back to the height of the Holtz Era. Ask me again after the Texas A&M game. I'll give you a better answer.

John from PalmBeach, FL

Sorry…question was cutoff.
ND Football for 2024 offers the most complete roster of talent and top end coaching since…..when?

3:03

Eric- You and the ND Rivals team are the BEST!!!!
please finish this sentence (assuming you agree with the premise)…..

Eric Hansen

3:03

Hi Allen. Heather does a great job. But I don't get too excited about what's being discussed vs. what's been finalized. Even then, it's important to focus on what's important and what's reality. So, if the Big Ten gets say 25% and has 18 teams that spit it, is that much more than the 1% allegedly being discussed for Notre Dame's share? Media rights is the number that matters most, and I am confident ND is in a place where it's competitive with the SEC and Big Ten in that regard, for now. And just remember, even if ND really, really wanted to join the Big Ten for any reason as a fulltime football member, they'd have to legally figure out how to leave the ACC. ... First question to Pete Bevacqua, probably something very general and work my way into the good stuff.

Guest

Hello Eric Allen from Cummings Georgia Thank you for all you do covering the Irish !! Heather Dinich of ESPN is reporting that the revenue distribution plan being discusssd Notre Dame would only receive a 1% yearly payout from the CFB playoff. Do you think this could push ND to join the BIG 10 ? And are you planning to interview the new ND AD and if so what is your first question ?

2:55

Allen from Cummings GeorgiaEric thank you for all you do covering ND football

Eric Hansen

I would be surprised if Leonard DID take hits. Usually the guys competing for the No. 1 spot do not.

2:54

OK back to football and Taylor Swift questions only.

Dave from DC

2:53

Is there a chance that Riley Leonard doesn't take live hits this spring?

Eric Hansen

2:53

Haha. I love it.

tim st louis

2:53

Hey Eric - Kudos for your concise recap of The Hartman Saga. One area that should be included was "The Taylor Swift" effect. My wife, daughter and nieces all paid extra attention to the broadcasts to catch a glimpse of Sam Hartman. Ha

Eric Hansen

2:53

Hi Ted. Until/unless there is a reliable database with that kind of info, I hate to rely on rumors with regard to NIL. What I can say is Hannah is great at marketing herself and even had NIL set up when she was still in high school. Whatever she makes, it doesn't affect one way or another he dedication to her teammates and her love for the game of basketball.

Ted from Naples, FL

2:50

Eric - always enjoy your forum with your on point and concise responses. Great win for the women on Sunday! Am trying to navigate the NIL landscape. Does HH (including the ear rings) make more than Riley? (Perhaps I should rephrase the question to does Hanna make more than the whole football team?) Go Irish - men and women!

Eric Hansen

2:49

OK Lorne, if you want to be mt agent, you can be. Thank you. .... Maddy hasn't made that announcement. My gut tells me she'll be back.

Lorne

2:48

Lorne from Reno. As spring practice kicks off the '24 season, I want to say thank you to you and the Inside ND Sports team for keeping our expectations in check when we don't understand why this may not be the year, for keeping it real when a bad loss makes us want to chuck everything out, for explaining details of how offenses, defenses and special teams work (illuminating that we don't know as much as we'd like to believe we do), and for generally providing the best coverage of Notre Dame football around. Speaking of the amazing women's b-ball team, any inkling on whether Maddy is coming back (I know this season isn't over, but Miles, Hidalgo, Citron, Westbeld and Koval with what would be a strong bench is top-5 material)?

Eric Hansen

2:48

Well as long as they don't repeat their propensity for injuries, I doubt I will be able to tamp down your excitement, nor should I. The only players with expiring eligibility are Jenna Brown, Anna DeWolfe and Becky Obinma. And only DeWolfe, among those three, plays significant minutes. If everyone else comes back that can, and you add 6-5 Kate Koval, it's a team with Final Four potential.

David - NY

2:46

Since you opened the floodgates on WBB. Can you do anything to tamp down my excitement for the roster next year. This core plus Miles back and Koval!!! On paper how good could this team be vs. past rosters? Any comps to past years?

Eric Hansen

2:45

Jack, thank you! The numbers would say Hannah is the better freshman, especially in points and steals. And she's likely to be a first-team All-American as a freshman. Skylar started making AA teams (3rd team) as a sophomore. But Skylar got better every year and she was probably the better facilitator of the two. She's also three inches taller, which has never seem to come into play with Hannah being 5-6. Two great, great players with some differences in their games, but both impacted their teams in a major way. And yes, I'd love to come back to Cleveland, the city where I was born, and cover my first women's BB Final Four (I've covered several men's Final Fours).

Jack, Strongsville Ohio

2:39

Hello Eric. I know this is a football chat forum but kudos to the Lady Irish basketball team. How good is Hannah Hidalgo at this stage in her career compared to Irish great Skyler Diggins? What would it take for the team to get the final four in Cleveland given their extremely short bench? And how big a thrill would it be for you personally to cover them in a national championship game in your home town? Thanks for all the great work over all your platforms!

Eric Hansen

2:39

Hi Tom. Thanks for your question. I think you nailed it. ND's NET ranking has been high all year, and that made a 5 seed realistic heading into the streak of beating five straight ranked teams. And you're on point again, thinking a 3 seed as the projection on Selection Sunday (this Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT; ESPN). Possibly a 2, but I think ND is better off as a 3 if it means drawing away from No. 1-ranked South Carolina's regional.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:35

Hi Eric, since you are a man of many talents and have covered WBB this year, I have a question about WBB. Before the last week of the regular season started, where do you think that the ND WBB team would have been seeded in the NCAA Tournament? Now, after some big regular season wins and taking the ACC Championship, what seed do you think they will receive?? I think they were probably a 5 or 6 seed before going on this latest winning streak. Now they may be as high as a 3 seed. Your thoughts?? Any update on the injury status of the center who was injured against VT?? Thanks and as always, GO Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

OK, I'm going to run through the women's BB questions and then circle back to football if we have fime.

2:34

Max Hurleman is a running back/wide receiver/special teams player from Colgate who recently committed to ND as a walk-on grad transfer. Notre Dame, under Freeman, has done a great job of adding meaningful depth to its roster through high school and transferring walk-ons. The Irish really put a lot into those evals. Sometimes they work out and sometimes it was a good try.with no risk. Hurleman figures to have his best chance of making an impact on special teams.

skip/Houston

2:28

Hurleman? Special team specialist?

Eric Hansen

2:23

It depends on your definition of dramatic. If he could have brought the LSU receivers with him, that would have been a dramatic upgrade by anyone's definition. I think the WR play will be improved, though, for a number of reasons, including through scheme.

Patrick in Irishlandia

2:20

Thanks for the great chats, Eric. Always awesome. With Denbrock as the OC and a new QB and several new receivers, should we expect dramatically improved WR production this season? Any reason why we may not?

Eric Hansen

2:20

Hi Terry. It's downright tropical in South Bend ... especially compared to South Dakota (or at least my mental image of what SD is like). I think ND will definitely take four, and would expand that to five for someone like Talyn Taylor, I believe.

Terry Huron, SD

2:18

Hi Eric, hope all is well in South Bend. With ND securing two WR pledges in the '25 class and Bettis, JR. picked to end up at ND, how many WR do they take? My concern is they fill up on this class before some of the higher rated WR with high interest in the Irish make their college choice. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:18

For No. 4, I'd rather not comment. If just you and I were having a beer, sure. In a public forum, not going to go there. 5. Barring injury or injury setback, I can only name one, and that MIGHT be offensive tackle. That may not even be true by the end of spring.

2:16

HI Matt. 1) Best since Kyle Hamilton in 2022. The fact that it is that recent is a testament to Notre Dame's evaluations and player development. 2) I probably am misunderstanding this question. How would unproven linebackers affect the frequency of playing zone or blitzing? Just because they are unproven doesn't mean they're not good. And it doesn't express what they do well or what the pass rush will be like from the front four. So I'm going to have to pass on this one. 3. I don't think so. That, to me, seems like something they'd do in scrimmage situations and the Blue-Gold Game. There hasn't been scrimmaging yet. (more)

Matt (KC)

2:04

Quickfire Five: 1. Joe Alt is the best Notre Dame NFL prospect since? 2. It seems the D-Line and secondary is pretty solid with high expectations and LBs are more of an unproven quantity. Does that usually lend the defensive style to more of a blitz heavy attacking system or zone system? 3. Is ND practicing with in helmet communications yet, presumably for the QB and MLB? 4. Can you comment on how candid generally you find the ND coaching staff to be with you when they are speaking off the record? 5. If I put you on the spot and tell me two positions that you think ND could potentially upgrade (I mean maybe even grab a starter) through transfer portal in the spring, which would they be?

Eric Hansen

2:04

Hi Len. Really great questions, and thanks for the kind words. Those were elite compliments!! Full disclosure, I kept in touch with Mike while he was away from ND, but it was not something we ever discussed in that kind of depth. His time as OC and associate head coach at ND his last time here overlapped Harry Hiestand's best-five approach, so I would be surprised if he had an issue with Joe Rudolph's approach. I'm not sure any coach prefers to rotate O-linemen. I think the Hainsey-Kraemer situation was unique and they made it work. I think Mike isn't here to change Joe's approach in any way, but enhance it, and provide another set of eyes ... and plays that play to the team's strengths and blocking schemes that do so. ... And the ability to fix things and play chess at the line of scrimmage. I think that's where Denbrock shows up in line play.

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:58

Hello Eric! Thanks for these chats. I know it takes a lot of time from everything else you have going on. I wanted you to know that these chats are greatly appreciated. We have been told by your and Tyler in your reporting that Mike Denbrock has a background with the O line, amongst many other areas of coaching. And that he will work closely with his offensive staff. What can you tell us about his thoughts on selecting the starters for an offensive line? For example is he a best five will start kind of guy? Is he okay with rotating one position on the line similar to what Hainsey and Kraemer did? Where does his views differ with Joe Rudolph and where are they similar?

Eric Hansen

1:58

Lack of success from Football? I'm glad you weren't my fourth-grade teacher. I'd still be serving detention for my A-minuses. But of the three coaches you mentioned, I would say Niele Ivey is best positioned to win a national title the soonest. I think ND is in every good hands with all three of those coaches.

Joey G. Philadelphia, Pa

1:56

Hi Eric, I hope all is well! Is it safe to say that Notre Dame has become better known amongst today's youth as a WMBB school? Seems that way with the lack of success from the Football and MBB programs. And it appears the best athlete on campus is Hannah Hildago. Who do you think makes a title appearance 1st Ivey, Freeman, or Shrewsberry?

Eric Hansen

1:56

Hi Sean. Thanks for sending the email. ... and for the compliment! There were five guys fielding punts at the first practice -- actually four with Jordan Faison watching them. Faison, who's all in on lacrosse right now, is the No. 1 candidate. He averaged 14.0 on his two returns. ND, as a team, was 24th at 11.20 with Faison, Matt Salerno and Chris Tyree. The other candidates, at least at this point, are Jaden Mickey, Gi'Bran Payne, Jadarian Price and Jaden Greathouse. Keep in mind, punt returns period aren't as prevalent as they used to be. Of the top 10 teams in average per return, five of them returned 8 or fewer all of last season. But it's great to have someone explosive back there. In terms of kickoff returns, Marshall transfer Jayden Harrison was second in the nation last year at 30.7 per return. Price was even better (34.4), but he didn't meet the minimum number of returns to qualify.

Sean, Schaumburg IL

1:43

Oops, my fingers slipped and hit send. Sorry. This Colgate transfer appears destined for a big role on STs. Who on the roster can you see striking fear into a team on punt return? Kickoff return has been great. That kickoff return for a TD in the USC game was awesome. Punt return has been meh for some time. Go Irish!!

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