JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat | March 19, 2026 | 3/19/2026

Notre Dame Football Live Chat | March 19, 2026

powered by

Eric Hansen

2:46

OK, that's going to do it for this week. Spring practice starts tomorrow (Friday) so we'll have lots of content to check out and soothe your psyches after your brackets are busted. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Thursday at noon ET.

2:45

First, I will be covering the team this weekend in the first two rounds. ... What happened to last year's squad. Underachieved after peaking in February. Didn't have a counterpunch to teams slowing them down and making them play in the half court. ... Again, short, incomplete, unlayered answer. ... Transfers were for different reasons. Some expected, some not. There was some tampering involved. .. the lack of frontcourt players on this year's team ... Kate Koval's transfer, Leah Macy's ACL tear, inability to get some transfer posts who were interested thru admissions. And admittedly lack of planning. I think if ND gets the right blend of returnees and transfers to go with that recruiting class, it'll be a team with a very high ceiling.

2:40

Paul!!!! You lively minx. Mi sembra di bere da un idrante. Whew that's a lot to unpack. It might be easier for me to call you on the phone and talk you through it. ... First, thank you for the early and persistent Father's Day wishes. Do those come with a tie? Second, there was never enough of an ebb in the football chats to squeeze in a WBB chat, so I've taken those questions here. So you came to the right place. You're also in luck getting a gift subscription from your family, because I just had a recruiting/intel piece recently ... Will Notre Dame WBB still include portal additions in its roster-building plans?
I've written pretty extensively about everything else you've asked, and unfortunately, they're all pretty layered and expansive topics that don't translate well to the chat, in English or Italian. So let me give you my best Cliffs Notes attempt ....(More)

Paul from Knoxville

...and I recognize that ND has a highly touted incoming freshman class, but I think we still need to pursue some experienced players in the portal, especially a post or two. Your thoughts? Also, what other position needs do you foresee? And what do you observe that Coach Ivey has learned from the current and immediate past seasons that may lead her to make adjustments going forward (in recruiting or other areas)? My apologies for the length and approaching the dreaded 17-parter. I'll try to make up for it with fewer questions next time.

2:20

Ciao Eric: Buona festa del papa!!! I hope you are celebrated today and in June. Since I may have missed the Lady Irish WBB chat, I'd like to ask your indulgence to answer a handful of WBB questions. First, I am still flummoxed as to what happened with last year's squad. Imo it should have been at least a final 4 team. What's your take on why they went downhill toward the end of the regular season and eventually in the NCAA tourney? Also, why did so many players with remaining eligibility hit the portal? Secondly, I give the current squad a lot of credit for significant improvement during the season. If we had more consistent post play and didn't have to rely on our guards and wings to play like posts, we might make an interesting tourney run. So I'm wondering why the coaches were apparently unable to identify/recruit "better" posts from last year's portal. Were few available, did they misjudge the ones recruited, or...? Lastly, I'm hopeful that Hannah, Cass, and KK will return next season...

Eric Hansen

2:20

Nothing official yet, but I'm confident there will be some way of commemorating Lou on game days this season.

Coop

2:19

Will the football team wear a special patch to honor Lou Holts this year ?

Eric Hansen

2:19

Hi Tim. Colleague Jack Soble did a story on that Wednesday with a really good breakdown. You can find it here: 'We're going to do more football': How Notre Dame tweaked spring practice to prevent September slump in 2026

The short answer is lots of tweaks in the winter program, in the structure of practices, in how they evaluate practices and offseason progress.

Tim in Atlanta

2:15

Hi Eric-- appreciate these chats. What are Coach Freeman and staff doing now to avoid their misreading of the defensive line's readiness in the fall? In your words, how are they reckoning with that costly "mirage?" Thank you!

Eric Hansen

2:15

As far as Charlie Thom, at 6-7, 274, he is a longer-range prospect and not someone that would be likely to end up in the two-deeps this year. Now, there's a lot to like about where it's all headed with him. Athletic, smart, hard worker, comes from the same New England pre school scene that ND plucked prodigies Will Black and Matty Augustine out of. So you are onto something, not just this soon. By the end of spring, we'll know how he's doing toward moving toward his goals of getting over 300 with significant weight and strength gains. Agree with your comments on Lou Holtz. Amazing to experience that!

2:11

Tom, I don't have the explosive plays at my fingertips. I might be able to fill those in for the transcript when I have a little more time to dig. But let me say this in addressing your question in more general terms. I think ND will have fewer explosive plays in the run game, though not a dearth of them. But I think they'll make up or those in the vertical passing game and in yards after the catch with slants and screens. (more)

2:06

Hi Tom. Notre Dame in recent years has used St. Patrick's Day for a recruiting/social media blitz, and usually had offers in the triple digits. This year it was 4. That is not a typo. The reason, the recruiting calendar continually was getting moved up, making waiting to St, Patrick's Day to extend offers to juniors a tactical mistake. The Irish coaches and GM Mike Martin found that they'd be much better served if they extended those offers earlier. And I do agree that it makes more sense, as much fun as that promotion was. (more)

1:57

OK now to Tom F.

1:56

Len!!!!!! Thanks for the compliment on the Bolcar story. I'm always impressed with him and who he is in his life after football. Great man. ...So who is the player who could displace a starter? I mean Mylan Graham is going to be a top receiver, whether he starts or not. I'm not sure if that fits. As far as a player changing positions and thriving, I'll go with Christopher Burgess Jr. going from DE to DT and if it' snot cheating Christian Gray moving inside to nickel. ... Curious Len what your craft is/was?

1:46

OK I pushed the wrong buttons and so I'll get to Len's long question first and then go to Tom F and square this all up in the transcript so that I can at least pretend I know what I'm doing.

Len from the Jersey Shore

Hello Eric!!! One comment and one question. There was an adage in business "If it ain't broke don't break it" As a young entrepreneur I read everything I could to hone my craft. One book I found very intriguing was " If it Ain't broke, break it." Break-it thinkers have proven that challenging conventional thinking is the only way to stay ahead of the competition in the corporate environment of the nineties. This book and philosophy reminds me of CMF. Just replace break it with "challenging everything" and corporate environment with "college football 2020"s". The only way to stay ahead is to challenge everything. Kudos to CMF for realizing this. Great article on Ned Bolcar. I remember him well as a NJ native going to ND. As you wrote Bolcar, a very good football player, was replaced by Michael Stonebreaker. On that same 1988 Natty team a recruited RB named Frank Stams became an AA DE/LB. On this current team with so much talent who might be the Stonebreaker, (more)

1:45

who replaces a very talented starter (kind of like last year with Tae Johnson) because his talent cannot be kept off the field. And who might be a Frank Stams, changing positions, and becoming an AA.

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:45

Hi Eric, this should be an interesting Spring. Do you know how many offers went out in this year's Pot o' Gold day?? This always seems to be a great starting point for getting early commitments. I think that ND's running game this year will still be successful, but in a different way. I don't see the number of explosive plays we had in '25 but still a great compliment to an improved passing game. How many explosive running plays did we have in '25 and how many would you project for '26??!!! Ever since they signed OT Thom I have thought he was going to be a really good player. What should we expect to learn about him by the end of Spring?? Any chance he fits into the 2-deep by the end of fall camp??? After seeing the love for Coach Lou on Monday it was just another example of the deep bond of the ND family. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:45

Hi Dave. It's possible. Remember the goal is to get your best five linemen on the field at the same time, and then retro fit them to positions. Now not everyone can play inside and on the edge, but a lot of them can. Let's say everyone is healthy and your starting five is Lambert, Knapp, Jagusah, Craig and Black. Your next three best players are Absher, Augustine and Terek. So while Otting did a great job stepping in for an injured Craig for the USC game and a decent job thereafter, if Absher isn't starting, maybe he ends up the backup center. Of the starter if Craig isn't ready. Cam Herron is also pushing Otting from behind. So that competition will either elevate his game or he'll likely get passed over if not.

Dave Porter Toms River NJ

1:39

Does someone beat out Joe Otting for back up center?

Eric Hansen

1:39

John, you would score more points with me if you included your hometown, but I'll overlook it this week and imagine that you are from somewhere in Big East country .... I would not call your idea dumb. I think it's good to brainstorm better scenarios for Notre Dame has the college football world around it continues to change. However, I would not endorse you idea, and I'll tell you why: Strength of schedule would be too weak for football. It would hurt attendance as well. ND would take a revenue hit being in the Big East over the ACC. Most of the Olympic sports would be far worse off. Now what makes sense, you are right about the ACC non-playoff bowl package losing its value to Notre Dame. And there might be some fun basketball matchups.

John

1:35

Would it make sense if ND were to join the Big East for all sports and allow the football program to have a true independent schedule? Unless the football team makes the CFP who cares about going to the Pop Tarts Bowl? I who think the BE would love 12 teams especially the Irish. Go back to playing Purdue, Michigan and MSU to start the season. Play Clemson the next 10 or 12 years. Add Navy (and Army or Air Force) and add SEC team, Big 12 team and PAC school and two ACC teams and add 2 cupcakes and end the season with a 13 game in early December with a trip to Hawaii. What kid would love a free trip to Hawaii 3 or 4 times during college years? Hope that is not a dumb idea.

Eric Hansen

1:34

4) Can't answer that without making some phone calls I don't have time to make during the chat format. I could guess, but t already did that earlier today with the entirety of my men's NCAA Bracket. it felt like the recurring dream of showing up and having to take a final exam when you haven't been at class all semester.... And thank you!

1:32

Hi Adam. I did not turn green on St. Patrick's Day, intentionally or otherwise, so I consider that a successful navigation of that day. Yes, I do have family in the Dayton area, but no I don't remember David Letterman uttering those words, not that I would doubt you. I do remember both the stupid pet tricks and the stupid human tricks segments. ... to your questions ... 1) I listed that lineup a little bit earlier, with Absher stepping in for Jagusah if needed. That is a really good O-line. With Jagusah in it, it has potential to win the Joe Moore Award. 2) I think Notre Dame's transparency with the injuries may be creating the mirage there's more than usual. I had to review my transcript from Wednesday and it appears ZERO of the injuries occurred during winter training. They were injuries that occurred last season at ND or in high school or in Porter's case at Ohio State. Lots of postseason/pre-spring surgeries. 3) Jordan Faison with on lacrosse burden has Marcus Freeman very excited. (more)

Adam (Dayton, OH)

1:21

Eric, hope you had a great St. Pat's Day and happy March Madness! (If I recall correctly, you have family in/around Dayton, do you remember when David Letterman famously said that the University of Dayton was one of the only four places to be on St. Pat's? haha). Football time. 1.) Jagusah news is extremely disappointing. What is the best lineup the offensive line can be without him? 2.) A bit taken aback by how many guys are out/limited for spring. Obviously KVA, Craig, and others are from last year, but did a lot of injuries occur during winter workouts? Is there anything to the Loren Landow questions from a few years back? 3.) Obviously a lot of excitement with the former Ohio St. receivers, but what is the word on Jordan Faison now that he is completely focused on football? 4.) We have seen the Francis Brewu weight room clips, who all on the team are " Feldman Freak List" candidates? Thank you for all you do!

Eric Hansen

1:15

Jeff!! 100, huh? It would take us a few say of high temps this week to get to 100. But tomorrow, high of 62. I'll take it. ... I think this would be a bigger deal if there were a new coordinator ... like last year, then when you have continuity in the system. And again most of these guys will be back for the start of training camp, if not the start of summer. That's a pretty good runway. That doesn't mean there's not work involved, but I think it's a first-world problem.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:10

Cheers Eric from a 100+ degree Phoenix, its crazy, crank the A/C! I havent participated in the chats much recently, but due to the steady flow of great questions and your encyclopedic knowledge, the transcripts have kept me up to date. My question; given the number of players in the LB and DB groups that are limited or out for spring practice, is this a problematic scenario given that we have 2 new coaches at those positions? Im sure the football school helped with defensive concepts but drills and scheme do need reps, and learning communication styles involving new coaches and players that are not able to participate seems like a significant (but not irreparable) disadvantage. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:06

Hi Ryan. Man, do I have a long list. It might be easier to tell you who I WON'T be watching. Thanks goodness we get the whole two hours to observe. For me there's three categories that stand out ... newcomers, players coming back form injuries and QBs. They won't be in pads and so no contact, so you won't get the feel for O-line/D-line play, for tackling, etc. But there are useful elements to observe. It should be a nice day and we will be outside, I'm guessing, so I think we probably will get a peek at the kickers and punters.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois

1:02

Ryan good afternoon Eric who will you be watching tomorrow i would keep a eye on the kicker and punter battles GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

1:00

But I will certainly answer your hypothetical if he isn't ready at the start of the season ... I'd go with a lineup of RT Guerby Lamber, RG Sullivan Absher, C Ashton Craig, LG Will Black and LT Anthonie Knapp. The wild card in that scenario is Matty Augustine winning a tackle spot, Knapp going inside and bumping Absher from the starting five.

12:57

I was telling someone today, I think we have 87 doctors on our message board, but I think most of them just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I don't fit in either category, but I have seen players beat these kinds of odds when there seems to be a race to be the first to say their career is over. Jaylon Smith is just one of them. And the common thread for those who do beat those odds is incredible resilience and heart, which I think Charles Jagusah has. I would not bet against him. (more)

12:53

Hi Patrick. Having written a column about Charles Jagusah on Wednesday and having been following this behind the scenes for months, I am surprised at the range of reactions to the news yesterday when associate athletic director for sports medicine Rob Hunt spoke. This isn't a criticism of your take or your question. Maybe we did a poor job of sharing the news. I specifically asked Hunt the "when or if" question. And his answer was when. And colleague Mike Singer's piece today is gold when it comes to inside info, including that on Jagusah. I think it will change your perspective. (more)

Patrick from Los aangeled

12:47

Reading Rob Hunt's description of Charles Jagusau's multiple surgeries and the serious nature of his injury including bone infection, the question appears to loom not as to when he will return, but rather if he will recover sufficiently to play again. Assuming he is unable to play in the fall, who do you think the right guard and right tackle might be? And is anyone on the inside actually optimistic that he might be available during the 2026 campaign? From the outside the prognosis appears rather grim. Thank you for doing the chats. Your insight is much appreciated.

Eric Hansen

12:46

Hi Jim. I think the all-in element to this year that may not always be repeated is going up to the 100-scholarship mark, Ideally, ND would like to be at around 95 for instance. But in the other senses of being all-in, I don't see a roll back. I see a strong commitment from the administration. The last part of your line of questioning is interesting, but difficult to answer, because we don't know what the changes ahead will be. My sense is that if Congress actually gets fully involved and there are guardrails established, that will be much more in ND's comfort zone than what we are seeing now.

Jim From Springfield, IL

12:39

ND obviously made a significant financial commitment to retain players from last season and to attract top level portal transfers. Do you believe this was one-shot, all in for this year decision, or will they be willing and able to continue with this going forward? As college football continues to change, what are some of the lines you don't think ND will cross in order to keep up with the big boys? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:38

Hi Jack. Thanks for the compliment and for the book recommendation.

Jack, Strongsville, Oh

12:38

Hi Eric. I enjoyed your interview with Steve Beuerline especially his account of Lou Holtz trying to catch a punt. Also, I just finished a book by Ivan Maisel called American Coach. It is an extensive biography of Frank Leahy. Some of the personality traits of Leahy I found in Holtz. I would encourage ND fans to read it. Thanks as always for your great work.

Eric Hansen

12:37

Hi Ced. I think Blake Hebert opens the spring as the No. 2 QB behind CJ Carr, that Noah Grubbs is No. 2 by the end of spring and that June arrival Teddy Jarrard eventually rises above both of them either in fall camp or during the 2026 season.

ced

12:35

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride who do u think will be #2 quarterback after spring practice God Bless This Football Team here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

12:35

Mike/Mo. You are in vacation mode. Your forgot our not-so-secret punctuation handshake !^! ... But I'll still answer your question ... You picked two very high-ceiling guys, who ironically have both played in fewer than five college games for different reasons. But for me, it's Jagusah. A fully healthy Jagusah. His size, skill, strength, drive, athleticism, dedication to the mental side of the game are just elite. I wrote this yesterday when I did a column on Jagusah and his comeback. He's ND's best tackle, its best guard and probably it's best center if the Irish gave him an audition there.

Load More Messages

Connecting…

Register

Message History

On Off

On Off

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

Register now to continue managing your subscriptions

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Eric Hansen hosts a chat