JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat March 9, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat March 9, 2022

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Eric Hansen

2:17

Jim, with everyone in the athletic department on spring break this week (well most of them), my sense is we'll get that announcement next week as well as an official kickoff time. If you want to email me (ehansen@insidendsports.com), I'll shoot you the news as soon as I hear it.

Jim Terre Haute Indiana

2:15

Hi Eric, thanks again for these chats. Any word on when Blue and Gold game tickets might be available?

Eric Hansen

2:15

Hi Denis. I haven't followed this closely, to be honest. Very peripherally. I know BK hired Frank Wilson as his O-Line coach, and he is the person accused of the sexual harassment. That allegedly happened during an earlier tour of duty at LSU. It's a pretty messy situation, with an ongoing lawsuit and an alleged coverup that predates Kelly at LSU. I wouldn't think Brian would have made that hire if he knew it was going to result in this.

Denis from Niagara Falls,ON

2:11

Hi Eric. As someone who covered Brian Kelly at Notre Dame (for his entire tenure there?), what do you think of the situation he finds himself in at LSU regarding the sexual harassment charges. Whether he knew of all the allegations or not, does your opinion change? Just wondering about your overall reaction. Thanks very much.

Eric Hansen

2:07

Hi Tom, I'll let Dr. Laura assess whether you have paranoia, but I know you have a high football IQ from your questions over the years. I think there are a couple of things in play. 1) The pandemic shut down visits for 15 months in 2020/21, and kids are still playing catchup, particularly the 2023 class. I think it will normalize a bit with the 2024 group. 2) Schools that lose out on five-star kids don't give up easily. And ND is consistently playing in that stratosphere now. ... There's also been so much coaching movement, some kids need to get a second look.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:03

Eric, it seems like players are starting to take other visits after they have committed somewhere more often than in previous years. Is it just my natural paranoia of losing commitments or is it something where kids just want to continue to

Eric Hansen

2:02

As for who might stand in for Patterson this spring, it makes sense for it to be who the No. 2 center will be this fall and who projects as No. 1 in the future. Had Jeff Quinn been coaching this spring, I think it would have been a slam dunk for Zeke Correll. With Harry assesssing it, he might pick someone surprising like Rocco Spindler. That's speculation, not a prediction. But think about Harry's thought process of putting Nick Martin there in his last run at ND.

Hi Bob. Notre Dame will announce it offficially at some point, but he's been on the job for weeks now. And he's certainly not keeping it a secret, per his Twitter bio.

1:59

Guest

1:56

Eric, has anything been confirmed regarding Chris Watt as a grad assistant, and who would be the candidates to replace Patterson this spring. Bob, Lansing

Eric Hansen

1:51

Stan, thanks for the compliment and the scouting report. ... I think that evolution is one of the fun parts of covering this team, because it's not a given. It never is. However, director of football performance Matt Balis drives the culture along with the head coach, and that's a great foundation heading into spring. Adversity -- whenever it comes -- will test it. ... As far as the five-stars, Notre Dame has already landed one (Keon Keeley) and has a good shot at QB Dante Moore and a fighting chance for WR Carnell Tate and DE/OLB Samual M'Pemba, There are only 16 five-stars so far in the 2023 class, with the final number likely to be around 32. So No. 17 Brennan Vernon, who's committed, will eventually be one if he holds his ground and No. 34 Drayk Bowen is close. ... So yes, I like ND's chances of getting some in this class. The caveat is you have to work very hard to hold onto them.

Stan in Chester, VA

1:41

SBT has a new columnist, and he's alright, but you guys are still blowing away the competition. Thanks. Now that the hiring is over and the dust settling, how do you see the team's chemistry evolving? AND, of the 5 star recruits ND Is pursuing, what are the chances of the Irish landing ANY of them. Do you think Freeman and Rees are pursuasive enough to get a big fish or not?

Eric Hansen

1:40

John, I think the expectation is that JD Bertrand will move over and compete with Bo Bauer at middle linebacker, Maris Liufau and Prince Kollie will compete at weakside linebacker (Will) and Jack Kiser will be the rover. As far as the freshmen, Tuihalamaka is a middle linebacker. Ziegler is a rover and the other two -- Burnham and Sneed have some position flexibility. And they're the two wild cards who could rewrite the depth chart in some form or fashion. My sense is Al Golden's going to want to spend the first few practices looking at his personnel at different positions, much in the way Clark Lea did in his first spring as DC, before settling in and honing those skills.

John - Palmyra, PA

1:31

Any insight onto who’s working at the different linebacker positions currently? Is Jordan Bothello even getting a realistic sniff at mike, or is that just pie in the sky? How committed do you feel Al Golden will be to playing the best three, ala Harry Hiestand?

Eric Hansen

1:30

Hi John. Thank you. He's on the roster, but still in limbo. There were conditions that would keep him on the roster, and I think that's going to be ongoing. The fact that he's made it this far is encouraging but not defining.

John Elkhorn, Nebraska

1:25

Hello Eric - any up date on C ‘Bo Flemister? I see he is still listed on the most recent roster. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:25

Joe. Thanks you and appreciate you being a part of the chat today. ... I have not heard the Joe Burrow comparison ... other than they were rated by Rivals very similarly coming out of high school. Both three-stars, both 5.6 rating, similar number of offers. Notre Dame passed on one, offered the other. Similar size. Burrow is just so freaky with recognition. I don't see that yet in Angeli, not to that level at all. I do like his mental makeup, maturity, ability to handle the spotlight and criticism. He's a polarizing prospect from the standpoint there are some with expertise who do believe he's better than a three-star. I'll share my revised answer when I see him with ND's players and in ND's offense this spring.

Joe Bettacchi Dallas Tx

Appreciate all you do.

1:14

I’ve watched tapes of Joe Burrow throughout his high school and college career. My uneducated eye sees a lot of similarities to Steve Angeli. Has anyone with some degree of expertise voiced the same opinion.

Eric Hansen

1:14

Hi Lawrence. First thanks for the feedback on the Christmas story. You never know how those kinds of personal stories will be received. ... As for Lenzy, I wouldn't bet against him. His mental toughness, maturity and self-awareness are off the charts. He needs to have good health on his side. ... Then there's the thought of where does he fit? The rotation will need him, but is he a starter when everyone is healthy? My guess is that it will be Colzie-Davis-Styles, but Lenzy has a huge opportunity this spring to make an impression. ... As far as Tyler Buchner, arm strength won't be an issue ... and the recognition parts of the game need to be (and should be) in a much better place this spring.

Lawrence from San Diego

I feel like TB’s arm talent could stretch the field better than anyone since Kizer. Do you think that will help Lenzy have a breakout season, since a lot of times he got behind the defense he would have to come back for an underthrown Coan pass? I think TB’s main barrier was recognizing defenses (e.g., throwing into cloud corners). Would you agree?

1:06

Hey Eric sorry for the delay on this comment. I have read everything you have written on ND football for years, and love it. But the story you gave about your grandmother’s Christmas gifts was the most interesting and uplifting thing I’ve read on a sports space. It reminds me of my Irish grandparents (even if they would never mention the price). Thanks for the reminder to be grateful for what we have.

Eric Hansen

1:06

Hi Andrew, thanks. During our mass welcome to the new assistants availability, Tyler James spent more time with Chansi than I did. I did watch him out of the corner of my eye when I was speaking with Harry Hiestand. Very engaging, funny, interesting. The more important impression is that recruits are seeming to take to him. Two four-star 2023 receivers from Texas are set to visit soon -- Braylon James next weekend and Jordan Greathouse for the Blue-Gold Game on April 23. I believe five-star Carnell Tate is pondering a visit soon as well. All good early signs.

Andrew, South Bend

12:59

Eric, love your insight. I know it’s early but what impression have you gotten from Coach Stuckey? ND needs him to be a great recruiter to get the WR room where it needs to be. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:59

Hi Frank. Harrison Wellmann has not committed as of yet, but I think he eventually will. It's not unusual when a portal prospect gets a walk-on opportunity with a chance to earn a scholarship, that he'll wait a little to see if he gets actual scholarship offers from other schools. Then he can weigh those options before making a final choice.

Frank from Royse city, Texas

12:54

Any updates on the Grad Transfer from John Hopkins, did he commit to ND?

Eric Hansen

12:54

Hi Dorothy. Thanks for joining in today. And thanks for the sentiments. I still have a lot of friends there, but I am really enjoying this too. ... I think Brian Polian would have liked to have stayed at ND but sensed that wasn't going to be a guarantee. Marcus Freeman was really high on Brian Mason, and with good reason. Polian was a valuable guy in a lot of ways, including recruiting. I think in the end, both Polian and Mason will do well in their new surroundings.

Dorothy from South Bend

Do you think Brian Polian will regret leaving for LSU? He truly seemed to love ND

12:51

Hi Eric, thank you for keeping up the chat. You are still missed in your old haunt.

Eric Hansen

12:49

Hi Don. One of the craziest offseasons, but also one of the most fun. I think the additional access we've received has made it even more so. ... To your question, I think wide receiver depth and cornerback depth are the two areas that need most attention this spring. ... And if there isn't sufficient improvement, then the portal definitely becomes an option.

Don in Phoenix

12:45

Eric, Hope all is well and enjoying the coverage at Inside ND Sports. I think I'm suffering from fan fatigue! All the content after the season, Kelly leaving, Freeman staying, coaches leaving, new hires, Fiesta Bowl, early enrollees....I imagine this may be one of the craziest off seasons for you and you also started a new gig! Rather than focus on who will shine and what strengths show, what do you think will be the most glaring hole that needs to be filled and can it be filled through the portal?

Eric Hansen

12:45

Hi Nathan. Thank you. we'll get a better feel from that chemistry here in about a week, but what's really been great along those lines are Marcus Freeman and the assistants being regular observers/visitors at the winter workouts -- with Marcus actually participating. I haven't talked to a player yet who hasn't been excited about that dynamic.

Nathan from Denver

12:42

Hi Eric. Do you have any insight into how the new coaching staff is gelling culturally? Particularly curious about how the junior and senior players with new coaches are reacting to the dynamics. Recruiting is also impacted by the overall feel of the program, and I know Marcus Freemen's elevation was greeted enthusiastically in all corners. Just wondering about the coaching additions' impact now that the staff is complete. Thanks for hosting these chats!

Eric Hansen

12:40

Hi Rui and an early St. Patrick's Day to you -- which also happens to be the first day of spring practice. ... To your question, it goes both ways, right? One of the reasons Dante Moore, Christopher Vizzina and Julian Sayin are as interested in ND as they are is because of their relationship with Tommy Rees. Brian Kelly never had an OC longer than three years during his 12 seasons at ND, so change seems inevitable. I've mentioned this before, that's why I think Marcus Freeman being the lead recruiter and having a strong relationship with those QBs as well is SO important.

Rui from Westchester, NY

12:33

As a fan you always get worried at the attachment between student athlete and offensive coordinator upon recruitment. I’m a believer that Tommy Rees will get NFL job after this season. Whom else from the staff on the offensive end is heavily in the recruiting( especially with the QB ) position? Thank you ahead of time and Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Eric Hansen

12:32

Hi James. Thank you. Five-star QB Dante Moore from Detroit King High School has been sort of vague with his public timeline. Privately, I think it's moved up quite a bit in that he's not going to drag it into summer. Five-star WR Carnell Tate and Moore have talked about wanting to end up at the same place, but I don't think it's a package deal -- just a hope that it works out that way. ... As far as Moore vs. four-star Christopher Vizzina, I think ND would be happy with either, and so would I. But there's something about Moore's 'it' factor beyond his talent that really resonates with me.

James, Dallas

12:27

Hi Eric. How is the staff feeling about Dante Moore? Has he announced a timeline? Is Tate part of a package deal? Do you have a strong preference for Moore over Vizzina? Many thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:27

Hi Tom. Thanks, we're enjoying the change and I hope you're getting a chance to as well. Kyle Hamilton has enough game tape that not playing against Oklahoma State wouldn't have changed his draft profile. And the medical checks in Indy should inform teams about his recovery from his October knee injury. I'd like to think Hamilton's presence (and Kyren's too) would have made a difference in the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl. But the lack of adjustments on BOTH sides of the ball in the second half was so profound, it's hard for me to assert it with the greatest of confidence.

Tom from Toronto

12:23

Hi Eric. I hope that the new location is working well for you and Tyler. Do you think that it hurt Kyle Hamilton in how he will be rated in the NFL Combine by not playing against OSU, and if he had played, do you think that the end result would have been different? Thank you for your insights.

Eric Hansen

12:22

I think if ND lands Dante Moore as its QB in the 2023 cycle -- and I think it's trending that way -- it will be neutral for Julian Sayin a 5-star prospect in the 2024 class. The schools that he's looking at all are courting or have great young QB in the class or classes ahead of him. He's not afraid of competition. ... As far as the spring access question, I'd love to have both. Our access is one full practice, the Blue-Gold Game and three partials out of 15 total. Coaching access we'll get every assistant coach at least once, with multiple hits with Freeman and the coordinators. I'm pretty happy with that. If I had to make a choice, I'd pick one more open practice over an additional coach availability, but again both are valuable.

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