JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat May 1, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat May 1, 2024

Eric Hansen

3:11

OK, I am out of time. Thanks for all the great questions. Sorry for the ones I couldn't get to. We'll be back next week to do it all over again. ... at noon ET on Wednesday.

3:10

Hi Tim. This started late in the Brian Kelly regime where roster management became very precise in terms of trying to hit that 85 limit, because too often ND was well below it. The ability for players to transfer without sitting out and now an unlimited amount of times only complicates things. So, Marcus Freeman makes sure there is constant dialogue, not just an exit interview at season's end, to get a gauge of who's leaving. ND does not take players off scholarship and make them pay for school. Those who medically retire, for instance, stay on scholarship ... just not athletic scholarship. I hope I answered what you were asking.

tim st louis

3:06

Thanks as always for these chats. Its great. My question has to do with being over the scholarship limit in the first place. ND controls number of scholarship offers and then there's preferred walk ons hoping for a scholarship. Isn't there someone keeping count before someone is needing to be cut ? And what happens to that player that comes to campus for a year or two and can't afford ND tuition ? does NLI help those recruits ? Hardly seems fair for someone on the team to lose to a grad transfer IMO.

Eric Hansen

3:05

Oh Megat, you gave me a cliffhanger with your question cutting off. I'm guessing your last line was: Hope your answer will be brilliant!!!! I think Charles Jagusah remains the heavy favorite to start at left tackle on Aug, 31, but ND was still considering a portal addition, which could have changed the calculus ... and Amil Wagner could still be considered there with Charles moving to right... But again, I think Charles will end up at LT. I think early in training camp to determine the starting five will be soon enough.

Megat Muzaffar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3:02

Hi Eric, why not Charles Jagusah annointed as LT1 as end of Spring? Any parallels at this juncture of his career as opposed to recent Irish OL standouts? Hope your answer will

Eric Hansen

3:02

Hi Jake. I was not shocked, but in the portal era, shocking seems to be the norm. Yes, there is a chance that it could happen ... or they both stay and compete. Remember, giving up a Notre Dame degree is a big deal to some kids. Angeli by staying will be much closer to finishing up and getting that even if he transfers in December. I do think CJ Carr will be the starter in 2025, but I don't think that means Angeli and Minchey won't make it competitive or even win the job themselves if they stay.

Jake Saratoga Springs

2:59

Hi Eric, I am completely shocked that neither Angeli or Minchey has entered the portal. That being said could you see a scenario where both enter the portal after the upcoming season, especially if Carr continues to progress. I just think the ceiling for Carr is higher than either of them. As always thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:59

Hi Roger, I hoped I picked out the question(s) within the comments and didn't miss one. But you are right, players who enter the portal and don't find a new home and aren't welcomed back are out of luck. ... and thank YOU.

Roger from Peoria

2:56

Happy May Day to you Eric. Two Q's and a comment. I understand the Transfer Portal closed yesterday for all but grad transfers or if a coaching change occurs. I doubt the latter at ND. So, are there eligible graduates among the Irish that will enable the Irish to meet the 85 level even if the TCU CB does not commit or the Irish ''punt" on Biagi's trek down under? What happens to players entering the Transfer Portal who do not find a suitor and are not welcomed back? Are they just SOL? A commonly reported 2024 Irish concern focuses on the OT positions. Not many teams must replace #5 and #59 draft picks from the OT positions in a single year. I am a big Jagusah fan. Due to a late high school surgery, he has had less than a full fall practice to this point. To expect him to bring Alt's 2nd & 3rd year level is unrealistic in year one, and even Alt gave up 3 sacks his first year. IMO, not time to signal "Mayday" for the OTs. And as always, thanks to you and Tyler and GO IRISH!!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:56

Hi Rich. I would say Marty Biagi, because he is not limited to special teams players and is willing to take the long trips to Hawaii and now Australia ... and has done well in Hawaii. It's not easy earning that trust, and Marty has done that. ... Who needs to step it up? I'd say Mike Brown is new, so it will be interesting to see how he closes. He has some big fish on the hook right now, but he has to finish. So, not so much of not pulling his weight as much as it is his first chance to cast a good impression.

Rich Key West

2:53

Which of the position coaches has been the most pleasant surprise with his recruiting ability? Which one needs to step it up to pull his weight it that respect?

Eric Hansen

2:53

Clancy, I have not studied the opponents' offensive lines. It's not the talent that's a concern. It's the inexperience at so many positions and not having had a chance to build much chemistry. And if they are average and the inexperience doesn't show up, how will that play in games against Texas A&M, Florida State and USC? So I'm going to punt the comparisons until August when I can really study the other opponents, and also get a more accurate gauge on Notre Dame's. There was not a realistic expectation this spring this would be a finished product ... and think you for the personal compliment you sent in your other message to me.

UND_Clancy

2:49

We are all worried about O-Line on an otherwise pretty solid ND Football Team. In your minds without doing a ton of research, how many of ND’s 2024 opponents will ND have a better O-Line than ND has?

Eric Hansen

2:49

Hi Drew, thanks for adding your name and hometown ... 1) Improvement on the field, actual production would definitely give Deuce Knight a chance to be a five-star. A strong performance at the Elite 11 national competition would help his case. 2) Accuracy and decision-making are the areas of needed growth and that appears to be happening. You're right about elite arms strength. I'd have to do a phone-a-friend to get an accurate answer to comparisons, and sadly, that wouldn't be a short phone call. If you email me ehansen@insidendsports.com, I'll get you that answer before the week is out.

Guest

I sent a previous message thanking you for the link to the 7on7 games of Deuce Knight and asking questions about his arm strength. Forgot to leave my name and hometown. Drew from Alexandria, VA.

2:42

Thanks for posting the link to watch Deuce Knight's 7on7 games this weekend. I was stunned how good he was and how strong his arm is. He looked better than any of the other QB's I saw, including Tavien St. Clair going to Ohio State. Two questions - (1) the announcers for the game raved about how much better he is this year. If that is true, what do you guys think his chances are to achieve a fifth star? (2) When was the last time we had a QB recruit with such a strong arm?

Eric Hansen

2:42

Hi Matt. 1. Transfer punter. 2. There are coaches in the booth who can be in Marcus Freman's ear and recommend that, but they don't have time to do extensive video reviews. The other team is usually pretty eager to snap the ball. And usually, the replay booth with hold up the game if it sees something and wants another look. 3. Right tackle and left guard. 4. I think there will be several significant contributors, but the only one who might start is Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at MLB. 5. Determining the starting five O-linemen and building chemistry.

Matt (KC)

2:37

Quick Five: 1. Does Notre Dame transfer in a punter or go with what is on roster? 2. When coach is trying to decide whether to challenge a play, does a team have their own video coaches immediately reviewing plays or are they waiting for whatever the TV broadcasts show? 3. Where is the tightest battle on the Offensive line at? 4. Do you think there is a true freshman this year who will be a starter and significant contributor by the end of the year? 5. What is the biggest unknown to date on the roster that needs to be solved by fall?

Eric Hansen

If Ohio State does make a change in the not-too-distant future, I'll have a more detailed answer and can better weigh the factors at that time.

2:36

Matt. Thanks for being on here ... and a great day to you, which since you live in Austin is probably easy to have. ... These kind of things don't bounce around in my head ... not that it's wrong... Just not wired like that. So, let me give this a shot, and it may be clumsy. As Marcus Freeman continues to grows as a head coach, he is going to be in demand and not just potentially by his alma mater. So, the question becomes why would he leave. I'm not saying he would NEVER leave, but there are not a lot of compelling reasons at this time for him to do that. One, the administration is giving the football program incredible support, including the building of the Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall. There have been concessions and middle ground round in transfer portal recruiting. And I remember a conversation I had with Marcus' wife Joanna about how much they valued this area as one in which they felt was great for raising their family. So all those things would be pulls toward staying. (more)

Matt from Austin

2:26

Hi Eric. Good to be with you again and thank you as always for your time. I really like MF as our coach, both as a leader and a man. He's clearly a great recruiter and a fine representative of Notre Dame. If we have a strong season as we all hope, and that team in Ohio can't get a win versus that team in Michigan, should there be concern that MF could be poached by his alma mater? I doubt that I am the only one who has this thought kicking around in my head sadly. Thanks Eric and have a great day.

Eric Hansen

2:25

So, again, the portal for underclassmen closed Tuesday at midnight. And for grad transfers it will close Wednesday at midnight. Now players in the portal don't have to have made their decisions when the windows lose. They just have to be in the portal. And again, the grad transfer deadline is new this spring. As far as the players improving after transferring to ND, you could make a case for better coaching with some of them and better opportunities. JJB, for instance, got great coaching at Ohio State, but Al Washington and Al Golden did a great job with him, and HE made the most of his opportunity he wasn't getting at OSU. The one player who may have gone backwards is Antonio Carter II. And last check he was still looking for a new school.

This question is from Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.

Hi Eric, hope all is well in your world. A couple of questions regarding the Portal: how much time is left for a player to enter the portal? Wouldn't seem like if a player was going to exit ND that they would have made that decision by now? What are your thoughts on that? Also, it seems as thought many of the 1-year portal players that have come to ND have really improved over their previous play. Do you think that it is better coaching; playing against tougher competition; or practicing everyday against better players that has accounted for their improvement?? Thanks for continuing the Chats and keeping all of us up to date on Irish football.

2:19

Hi Lorne. Your rant was more like a tribute. And I was good with it. I will note your ticket questions and save them for another day, because I don't have those answers off the top of my head or even handy without stopping the chat to chase them. But they are good questions, just not in my lane. What I can tell you from talking to new AD Pete Bevacqua recently, there's a great deal of effort and data and strategy being put into keeping an ambitious visiting opponent fan base from snatching up enough tickets to change the atmosphere in the stadium. As far as the limit on tickets, it would seem to me that is set by the anticipated demand. But again, these are topics I'd be happy to look into.

Lorne

2:14

Lorne from Reno. I didn't mean for the Joe Alt comments to be sent without adding more - just trying to start a new paragraph! Anyway, you can take that one and throw out this mini-rant if you want. Ten ticket limit to all home games? Alum who aren't rich have no shot at tickets to top games, you can count on a lot of FSU fans buying tickets on the secondary market, and the high ticket-limit sends a message that the ticket office doesn't think there will be a high demand -- nice trifecta by the ticket office (I suspect they just want to make it easy on themselves by limiting the number of customers they need to deal with). I guess I'll be getting Louisville tickets on the secondary market. Who sets these ticket limits? A four-ticket limit for tOSU last year still meant that most alum couldn't get tickets.

2:13

Lorne from Reno (yes, I really live in the shadow of Ponderosa country). One of the more satisfying things about being a Notre Dame football fan is to watch a young man come in as a recruit (three stars, but I like him), see him play against Wisconsin as a tight end to try to save Jack Coan's life, assume the critical left tackle position and play it better than anybody else in the country, because a top draft choice and, best of all, demonstrate character that reflects well upon him, his family and the university. Congratulations to Joe Alt and the rest of the former player moving on to the NFL. Thank you for so many great memories, and best of luck in the pros -- we'll be pulling for you.

Eric Hansen

2:10

Hi Kevin. If the players either medically retire or leave the roster to become regular students for non-medical reasons, they would not be expected -- nor allowed -- to practice with the team. Jordan Faison's situation was different. He was on a partial lacrosse scholarship. And as long as he didn't play in a game, he could remain on lacrosse scholarship. But the NCAA has a hierarchy for multi-sport athletes. And that's so football doesn't stash extra players in another sport. So, once Faison played in a game, he HAD to be converted to a football scholarship.

Kevin

2:07

Kevin from Walnut, CA Since Notre Dame is over the scholarship limit and the transfer portal is now closed, will several players be converted from football scholarships to academic or other type of scholarships? If so, would these players still be allowed/expected to practice but they won't be allowed to play in any games (i.e. Jordan Faison during the early part of last season)?

Eric Hansen

2:07

I think it was a really good showing by the ND group and a lot of them went to teams where they'll be in a good position to contribute. Even the guys who were not among the seven who were drafted but signed as free agents (or invited to minicamp) -- Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader, Michael Vinson and Thomas Harper -- ended up in places where I think their chances of making the roster are favorable.

Ryan Mars Pa

2:05

Good afternoon Eric what do You Think About Joe Alt Cam Heart Audric Marist and JD getting Drafted i think All will Do Good same with Baptiese with Washington GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈

Eric Hansen

2:04

Put me down for that even if they didn't get a punter from Australia. And let's charge it all to Tyler.

Bob (Oxnard, CA)

2:04

If we get a punter from Australia, will you and Tyler find a restaurant in S Bend where we can have a Thursday football weekend shrimp on bbq, beers, and InsideNDsports get together? Preferably pre-FSU!

Eric Hansen

2:04

Marcus will have a bunch of speaking engagements this month as he is not allowed to join his assistants on the road recruiting. And speaking of road ... putting the things in place that will make ND a better road team than the Irish were last season. ... With the five-star question, remember it's about attracting those players AND retaining them. So fit becomes even more important in the portal era with unlimited transfers. I would think more in terms of top 100 players than five-stars. And Marcus Freeman has been doing a good job there ... five in the 2024 class ... four so far in the 2025 class with a couple of others in the top 150. And don't forget to factor in elite portal players.

1:53

HI Marie. Great week and I will email you later this week.... First things first ... roster management. Get the new punter and cornerback on board and then figure out how to get to 85 (which is probably done). Those two additions, plus transfers Beaux Collins and Rod Heard II and eight freshmen arrive in a little over a month ... so getting them set up for summer.... Recruiting never sleeps and getting official visits set up for June to finish 2025 strong is at the forefront .. and keeping momentum going with unofficials for the 2026s. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:44

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a fantastic week. Now that spring football is over, if you were Marcus Freeman, what couple of things would you be focusing on the most between now and the start of fall camp to maximize the potential of the 2024 team? I’m sure having a good showing at the draft will help recruiting which continues to improve. It seems however, that to be in the highest echelon of college football, a team needs to pick up a couple of five star players every recruiting cycle. What do you think Notre Dame can due to try and get a few five more five stars each year.? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and the insights. Please keep the chats going during the slow time for us fans, we all really appreciate it.

Eric Hansen

1:42

Hi Don. There's a difference between loving the game enough to play it in college and not loving it enough to do it professionally. And so, there have been players like Bob Morton and more recently Braden Lenzy, who just want to get on with life after football but ABSOLUTELY loved the college experience and poured their heart into it. Some are influenced by injuries. I was talking to Tommy Kraemer the other day, and he and Josh Lugg (along with Liam Eichenberg, who's still playing) are doing the real estate thing in South Bend. He was telling me about the serious back injuries and surgeries he's gone through and that it was an easy decision to walk away once he got his pension eligibility fulfilled. But I think it would be hard to go through the demands of college football and compete for a starting spot and not love the game.

Don in Scottsdale

Eric, Hope all is well with you and hope May brings sunshine and not too much rain. Former N

1:38

former ND lineman, Steve Elmer, was always open regarding he used football as a way to get into a great college. He stopped playing after 3 years. How unusual was he? Not naming names but are there guys on the roster who may be dedicated but don't really love the game and all it entails? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:38

Hi Doug. This is a day I don't envy your weather. It's really, really nice today here. ... I would say Notre Dame football not making the playoff. I think the WBB team still needs to add a frontcourt player or two from the portal to fortify a Final Four run. And even then, they could be a 2 seed and end up in the same regional as South Carolina, for instance. So there's some luck involved ... and they need the injury gods to be nice to them.

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