JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat May 22, 2020

Notre Dame Football Live Chat May 22, 2020

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Eric Hansen

12:53

Ron, thanks for your good wishes, and back at you. That's just not going to happen. I think what might be realistic is an open period in July and/or August when visits can happen. I think it's unfortunate to lose recruits in part because of the extended dead periods, but I understand why those protocols are in place.

Ron from NC

12:40

Eric, hope you and your family are well. I have a question about a touchy subject. If getting these top players on campus is a priority to getting them to commit why cant NCAA allow schools like ND to just stagger the recruits on campus (no camps, workouts, meetings, etc). There's probably what... 5 or 6 "must" have players why can't the NCAA just allow 1 or 2 recruits with family on campus at any given time (weekend) over a months time period. I know its a lot of work for ND but if its' a priority then you make it work. I mean ND has a hotel on campus they can isolate the recruits, everyone can wear masks and gloves but at least the recruits could get to see the campus, facilities, their future degree departments, maybe a few staff and get their questions answered and ND wouldn't lose recruits to those kids local schools? I get the guidelines to keep everyone safe but I go to Walmart everyday and there are 300 people there and not just to get food? Whats your opinion on losing recruits due to the guidelines?

Eric Hansen

12:39

Mike, thank you and same to you. I think we saw small clues in the bowl game against Iowa State -- more QB under center in short yardage, some different formations, an emphasis on being a more efficient running team. I think not having spring might dial back some of the changes this fall, but I didn't expect wholesale alterations anyway. I'm really eager to see how he uses an inexperienced, but very deep and athletic, receiving corps that will have to play catch-up in August not having had the opportunity to work on chemistry. My plan and hope is to directly talk to Rees himself in June, now that there is momentum for a football season and one that may very well start on time.

Mike-quakertown PA

12:34

Thanks again for all of your hard work reporting on the Irish and for hosting these chats. I hope you and your family are safe and well. What do you think the offense will look like under Tommy Rees? Will there be dramatic shifts, or will there more of a focus on a 50/50 run/pass split, or more of the same just with a more preferred messenger for Kelly with Rees? Thanks again!

Eric Hansen

12:34

Rick, with the addition of Nick McCloud as a grad transfer, Notre Dame is at 89. They may yet add another grad transfer at RB. When they do these kinds of things, the coaches have a very good idea of who is likely to stick on the roster and who is not. There are two walk-ons who were given scholarships for the spring and summer, knowing that those could go away in the fall. WR Isaiah Robertson, who did not play a single down in 2019, was going to be held out of spring ball to work on academic issues. So his roster spot wasn't guaranteed. I hate to speculate beyond that, as I don't think it's fair to the players if it's not an absolute. We should have a better picture of this in June. Notre Dame does not have to be at 85 until the first day of fall-semester classes, which is now Aug. 10.

Rick from Kalamazoo

12:26

any thoughts on roster movement to get down to 85, thank you for the chats Eric, I very much enjoy!

Eric Hansen

12:26

Lawrence, great to be back. And thank you for joining in. I don't think running back is necessarily a liability. I think it's an unknown. I do like freshman Chris Tyree's game a lot -- certainly more than a lot of other people on the beat seem to. And that's not as a starter, but as an important part of the running back rotation. I think the offensive line has a chance to be really good in run blocking, much better than last year, and Tommy Rees — as the offensive coordinator — is committed to that, which is a good sign.

Lawrence from Denver

12:21

Great to have these back. 1) is running back a serious liability? 2) does this o-line have the ceiling to be a dominant run-blocking force like 2017 (not in terms of matching draft picks, but in changing the nature of a game)?

Eric Hansen

12:21

Hi Marie. All good here and hope your family is safe as well. I'm not sure I'd agree with the premise of the questions even if the same offensive coordinators and offensive play callers had been a constant in the Kelly Era. And I don't think the answer is one size fits all. Kizer, for instance, lost a lot of his supporting/surrounding cast, and then he started pressing to try to do too much. That wasn't about the playbook. I think a lot of the regression has been more mental than anything else. And part of coaching is helping the QBs process the pressure and transcend it. If there's been a common theme in the shortfalls to this point. I would start there.

Marie from Atlanta

12:15

Hi Eric, Thanks for hosting the chat. Do you think one of the contributing factors to QB regression at ND following the first year of play could be due to the playbook becoming over complicated for the QB in the second year. Simply put do you think the Staff asks too much of the QB. The first year of Kizer, Book and others were all great but it seemed the plays were simpler as the staff was aware of the lack of experience. Do you think results could be better, if the plays were a little simpler in the 2nd and 3rd years, but allowed for a very high percentage of execution, as opposed to running complicated plays that blow up a lot more. Also do you think the plays could be tailored more to the QB strengths and maybe ask them to do less of things they are not as comfortable with? Is this an approach OC Rees might take? Thanks for you thoughts. Hope you are keeping safe.

Eric Hansen

12:14

For the 2020 team or 2021? For 2020, I would say it should be a goal. If they end up there, they've overachieved slightly. It also would mean, if the schedule stays intact, they would have beaten Wisconsin, Clemson or both. I still think this could be Kelly's best overall team, and it's one that I think will adapt to the setback of the pandemic better than a lot of teams around the country, based on its leadership, returning players and they way the program approached training and teaching during the pandemic.

Ryan(Philadelphia)

12:11

Is the college football playoff a realistic expectation for this 2021 Notre Dame team?

Eric Hansen

12:11

There's a lot more to it. First, schools are looking at models that would allow some fans to be in the stands. That's not an absolute, but it's gaining momentum. Second, it's not a given that it would be safer for fans in the winter/spring than it would be in the fall, considering the overlap in the winter of flu season with COVID-19. There may be better therapeutics in place by them or a vaccine. There may not. There may be better weapons to fight the disease come September. More problems with delaying the season are delaying revenue, overlapping with winter sports, having a short turnaround between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Alex from Jackson, MO

12:05

If they can’t play with fans in the stands in the fall, what is the drawback to punting until after the first of the year, if fans can return at that point? Is it simply a logistical nightmare, or is there more to it?

Eric Hansen

12:05

Off we go ...

Please remember to include your name and hometown with your question.

12:04

Here are the rules.