JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 21, 2019

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 21, 2019

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Jim from Toledo

1:55

Eric, a couple Chip Long questions: it seems he goes with what's not working, ie run up the middle when it's not there. RPO'S, where's the tight end down the seem or quick slant? Am I missing something?

Eric Hansen

1:55

Joe, thanks. I think Brian Kelly's agent would love for the world to think he's interested and vice versa. I don't think either will happen. Brian has said recently that he'd like to stay at ND and coach a couple of years beyond his current contract (expiring after 2021). AD Jack Swarbrick has told me that he plans to extend BK's contract.

Joe Williams Bay Wi

1:51

Eric Great job as always I’m just wondering if you think any high profile program like a Florida State or USC would take a serious run at Brian Kelly and do you think he would have any interest And if not how long do you think he’ll stay at Notre Dame I personally think he’s a great coach and we’re lucky to have him

Eric Hansen

1:50

Jim, thanks for the kind words. I'll start with my belief that the tight end corps and the running backs should be both improved and deeper in terms of the passing game. I think freshman RB Chris Tyree and freshman TE Michael Mayer are a part of that equation. I think two of the incoming freshman WRs will push for spots in the rotation -- Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts. I'm bullish on Lenzy, and I think Wilkins, Keys, Brunelle and Abdur-Rahman all have some promise. The key guy to me is Kevin Austin, who's suspended this season. Troy Pride told me last spring that beyond Claypool/Finke, Austin was the toughest to cover. Claypool raved about Austin earlier this week. This past year was a big one for WRs coach Del Alexander in terms of stepping up his game in recruiting. He did. Next year is the prove-it year for him in terms of player development.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

1:42

Eric, keep on truckin' with all the great articles, insights and perspectives that are so invaluable to all us Irish honks. To be candid, I think the Irish might see a significant drop off come next season with the receiving corps excluding Kmet. I fear losing the terrific Claypool and the coming-alive Finke will leave massive holes in the passing game that ND won't be able to replace. Though there have been flashes from other pass receivers, I have seen nothing on a consistent basis that leads me to believe that the passing game won't suffer significantly as it relates to production in 2020. Please give me a scenario whereby some guys step up and help to mitigate against the impeding void that will be left with the departure of Claypool and Finke. Thanks and keep up the splendid work!

Eric Hansen

1:41

Brian it's a great question and one that will take some digging once the regular season ends -- and probably beyond that. And it deserves to be answered. I don't think it's easy for fans to just simply move on. The oddest part about it was it was the perfect storm for Kelly. He had been 11-1 at ND post bye weeks. He knew how to get the most out of those. On top of that, midterms came during the bye week, and fall break (no classes) was during the week of Michigan prep. So yes, I will get to the bottom of it. I just don't have those answers right now.

Brian Sontchi

1:36

Hi Eric: Brian from Batavia, IL. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the no show in Ann Arbor after a most successful first half of the season. What have you been able to discover surrounding the preparation during those two weeks before the Ann Arbor game? What conclusions have you reached? Was the coaching staff out of town too long recruiting? Players not spending enough time watching film of Michigan’s near miss in State College? Too much time off from other football related activities? In other words, “what happened” during that two week period to result in such an ugly performance against the Wolverines? Please let us know. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

1:35

Jack, we're not going to see the full range of options as far as transfers until the season is over ... and maybe not until after spring. Unless Shaun Crawford decided to apply for a sixth year (and it was granted), sophomore TaRiq Bracy is the only CB coming back with ANY significant experience. Of the three freshmen, I'd say KJ Wallace and Cam Hart would be most likely to secure significant roles. None of the three recruits projects as a plug-and-play guys, but there can be surprises. So in other words, there are numbers but a lot of Ifs.

Jack from Oak Park

1:29

Eric, looking ahead to Notre Dame's 2020 defense (and NC run), can ND find its new starting CB line-up with the current roster or do we have any viable options in the transfer portal - if so, what tandem jumps out? Thanks

Eric Hansen

1:28

Chuck, Ovie has been impressing in practice for a while. He was defensive scout team player of the year as a freshman. ND has a lot of guys like him in their defensive end stockpile. That's part of my reason for optimism in 2020. My reasons for tapping the breaks in 2020 would be cornerbacks and the running game. The latter must be much more consistent and dynamic. I think the cornerback position would benefit from a dip into the grad transfer market. As far as Chip Long, I don't see him as the albatross that you see him as. We'll have to agree to disagree on that point.

chuck @ Brigantine, NJ

1:24

Eric, great to see our guy, Braden, FINALLY involved. Great win over Navy, nice "D" energy and Ian was the old Ian, despite the absence of an O-Line push in the run game. I have 2 questions for the Midwest's BEST Sports Journalist: 1) Ovie Oghoufo --- so impressive, where has he been and will we see more of him? 2) I love your optimism about 2020 and want to buy in but difficult for me at present as long as Chip is calling the plays. I am satisfied with BK, Ian and Clark ---all very capable --- but do YOU feel that we can scale the mountain carrying Chip Long? Thank you Eric and have a great Thanksgiving!

Eric Hansen

1:24

Tim, I don't think cured is the term I would use. I think he is taking steps in the right direction. I would expect the positive trend to continue the next two weeks. ... Look, there's a natural evolution all QBs have to pass through like dealing with pressure (Blitzes), dealing with rush 3/drop 8 etc. Some move through those phases faster than others. Some get stuck. Wimbush was one of those guys that got stuck, for instance. Kizer went through those stages fairly quickly. If Book continues to grow and progress and form positive habits, it will help the next time he sees an elite defense. But until he faces one, there's no guarantee his success against lesser defenses will translate to that higher level. So we'll all find out together.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

1:17

Hi Eric.....Just curious if you believe that, due to Kelly's new practice routine, Ian Book is suddenly cured of whatever trepidation he had about standing in the pocket, checking down his receivers, and letting the ball fly deep to an open or fairly open man. Do you believe we can expect more of this type of performance in the future, not just against BC and Stanford this year, but against a ranked opponent in a bowl game, and then continued into next season?

Eric Hansen

1:17

Bill. It did not surprise me. I felt all along this was the Chase Claypool we'd see this year. And against Navy, I didn't they;'d have anyone athletically that could match up with him. I think right now he's a second/third-round pick in a very deep WR class. Thanks for your questions. ,,,oh and the Book question, I would be surprised if he didn't come back. Not enough NFL buzz and no reason to transfer. Spring could change the latter, but I wouldn't anticipate that at all.

Bill 1000 Oaks CA.

1:13

Did Claypool's performance surprise you?Book proved he can throw the long ball hope he comes back any guess on your part?Is Clay pool a30-40 round pick?Too many questions but YOU have the answers! Going to miss the GR8 chats Eric God Bless & GO IRISH!!

Eric Hansen

1:12

Harvey, there's a chance, but I don't think if would be a very good chance. I wrote about this last week if you want more depth on the answer: https://www.ndinsider.com/football/hansen-sizing-up-alohi-gilman-s-nfl...

ND Harvey, S. Philly

1:07

E, hope all is well. Any chance Alohi Gilman returns next year. As always, great job. Go Irish

Eric Hansen

1:07

Dan, thank you for the kind words. Humbly, I would like to point out my name is Eric. ... If Clark Lea gets a great opportunity to be a head coach, then he SHOULD leave, but not all head coaching opportunities are promising. I think Clark is smart enough to figure out which ones are. I do not expect him to leave after this season, but if he continues to rise as a coordinator, he'll have opportunities to be a head coach in 2021 and beyond.

Dan, Belen, NM

1:03

Chris, there’s lots of sites to acquire information on the Irish, however, yours tops the list! Thanks for so generously sharing your journalistic gifts. About this time of year struggling programs begin evaluating which up-and-coming assistants they can poach to turn things around. Clark Lea must be on a lot of radar screens! In addition to financial enticements, what other items does Kelly have at his disposal to persuade Lea to forego a possible head coaching position and remain at a Notre Dame as the defensive coordinator?

Eric Hansen

1:01

Darin Pritchett and I talked about this on Weekday SportsBeat a bit this week. Among the 13 players who fill the linebacker and rover spots, only Asmar Bilal has expiring eligibility. Deep reserve Jonathan Jones wouldn't be a fifth-year candidate, so you've got 11 guys coming back and 10 of them currently have freshman or sophomore eligibility.

There's a chance that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could move to the buck linebacker spot next year, clearing a path for Moala/Jack Kiser at rover. But there are going to be a lot of ascending players in the spring, including Moala.

Marist Liufau, Osita Ekwonu, a recovering Jack Lamb, a recovering Shayne are all among players who will make a run at the starting buck position. This is a long way of saying there's lots of talent and lots of competition, and Moala will get his chance to push for more playing time.

Jeff from Phoenix

12:44

Hi Eric, my question is regarding Paul Moala. Given his improved play recently and especially his impact vs Navy, I saw that BK said something to the effect of 'he is very talented and we need to get him on the field more'. Can you give us some insight as to what that looks like? Is he a safety (that depth chart looks full) or linebacker or rover and does that matter regarding playing time? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:43

Given the reasons that Urban Meyer is no longer coaching Ohio State, I can't see a Notre Dame connection happening. As far as Fleck? Maybe down the road if his star keeps rising. He has yet to win me over personally.

harry connellsville pa.

12:42

There is no indication that B Kelly will be leaving in the near future, but I hear much speculation about U.Meyer and P.J.Fleck.Am I correct in thinking that neither of them would ever be considered by Notre Dame? Thank you, and have and have great evening..

Eric Hansen

12:41

Don, I don't mind some observations, but it's easier for me if you conclude with a specific question. What I gleaned from this is you want to know if they'd use Lenzy or Keys as a running back? Right? They have used both on jet sweeps,
etc., and it's worked out well on most occasions. I don't see the Irish having either of those guys change positions. I think the offseason questions BK and the coaching staff need to ask are: Does a healthy Armstrong give ND top-end speed? Does Avery Davis deserve a larger role? How much will the Irish be able to count on swift freshman Chris Tyree next season? As for this season, given the defenses ND faces, I think they have enough in the running game to get to the end of the season without it coming back to bite them. But next year is a different story if the Irish aspire to be a playoff team.

don from cinti

the "rocket". Finally I have watched 3 games from the endzone and it seems that Tony Jones Jr on many occasions could have gotten more yardage after hitting the initial hole and bouncing outside rather than running over oncoming tacklers. However I'd rather see him do this than try to go outside before hitting the initial hole. Your Comments

12:34

Eric, It was obvious in the Navy game that Book had more confidence in throwing to his receivers before they actually got open. I'm hoping this was the case rather than just knowing his receivers were just that much faster than Navy's defenders. Secondly, since the real difference between last years running game and this years is the breakaway speed of Dexter Williams; has there been any thought about putting Lenzy or Keys in the backfield ala the '

Eric Hansen

12:33

46 degrees here with a cup of coffee from my Keurig machine. ... There has been a lot to like about how Ian Book has been trending the past couple of games, particularly since Navy featured a top 25 pass defense and a pretty good overall defense in all areas, coming in. BC is a bad defense, third from the bottom of the FBS in total defense, in fact. Stanford isn't markedly better. And ND wouldn't likely face a top 40 defense in the Camping World Bowl. So even with encouraging improvement, there's no way to determine whether that will hold up against an elite or very good defense until likely the Irish play Wisconsin Oct. 3, 2020 in Green Bay, Wis.

ed palm beach

12:23

Eric from 75and sunny Florida in front of a plate of stone crabs!!!!...Did Ian pass your eye test past 3 weeks or is this just another version versus 2nd tire competion...my guess BC will be fired up Saturday as the little brother comes in with a chip on there shoulder...Thanks

Eric Hansen

12:23

The is a path to the Citrus Bowl, but it's long, windy and unlikely. If a Big Ten team (rather than an SEC team) ends up in the Orange Bowl, opposite the ACC host team, then the Citrus comes into play for the Irish. That is not how things are trending at this time.

Guest

12:21

cederick walker saginaw michigan look like camping world or cotton can we get the citrus bowl we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

12:21

I think you play eight men in the box (the eighth man being a safety) and dare BC to beat you in the passing game. Even then, it'll still be a formidable challenge. The Irish are a bit banged up in their interior defensive line, yet need to rotate a lot of bodies there and at the end positions. BC has two big backs -- Dillon (250) and Bailey (240), so they can pound at a defense and wear them down. That's why a good rotation of fresh players is important.

Steve from St. Louis

12:18

BC has been very successful running the ball this year. How do you see ND defending the run? Five DL, bring a safety down, something else.

Eric Hansen

12:17

I don't think it's as accurate to say he's hurt as it is that he's recovering. And as Armstrong continues to move toward 100 percent, Brian Kelly believes the investment will begin to pay off. I agree with him. Armstrong is the running back — when healthy — who can most positively impact the offense. It just hasn't happened yet.

GB from Wasilla. Alaska

12:15

Eric, So far this year Jafar has been hurt. I can understand him not performing very well because of his injuries. My question is why Kelly keeps playing him so much when he is clearly still injured and not producing?

Eric Hansen

Off we go ....

Remember to include your name and hometown with your question.

12:14

Sorry for the delay.

12:13

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