JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 10, 2019

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 10, 2019

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Erik (Granger, IN)

12:25

Love the chats! The CB situation is becoming eerily similar to the RB situation the last few years. How hot is Todd Lyght's seat right now after years of poor recruiting? And is there another Lance Taylor out there who could come in and immediately impact the CB depth chart?

Eric Hansen

12:25

Building on my answer to Frank, USC's offensive line has allowed just six sacks, but I believe ND's edge rushers will be the best they see this season. It's a matchup ND has to win and should win, both with its quality and quantity at those positions. As far as Kyle Hamilton picks, I'm not going to predict that, but Slovis' weakness (and he hasn't shown many) is turning the ball over.

Paul from Lititz

12:23

Eric - will our pass rushers at the corners be able to get pressure on Slovis? Their receivers are going to make plays and I feel if we can’t pressure their QB it’s going to be a long day if he has time to go thru his progressions. Does Kyle Hamilton get one or two picks Saturday night. Thanks

Eric Hansen

12:23

I don't think that would be wise, given that you'd be giving USC more one-on-one matchups with those talented wide receivers. Notre Dame's bread and better on defense in this game needs to be creating pressure with its front four. I do think they'd want to give USC QB Kedon Slovis lots of different looks and some of those would involve an OCCASIONAL blitz.

Frank from Canton,Ga

12:21

Will ND blitz more this game then previous games?

Eric Hansen

12:20

Bob, that wouldn't go into effect until 2023. There are already other states forming similar proposals. The NCAA was already going down this road in terms of studying whether it makes sense for this model. There's potential legal action. There's potential national legislation. There's potential for the NCAA to sort this out. And there's plenty of time to do so. So no, I don't think ultimately California schools will be at an advantage.

Bob from Wilmington, DE

12:17

There is a proposal in California to pay scholarship athletes. Do you think this could affect ND recruiting? Will high school athletes be more inclined to go to USC, UCLA, etc.

Eric Hansen

12:17

John, certainly from the outside looking in, your assessment appears spot on. Talking with those in the recruiting analyst community confirms that. And to me, having interviewed Autry Denson and Todd Lyght, it's stunning, because of the quality of people they are, their ability to express the Notre Dame message, their own playing backgrounds, even their track record of developing players at hose positions. In recruiting cornerbacks, perhaps it's a matter of too much letting Notre Dame sell itself. Keep in mind, Todd Lyght hasn't been coaching as long as some of the people he competes against. I think there's potential to turn that around. I think he has the tools. But it needs to happen soon. Consistently. He's going to have to outwork his competition ... leave no stone unturned.

John from Royal Oak, MI

12:10

Hey Eric, interested in your thoughts on former ND players as coaches, in particular Todd Lyght. It seems that the two "weakest links" from a recruiting standpoint in the last few years have been the running back and DB coaches...which is odd because they were former ND greats. It seems like former players would have the ability to sell the team better than just about anyone else...so do you believe the issue has been their lack of interest in recruiting (enjoy on-field coaching more), interpersonal awkwardness (just not "people people"), or something else? I've formed my question from the reports of other journalists so if you feel I'm way off base, please shoot me straight. Thanks and appreciate all your work.

Eric Hansen

12:06

Bill. Thanks. There was a lot to like from ND in that game, against admittedly an overmatched opponent. Their ability to focus on the task at hand topped the list for me. Not letdown. If I'm being picky, I thought ND's defense was average at best on third down. They'll have to be much better in that area Saturday night against USC.

Bill-Idaho Falls, Idaho

12:03

I'm curious if you saw the things you wanted to see from ND in the Bowling Green game, to convince you that the Irish are on the right path or improving and moving forward? Appreciate your insight and comments!

Eric Hansen

12:03

Bob, thank you. I'm a bit on the fence with the first part of your question, which actually is progress from where I started last season. I'll say conditionally yes if a formidable run defense is in place. As far as the 2020 NFL Draft. he projects as a seventh-rounder if not an undrafted free agent. I wrote about this recently with draft analyst Scott Wright, who says the NFL scouts feel Book should go back to school in 2020. Wright's opinion is that Book could rise to be a middle-round guy in 2021 if things work out well. I defer to his expertise on that. I think Book is evolving as a QB and has a chance to be better in December than he is at the moment.

Bob from NYC

11:59

Hi Eric, love these chats. What do you see as Ian Book’s ceiling? Could he, with the right weapons available, win a national championship? What’s the highest round you see him getting drafted (whenever he enters). How many of his shortcomings are coachable and how long would it conceivably take to correct them, based on his progress so far.

Eric Hansen

11:58

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