JotCast | Notre Dame Live Chat April 16, 2020

Notre Dame Live Chat April 16, 2020

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Guest

2:39

Marty from Sylvania Ohio. Hi Eric. Thank you for covering ND football so well. I hope EVERYONE is staying safe and do what the governors are asking to do. I'm asking you to speculate. I know (probably not very fair, right?). I listen to Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine news conference almost every day. He is doing a great job as is his staff. I'm not convinced we will jam football stadiums this year and therefore not jam locker rooms full of players. This is expected to be a great Irish team this year. What will happen to all the seniors and 5th year seniors who are counting on this season to finish a great career. Many will probably say I have to go pro now or I may not get a chance. There are so many scenarios. However 1 death is not worth anything else is it now? Go Irish my friends

Eric Hansen

2:39

Don, actually going into spring, they were both doing well, ahead of schedule. Next time we talk to BK, I'll get a rundown of everyone. But they both should be ready to go now whenever the season and/or training camp starts.

lindoncapi@zoomtown.com

2:37

Don from Cincinnati Eric thanks for your chats. How are Kraemer and Hainsey doing with their rehabbing?

Eric Hansen

2:37

I would imagine there's not unanimity in that answer, depending on age/susceptibility of the folks involved, whether they're a drive or a flight away from campus, etc. That's a good story idea for me to explore once the May 15 date gives us some clarity about the start of the season.

Tom from Atlanta

2:31

Eric, with so much uncertainty about the football season, do you think season ticket holders will opt not to renew for 2020?

Eric Hansen

2:28

I think some of that now depends on when the season starts. And the longer that we go until the start of the season, the more the later-enrolling freshmen, I would think, catch up with the early enrollees. Basing it on need and what positions can get up to speed the fastest, long snapper Alex Peitsch, RB Chris Tyree, TE Michael Mayer, maybe DL Rylie Mills and a surprise contributor WR Xavier Watts.

Jeremy from Goshen, IN

2:17

which true freshman do you see making the biggest impact this year?

Eric Hansen

2:17

Jim, if you could provide me with the name of the software, I can check on that for you. ... and thank you.

Jim from Raleigh

2:16

Eric: A trio of UNC students has developed a remote learning and collaboration platform customized for sports teams. They list Notre Dame as one of their partners along with other prominent universities and professional teams. Do you know if the football team is utilizing this program? If not, what platform is in use? Thanks for keeping the Irish faithful informed.

Eric Hansen

2:16

Dave, they do track pass deflections from every position group. Last year ND was credited with four from its D-linemen -- one each from Kareem, Jayson Ademilola, Tagovailoa-Amosa and Oghoufo. I don't know how that compares with other teams and there's not an easy/quick place to look that up, but it's way down from 2018 when Kareem had 5 by himself and the DL had 10 as a position group.

Dave

2:07

Do college football teams track passes blocked by their defensive linemen? How does ND compare.

Eric Hansen

2:07

Ken, I try to frame these as opinions and not predictions or being overly speculative. As we learned Wednesday through VP Mike Pence's discussions with leaders in college athletics, there are extra layers of complications when it comes to ramping up college sports vs. pros. One of them is economic. The NFL gets an incredibly larger percentage of its revenue from TV than college does, and so college is much more dependent on the gate and game day revenue. There needs to be some universal thinking in terms of when is it the right time. You can't have some college teams ready to start in September and others not willing to play until next spring. Getting students back on campus is a key marker for readiness of some sort. I'm open to listening to all suggestions ... then we can figure out which ones are crazy and which ones are not.

Ken - Pensacola

2:01

Eric,
Given the current optimistic predictions that COVID -19 has reached a plateau and could be a return of the football season, what do you think the teams overall reactions to ideas like playing with no fans in the stands or other crazy suggestions?
Thanks & Go Irish !!!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:01

Hi Bob, nice to hear from you. I think the answer to your question depends so much on how much time will new CBS coach Mike Mickens and DBs coach Terry Joseph get to work with them IN PERSON before the season starts. Two things to feel good about that will help the situation: ND's pass rush figures to be better than average and maybe much better than average. And, Kyle Hamilton will be a starting safety, who can erase some mistakes. ... As far as taller/longer corners, I think it's a preference, but not an absolute necessity. Of the top 12 CB prospects in this draft, six are shorter than 6-feet even. That includes ND's Troy Pride Jr. ... I have not been to India with or without my mom. She got home only a few weeks before all this craziness started. She is stir crazy these days.

Bob Gorman Columbus Ohio

1:47

Eric...my oldest son (ND '00) wants to go to the Stanford game rather than Clemson since he is concerned about our corners match up with elite receivers of Clemson. Can our coaches microwave the corners to get them ready in time? And do you agree with a comment of Rick Neuheisel ( last fall he said Sooner corners were too small) that competitive corners need to be 6'1" or 6'2" with long arms to match up with elite receivers? Last question: have you gone to Fr. Bede Griffith's place in India with your mom yet? Can't believe she made another recent trip.

Eric Hansen

1:46

Sheesh, how did I forget him. He's definitely on the list.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:46

toughest guy for my vote, was 5-11 and 200 lbs Tom Zbikowski, punt returner and boxer

Eric Hansen

1:46

My vote is for RB Will Shipley.

Michael in Walnut, CA

1:45

Which recruit do you think we need most for 2021 and have a good shot at that hasn’t committed yet? I am by no means a recruiting expert, but Shipley looks fantastic.

Eric Hansen

1:45

John, I had an interview scheduled with Corey the week that all the stay-at-home orders and sports shutting down started to come down. NBC asked if we could delay the interview until there was more certainty about the sports landscape. I think they'll define his Notre Dame role as soon as they know what the next college football season is going to look like. He will be involved in pro sports coverage as well.

John from Elkhorn, Ne.

1:40

Hey Eric - what do you hear regarding Corey Robinson and his role if any on ND Football Saturday’s. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:40

Back to GB's question about supplements. I asked someone much smarter than me about that during the chat. She told me ND is allowed to send supplements to the players, and that they are indeed doing so.

1:39

Tom, thank you, and I hope you and your family are and stay safe. And I just saw the great news about Terry's recovery. We hope to post something about that later today. ... First restaurant I am going to say Brio in Ohio for a number of reasons. One, it's my mom's favorite, and it means I'll be having that dinner with her. Two, because it means Brio recovered from its recent filing from bankruptcy. Three, the food is amazing. .... Let's take a closer look at the linebacker recruiting. Including rovers, there are 11 LBs on scholarship for 2020. Only one of them, Jordan Genmark Heath, has expiring eligibility. There's a chance J. Owusu-Koramoah could leave early for the NFL if he continues to ascend. Even then, you'd have nine players for 2021, with some potential rising stars that include Marist Liufau, Jack Kiser and Jack Lamb. Not recruiting a linebacker in 2020 was a choice, not a default position. I would say for the '21 cycle, there is some urgency at that position. So I would let the cycle play out.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

1:20

Hi Eric, I sure hope that the Hansen clan is doing well. These chats are a relief to the lack of sports we are facing right now. Thank you. First, it is great to hear that classmate Terry Hanratty is back home and doing well after spending a week in the hospital fighting coronavirus. Prayers are powerful! First question: when this virus is over and we can go out again, what is the first restaurant that you will go to where you can go inside, sit down and have someone wait on you?? And don't tell me some local pizza place!! As for Irish football, I am concerned about the LB situation looking to the future. A less than stellar group in 2019, none in 2020, and i don't believe any thus far for 2021. People criticized Todd Lyght for not being able to recruit although he did a decent job of developing what he had. Shouldn't we be saying some of the same things about Clark Lea?? What do u think? I know that he has done a marvelous job as DC but shouldn't someone else step in and help with LB recruiting?

Eric Hansen

1:19

No one has landed Will Shipley yet. The running back prospect from Matthews, N.C., is actually schedule to be our guest tonight on the Pod of Gold podcast, so you'll want to download that episode. ... The March visit dates, I believe, would have provided ND with some much-needed exposure and momentum. They hope to get some of that back in June, if that visit weekend can actually happen.

Justin Meko, Philadelphia

1:07

Do the Irish land Shipley? How bad did the cancellation of the 3/22 recruiting weekend hurt Notre Dame?

Eric Hansen

1:07

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said yesterday that he couldn't see the Irish playing games with NO fans in the stands. Now playing with some fans in the stands? That might very well be in play and is being explored.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

1:06

If college football teams are forced to play games without fans in the stands, do you think that would negatively impact the play of the Irish during homes games? The support of a large, boisterous crowd will be needed against Clemson.

Eric Hansen

1:05

I do think ND is at a disadvantage in this recruiting cycle in that regard, though they do have a June weekend planned (which may or may not get canceled). They're doing their best with virtual visits and getting quite creative with those. I also think the prospect of going far away to school during these times is more daunting than usual, so I think there's an advantage for schools with large talent bases in their backyards, even more so than usual.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

1:03

The coaches at ND have often stated that recruits must visit campus in order to really understand and appreciate what Notre Dame has to offer. Since campus visits are currently not allowed, does this make it even more difficult for ND to win the recruiting battles against Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State for the 4 and 5 star players?

Eric Hansen

1:02

Peter, what an interesting question. I'm not sure they'd be eager to admit that if it were true. I don't have any examples of it, but have plenty of examples of dumb ideas of mine that could have ruined game plans.

Peter in Telluride, CO

1:01

I've often wondered after all these years of reporting the ND football program and interviewing Brian Kelly, if you've ever influenced a game plan, their perception of a player or how they approach the program. Do you have any examples ofcthis?

Eric Hansen

12:57

Thanks for asking, Brian. So far we have been very fortunate, but I've also been very careful. I've seen none of my six grandkids in person, nor my mom (who's 90) in person since February. I will literally do cartwheels when that changes. The mask question is tough for me, but my guess -- and it's a guess -- is that would make some sense until there is a vaccine. I'd wear anything they asked if it meant I could be back in a football stadium soon and be safe doing so. And I am praying, every day, for great things to happen for all of us.

Brian Sontchi

12:51

Hello Eric: Brian from Batavia, IL. Two questions for you. 1) How are you and your family? 2) Do you think open air stadiums’ officials will require fans to wear face masks? Continue to pray we can get back to some type of normal soon. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:50

Denny, thanks. You made me smile big time... To your question, I would put Brady Quinn at the top of the list of ND quarterbacks I've covered. I think Ian Book is probably next in the areas you asked about ... and now he is in this unique situation to lead in a time of great uncertainty. I think ND is in very good hands in that regard.

Denny from Beaverton Or

12:46

Hi Eric: Thank you for responding to my Michigan game question last week. I have always liked Ian Book and felt his "Sophomore Jinx" ended with his gritty comeback in the Virginia Tech game. In the quarterbacks you have known at Notre Dame, how would you rate his leadership and competitive desire to get the most out of his abilities with the others. You don't have to name anyone. Thanks for the chats during this time. Stay healthy we need you!

Eric Hansen

12:45

I think they are trending that way. Chris Tyree, Jordan Johnson, Michael Mayer are significant additions along those lines in the freshman class. Tyler Buchner and Lorenzo Styles Jr., so far is another step. Signing RB Will Shipley (who is down to ND and Clemson, it appears) wold be huge for the Irish in that regard. There's more work to do, but these are good signs on the recruiting trail.

Mike-quakertown PA

12:43

Thanks for all that you do-especially in a time like this. The irish can compete with any team in the trenches. We continuously have the talent and depth on both lines to be elite in that area. Considering the roster now, both established players and incoming recruits, do you think the irish finally have the skill players to compete with the likes of clemson, Ohio state, Alabama and the other perennial playoff teams?

Eric Hansen

12:42

Dave, I really appreciate that, and really look forward to these chats as well. There are so many (and not all of them good). Because it was in a big game that meant everything in terms of ND re-emerging as a legit national contender, I'm going to go with Everett Golson's 50-yard pass to Chris Brown early in the fourth quarter of ND's 30-13 victory on the road against a favored Oklahoma team back in 2012. The score was 13-13 at the time, and it set up the go-ahead TD. I've been at the paper since 1988, but covering ND since 1997. If I picked one from the time I was at the paper but wasn't covering ND, it would be Pat Terrell's deflection of Miami's two-point conversion in Notre Dame's 31-30 victory in 1988.

Dave Cary, NC

12:35

If you had to pick one play that was the most memorable for you while covering ND what would it be? Thanks for the chats and what you do. It is more helpful especially in these times than you could ever imagine.

Connecting…

Message History

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Eric Hansen hosts a chat