SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Stuck between the Sam Hartman/Tyler Buchner dynamic at the top of the Notre Dame quarterback depth chart and the anticipation of how the future is setting up at the position with early enrolled freshman Kenny Minchey and 2024 commitment CJ Carr is Steve Angeli’s world.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound sophomore and cult hero of the 2022 Blue-Gold Game is drawing rave reviews from his new quarterback coach, Gino Guidugli, as ND’s third-string QB after spending roughly all but the first two games of last season as the No. 2 option.
From the outside looking in, though, he projects as an afterthought. And from the inside?
“My mindset is always to just worry about the present,” he said Friday after practice. “Whatever is going to happen in the future is going to happen. The past is in the past. All I can control is right now.
“I’m not going to waste time or worry about what can happen in the future. Just do the best I can with what I have now. Every day could be my last here at Notre Dame. I’m just trying my best to do everything I can to prepare and control my situation.”
Despite being ND’s No. 2 option once Buchner went down with a shoulder injury late in game 2 vs, Marshall and then Buchner’s understudy for the Gator Bowl when 10-game starter Drew Pyne hit the transfer portal after the first day of bowl practice, Angeli took just seven snaps spread over two games as a freshman in 2022.
None of those snaps involved throwing the ball.
“I feel like I can operate this offense,” he said. “I feel like I can do what this offense and this team asks of me to win.”
That’s an impression shared by Guidugli, who joined the Irish coaching staff in February.
“Steve Angeli has had a phenomenal spring camp,” he said. “His decision-making has been great. His ball placement has been great. We have to find a way to get him more reps and continue to develop Steve.
“I think Steve has a shot to be a really good quarterback as well. I’m not in here just hyping everybody up, but I think all three of those guys (Hartman, Buchner, Angeli) are having a great camp.”
Angeli, for one, is enjoying the Sam Hartman experience, with the sixth-year grad senior likely to emerge as Notre Dame’s starter for the 2023 season after five seasons at Wake Forest.
“As soon as he walked in the locker room, probably in about a week, we were great friends,” Angeli said. “Felt like I had known him for a while. So, he’s been really awesome for me, helping me get better.
‘“I’ve been asking him a bunch of questions. He’s been through it. He’s been playing for five years. He knows every path. He’s been at the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows. He’s been a really, really great person to have in the locker room.”
Deep thoughts on ND’s receivers
Reminded that Notre Dame’s wide receiver corps is long on youth and inexperience, Guidugli countered with a glowing scouting report on sophomore Tobias Merriweather, with all of one career catch on his résumé, and early enrolled freshmen wideouts Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores Jr., and Braylon James.
“Tobias is out there making plays,” Guidugli said. “That’s two days in a row he’s gone up and made some big plays down the field. (And) those young freshmen can really run. They’re still in the learning process. I can’t imagine, once they learn the offense a little better, how much faster they’ll be.”
He went on to single out some of the returning offensive talent, including former running back Chris Tyree in his new role of slot receiver.
“The way (new offensive coordinator) Gerad (Parker) has opened up the offense, given some of those guys opportunities downfield to make plays, I think that can rejuvenate that room a little bit,” Guidugli said. “And we’re going to give them an opportunity this spring to see who can go out there and make plays. Hopefully, at the end of spring we’ll feel good about five or six of those guys we can roll in there.”
More on the freshmen wideouts
Here’s a quick assessment from ND’ top three QBs on Greathouse, Flores and James:
Hartman: “I think those guys are doing a great job. I mean, they are running with the 3s. You get them sometimes in 1-on-1s and whatnot, but yeah, they're very developed. Greathouse has some natural hands. Braylon is doing really well. Great runner. Takes the top off the defense. And it's been cool to kind of see them, and obviously Rico. I think he's going to be a special player. He’s making some great catches on the outside. So, they’ve been doing a really good job.”
Buchner: “Really talented. Braylon, very, very fast. Rico and Greathouse, really good with their feet. Very natural catchers of the ball, if that makes sense. They just look natural catching the ball. They're all going to be really good for us.”
Angeli: “They’ve really impressed me. They come in every day asking questions, looking to get better. Then they come on the field and make plays. They’re playing confidently, which is great to see from early enrollees. They’re doing the best they can. I’ve been really surprised at what they can do, and it’s been great to see them work.”
Hartman lauds Mayer
For the second March in a row, quarterback Sam Hartman was able to essentially audition for pro scouts, coaches and decision makers without being in the NFL Draft pool.
Last March 31, it was Wake Forest’s draft-eligible skill players he was throwing to on the Demon Deacons' Pro Day. Last Friday, Hartman was throwing balls to Notre Dame All-America tight end Michael Mayer, Indiana State wide receiver Dante Hendrix and Western Illinois wide receiver Jafar Armstrong, the latter of whom began his career at Notre Dame.
“It was fun to get out and throw the ball to a Notre Dame legend or whatever you want to call it,” Hartman said of Mayer. “Mike, when we talked, it felt like we had played together before, but we never knew each other before that. So, it was good.”
When asked if Hartman was able to glean any feedback from the NFL folks in attendance, Hartman shook his head.
“I mean, it was Mike's day," he said. "So, I was really focused on just giving him his shine and his time to (show) what he deserved and what he earned from playing so well here. I was just trying to get him the ball in good spots and good locations.”
ND’s fifth quarterback
In the blur that was the first day of spring practice March 22, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman met his new walk-on quarterback for the first time.
He remembered him as “Devin” in the press conference that followed, and recalled him being from Louisiana.
It turns out "Dylan" Devezin is from Louisiana — St. Augustine High in New Orleans, in fact. And the 6-1, 214-pound sophomore joined the Irish roster shortly after junior Ron Powlus III had medically retired.
“We’re doing quite a bit more throwing, I guess, than we have in the past and we were looking for a guy to fill in,” Guidugli said. “Was it going to be me or my GA?. Dylan had tried to get on the team and there just weren't any spots.”
Powlus’ exit from the roster created one.
“We asked Dylan if he was interested, and he’s come in and already found a role on the side as our potential holder (for place kicks),” Guidugli said. “For him, that’s his way on the bus. For him to help us out in practice, learn the offense, and potentially make his mark as a holder is pretty cool after a week of practice.”
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