SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The quirk of starting spring football practice before Notre Dame stages its spring break is the awkward 13-day pause until practice No. 2.
At least third-year head coach Marcus Freeman has some positive impressions from Thursday’s mostly-indoors, 90-minute opening session at the Irish Athletic Center with which to marinate until practice 2 on March 20.
And some of the more striking of them came from the side of the ball with the most unknowns and potential headaches — the offense.
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Still lacking full pads this early in the spring and thus limited contact, wide receiver is a position group designed to shine or get exposed in that setting. Even with junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison looking like an All-American from start to finish Thursday, the newcomer-heavy wide receiver group live looked like a tape stuck in fast-forward mode.
Particularly grad transfers Kris Mitchell (Florida International) and Jayden Harrison (Marshall) and freshman Micah Gilbert.
“They can run. Right?” Freeman gushed when the subject came up during his post-practice press conference. “I think I saw more deep balls caught in this practice than I've seen in a long time.”
With one of the faster options, slot receiver and Sun Bowl MVP Jordan Faison observing and not running routes to prioritize his performance for the fourth-ranked Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team’s road test Saturday at Ohio State.
It didn’t hurt that Notre Dame has four quarterbacks on the roster who can consistently and accurately push the ball down the field vertically — after, at times, having maybe one some springs in recent years.
Two more June enrollees will bump the wide receiver total to 11 post-spring, when Clemson transfer Beaux Collins and freshman Logan Saldate will join a group in which senior-to-be Jayden Thomas still figures to be the alpha receiver but perhaps with much more depth and options around him.
“It was really good to see, and it's going to be great for both sides,” Freeman said. “The speed, the ability to throw the ball downfield is going to be obviously great for offense, but it's going to be a great challenge for our DBs. And so, I can't wait to see this competition as we go throughout the spring.”
Neither can new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, in his third tour of duty with the Irish and stirring the competitive juices, including his own on Thursday.
“I heard him out there today chirping,” Freeman said. “They threw a long ball, and he was like: ‘Get back there. Get used to it. That’s what we do.’
“OK, I like that. He's a leader.”
And one who will lead all position groups on the offense, not just the tight ends group that comes with his title. You could see Denbrock’s influence throughout Thursday’s session as he looks to rebuild an offense that crested with impressive numbers against overmatched defenses and folded in big moments last season.
“I remember being in his first unit meeting,” Freeman said of Denbrock, who presided over the nation’s No. 1 total offense and scoring offense last season at LSU under former Irish head coach Brian Kelly.
“And he said something to the group that just stuck with me. He went through his whole résumé and where he's coached, where he's been. And LSU is a great place, and they’ve got the same goals as Notre Dame has.
“And he said the reason why he chose to come back to Notre Dame was the students, the athletes, and being able to coach those guys. And that meant a lot for me to hear, and I'm sure a lot for our players to hear. And so, I'm excited to have him as the leader of our offense and excited to see what’s going to happen with this offense.”
Life after Sam Hartman
Duke transfer Riley Leonard got the first reps with the first-team offense Thursday, with junior Steve Angeli getting those eventually, and all four scholarships QBs getting plenty of work. That includes sophomore Kenny Minchey and early enrolled freshman CJ Carr.
“I've been impressed with Riley in terms of how he's really dove all in to learn a new playbook,” Freeman said of a Day 1 evaluation of what he plans to make a protracted competition. “That entire room — like what I've seen is that entire room really spent a lot of time in meetings and trying to figure out the new offensive scheme.
“Obviously, you have an opinion based off what you've seen in the past with Steve, with Riley, with all those guys. But you still have to make it based off a subjective competition.”
Last year’s starter, Wake Forest grad transfer Sam Hartman, had some extremes in performances. But overall he and Angeli — who started in the Sun Bowl when Hartman opted out — combined to give the Irish the ninth-best pass efficiency rating nationally (165.39), one spot below national champion Michigan and ND’s best showing in that statistical category since Jimmy Clausen led ND to a fourth-place finish in 2009.
“I want to make sure that we have dialogue, opinions,” Freeman continued of the QB evaluative process. “But we'll also utilize the facts — the different criteria that we're going to use in terms of having a quarterback competition, very similar to what we did last year.
“And so, it will play itself out. And the best thing about it is we're in no rush to name a starter, and I think the competition in that room is going to make everybody better.”
Realigning
The same five players who started in Notre Dame’s 40-8 Sun Bowl stomping of Oregon State on Dec. 29 are the same who took the first-team reps in Thursday’s first practice of the spring.
Which doesn’t necessarily mean right tackle Tosh Baker, right guard Billy Schrauth, center Ashton Craig, left guard Pat Coogan and left tackle Charles Jagusah will finish spring at the top of the depth chart.
From right tackle to left tackle, Aamil Wagner, Rocco Spindler, Joe Otting, Sam Pemdleton and Sullivan Absher filled out Thursday’s second O-line unit.
“You try to create as much competition as you can, especially in the spring,” Freeman said of the overriding objective for that position group that lost junior tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher to the NFL Draft and center Zeke Correll to a transfer to NC State.
“We know we have to solidify positions as we go into the fall, but we want it to be competitive. And I hope by the end of spring we'll be able to say, ‘OK, here's probably the guys you will see as the starting five.’ But I believe you have 6-7-8 guys that are all going to be pushing to be the top five.”
Devyn Ford flips to safety
The answer to how Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough can keep six players at his position group happy has already been answered.
He won’t have to, because now there are only five to share carries with each other, the same number as last season.
Sixth-year grad Devyn Ford has moved to safety in his second season at ND after transferring in from Penn State. The 5-11, 198-pound Stafford, Va., product was the nation’s No. 1-ranked all-purpose back and No. 40 player nationally regardless of position in the 2019 class.
Of the five players in last year’s running backs room, which lost starter Audric Estimé to an early entry into the NFL Draft, Ford received the fewest carries (8 for 44 yards). He caught four passes for 34 yards and a TD.
But he was a star on special teams, earning the second-best special teams player rating (90.5) of anyone on the Irish roster, having a role on kickoff and punt returns and kickoff and punt coverage.
“Devyn is becoming an elite special teams player,” Freeman said, “and part of the conversations we had were: ‘This is going to be your first role, your primary role, being a four-phase. elite special-teamer. Tackling is something that you’ve got to continue to improve on.’
“And so, he knew that the opportunities at running back weren't going to be as great as maybe trying to improve his opportunities as a special-teamer and moving to the defensive side of the ball. So, he's only been there a couple days. Obviously, this was the first practice. He’s athletic and he can run. I'm interested to see how he progresses over 15 practices.”
Biagi expands beyond special teams
Second-year Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi is part of the answer to how Mike Mickens, formerly the Irish cornerbacks coach, would handle coaching two position groups in 2024 — corners and safeties.
Safeties coach Chris O’Leary left ND last month for an opportunity to coach in the NFL under Jim Harbaugh with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Instead of directly replacing O’Leary, Freeman shuffled responsibilities. Grad assistant Max Bullough, who has been coaching linebackers, became a full-time linebackers coach. Mickens then took over both cornerbacks and safeties. And Biagi will help as will some yet-to-be formally announced grad assistants/analysts.
“Marty has coached on the defensive side of the ball before, and this is something I've had a conversation with Marty about as he continues to grow in the coaching profession,” Freeman said. “With special teams, he's good. Now, how can he continue to challenge himself and add some defensive responsibilities? And I thought this is the perfect way to do that.”
Biagi himself will get help with his prep work from special teams analyst Jesse Schmitt.
“To be able to help coach Biagi prepare for practice and those types of things is really crucial,” Freeman said. “But all hands are on deck for special teams. Like 90% of our coaches are involved making sure we are helping out with special teams.”
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