Chat Transcript: Dishing on ND's frosh WRs, O-line recruiting, body changes
Eric Hansen: Greetings and welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat on a day that kind of actually feels like spring here in South Bend, Ind.
A quick programming note:
► If you missed this week’s live episode of our weekly offseason Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. In our latest episode, Tyler James and I discussed Notre Dame's first week of spring practice, what developments have been made, what questions still need to be answered along with the latest on the recruiting trail. And we answered viewer questions.
As for today's chat, please remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN with your question(s).
Please note the rules.
I'm in an exceptionally good mood today, so I am rescinding the "No Gambling" rule for today.
Let's dive right in.
Joey G. Philadelphia, Pa: Hi Eric, Hope all is well with you! Read a funny post the other day on BR. It went like this. The University of Notre Dame has become like Graceland. A tourist attraction nothing more nothing else. And the football team is like Elvis been dead for decades but still loved. Lol I've been hearing some good reports on freshman WR Rico Flores. Of the 3 freshman WR's who do you see as the one with a legitimate shot at a significant contribution?
Eric Hansen: Hi Joey G. ... Well, I'm glad they didn't work peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches into the analogy. ... Jaden Greathouse came in as the most likely to see early action, and it could still turn out that way, but Rico Flores has impressed me the most so far in the small sample size. His burst, his fluidity, confidence ... just plays like he knows what he's doing and that he belongs. Braylon James has had his moments as well. Now, Saturday, we'll get to see a full practice, which I hope means some scrimmage periods and at least competitive situations. I'll update my opinion based on that, but I expect Flores to fare well.
Jason from Grand Rapids, Mi: Hey Eric. I saw the commitment of Anthonie Knapp. Along with Jones already in the fold does ND take as many OL as the past two years or will they be more selective going forward?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jason. You can take volume AND be selective simultaneously. They're not mutually exclusive concepts. I think the two guys they've secured commitments from so far, project more as inside guys. ND needs to get some tackles in the class. How many total will depend upon whether ND loses linemen to the transfer portal in May and whether they add a guard from the portal post-spring practice. Caleb Johnson has already expressed his desire to transfer and is no longer on the team, so that's already one additional prospect ND will want to add. I'm guessing the number will be around five total. Andrew Kristofic and Zeke Correll are the only two with expiring eligibility, but both Joe Alt and Blake Fisher will be draft-eligible and may have to make a tough decision next January.
Mike from Rockville, MD: Hi, Eric! As always, thanks for the chats! I've seen BK give similar positions/titles to assistants of "Run Game Coordinator" and "Pass Game Coordinator." To me, this always smelled like adding a title to bloat someone's resume who might be looking to move up to OC or DC somewhere else. Am I naive? Do any added responsibilities come with these titles?
Eric Hansen: Mike, sometimes there are added responsibilities, but most often it means they've been given a raise. As Marcus Freeman mentioned recently, all 10 of his assistants generated interest this offseason from NFL teams or college teams and most elected to stay.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hi Eric! Listening to you and Tyler on You Tube right now. Good show. A comment and a question. I was concerned about Al Golden and his adjustment back to coaching in college. I was glad during his interview he said he was reviewing last year to evaluate what defenses worked and what additional wrinkles might be needed. Hopefully along with the tweaks to the schemes that the D line emerges. My question was on WR's. There is legitimately a lot of talent based on various recruiting ratings. What about the WR's as a group could possibly stop the passing game from succeeding this upcoming season?
Eric Hansen: Hi Len, thanks for tuning into Football Never Sleeps. ... to your question, I wouldn't anticipate the WR group hindering the passing game, but rather the opposite. So far that's what we're seeing in practice. One thing to keep an eye on in gauging your expectation is if a dominant "field receiver" emerges. That is a receiver who lines up to the wide side of the field who can take the top off a defense. That makes everyone in the offense better, including the running game. And that's why you want to keep an eye on Tobias Merriweather this spring, to see if he starts to become that player this season.
Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning Eric, my question is about the interviews and articles yesterday regarding Prince Kollie. In his comments, Al Golden said, among other things about PK, “We’ve got to get him healthy”. Then Prince himself said nothing about a current health problem and I couldn’t find anything in your article about PK and recent health issues. Are the problems that Golden is referencing the miscellaneous issues/concussion from 2022? Or is there something currently that Golden is referring to? Looking forward to PK really thriving this fall. Thanks-
Eric Hansen: Jeff, it also confused me as I got ready to write the story. Here's what happened. Prince Kollie actually came in first for his interview. He didn't mention an injury. There was nothing visually that suggested one, and he has looked full-go in the practice periods the media has witnessed. Then Al Golden came in, and made his comment. It was an exceptionally short availability for him, so sneaking a follow-up in on the injury didn't happen. After asking around, we surmised Golden was talking big-picture and taking into account the old concussion issues and not anything recent. I chose to take that part of the comment out, as to not confuse the reader and try to speculate.
Tom from Sister Lakes MI: Hi Eric, I know you'd rather answer questions like "who do you think the starting guards will be", but those things will sort themselves out eventually. By now I'm sure you've read the article Jenkins and Swarbrick published in the NY Times last week. As an alum and big football fan I must say I'm conflicted about the letter. I get that they are trying to be voices of reason and leadership in these perilous times for college athletics and football in particular. But they are also the ones responsible for putting ND in the position of needing to feed the money beast. TV money begets Campus Crossroads which leads to higher ticket prices then a need for indoor practice facilities and brings us back to negotiating bigger tv contracts so they can pay big salaries to coaches. On one hand I applaud their efforts but I'm afraid they placed ND on the back of the tiger and now they can't get off. Your view?
Eric Hansen: Tom, I enjoy big-picture questions as much as the day-to-day kind of conversations. The problem with the bigger-picture questions is that unless they're presented with a very specific or narrow point for me to focus on, it really lends itself poorly to this format in terms of keeping things moving and me not writing a novel that goes on for several screens.
And in this particular instance, this is an essay, not something in which there were questions asked and points clarified. I am aware Jack Swarbrick did a podcast or two that did allow questions, which helped improve the context. I did not have a chance to listen to those. ... I would like to pose those questions myself and have been told I'd eventually have the chance to do so. At that point I'd write something more comprehensive. In using the example you gave, I do think you're missing their point. (more, ,,, here I go with the multiple screens, and I'm only scratching the surface).I don't think it's the money in college sports they're objecting to. Father Jenkins wrote an opinion piece years ago lauding the concept of NIL. It's the uneven playing field. It's the threat of changing the culture of college athletics. It's the unchecked and unpunished misuse of the NIL rule that I believe they're objecting to. My short, incomplete, oversimplified opinion is that college sports needed to evolve with more player rights. But I do have concern that twisting NIL into something it was never meant to be does threaten to create a college sports world that some people will fall out of love with.
Sean, Schaumburg, Il: Eric, I was on vacation in Florida during the last chat. No, I was not drunk. I do like watching/listening to Football Never Sleeps. It would have prevented my diatribe/rant. However, it remains clear that the ND administration is reluctant to embrace NIL. They'll be left behind. An ND degree isn't as valuable as the admins think. I have a family member with a degree from there and they aren't able to utilize it. The Op-Ed was tone deaf. How can you in your position ask the tough questions that need to be asked of Swarbrick without sacrificing access to him/admins? I know how tough it is. I won some college journalism awards in sports writing. I'm a collegiate level game official. Coaches/ADs, sometimes, don't like the answers/rulings I give them or, in my previous role, the questions I asked. But, isn't that part of our role as journalists? Asking those tough questions? I think you're great at what you do. I appreciate the insight/candor. Be well.
Eric Hansen: Sean, I need a note from your mom to verify the reason for your absence. ... I kid, and thanks for watching Football Never Sleeps. ... The tough questions thing is generally part-amusing, annoying to me, but I like the way you framed it. You can't be afraid to ask tough questions. And there's an art to asking them in a way that will get you, as a journalist, what you want most — information. I have never feared lack of access. When access becomes an issue typically is if you violate rules. Like calling players up without going through the sports info office, or something like that. Sometimes people will cut you off if they think you're not being fair. I'll give you a couple of examples that happened to me.
In 2007, I wrote a column about Charlie Weis during his 3-9 season. It was not flattering, but I felt it was fair. At the very next press conference, he refused to answer my question. And then he kind of went back to answering them thereafter, but still was kind of mad at me. It turns out much later he had misunderstood a passage in the column, and once he understood, he loosened up and began to trust me. Then after Brian Kelly's 2016 season, my paper at the time -- the South Bend Tribune — accepted a full-page ad that basically called for Brian Kelly and Jack Swarbrick to hit the bricks.
It was relayed to me that once spring practice started, Brian was no longer going to answer my questions at press conferences. I relayed that I wouldn't match that. I was going to treat him with the same respect that I had done so over the previous seasons. At the very first spring press conference, I asked the first question, and he answered it respectfully, and that was that. Now one last thing on the tough questions bit. A lot of times when people say that, they don't want you to ask the tough questions. They want you to SCOLD THE SUBJECT into submission.
That's not happening with me anyway. I go in looking for the truth, not someone who necessarily thinks the way I do (or you do).
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Eric, I am a huge fan of your work.I wish you and Tyler can do a Pre-Game podcast on Saturday mornings of the ND games. My question is that now the coaches have several practices under their belts, besides Safety what other positions should ND seek in the portal?
Eric Hansen: Hi Frank, and thanks. I do think I'll be on some kind of pregame show this fall. It seems to be in the works. Stay tuned. ... These 15 spring practices (No. 5 is Friday) will help answer your question. So will the new batch of players who will enter the portal in the spring window (May 1-15). Barring an injury, you're right safety will be the one they're monitoring the most. I'd say interior defensive line is No. 2 and perhaps offensive guard No. 3. How the people at those positions perform and whether there's attrition there could dissuade the Irish coaches from pursuing or making that search more urgent.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week and enjoying being able to go to practices. Now that the new height and weight chart is out can you comment on the most interesting changes you have seen both negative and positive? Also, of the great number of recruits that have visited last weekend and this weekend who are a couple that you think are absolute must gets for the Irish? As always thanks for your great insight and for hosting the chat.
Hi Marie. Having a great week and this chat is one of the best parts of it. There are so many positive changes, so let me narrow it to three. Most impactful this coming season -- TE Holden Staes from 226 to 242, WR Tobias Merriweather from 198 to 205 and CB Ben Morrison from 179 to 185. One that I'm not sure about is Rocco Spindler from 315 to 325. Does that improve his physicality or slow him down? We'll keep an eye on that one. As far as must haves from the recent visitors last week and this week/weekend No. 1 without a doubt is DT Justin Scott. No. 2, I'd say DE Loghan Thomas.
RK from Sartell Minnesota: Great chat, as always, Eric. I know kicking isn’t sexy, but how will our new kickers compare? Past punters have been key to our success,etc.
Eric Hansen: Hi RK and thank you. Let's start with punter. If the full practice for media viewing is outside (weather will probably prevent that), we'll get our first good look at Bryce McFerson, a sophomore. Has a higher ceiling than Jon Sot, who was outstanding last year. Walk-on Penn transfer Ben Krimm will be a nice competitive piece/safety net. The kickers on campus so far in a very small sample size have shown why Spencer Shrader is coming in, in June, as a transfer. Shrader should be the clear No. 1. Not sure yet if he's better than Blake Grupe, but new special teams coordinator Marty Biagi, who was a college kicker/punter, has a strong track record with kickers.
Matt from DC: Do you see (and more importantly do you think the the coaches see) Carmody as a legitimate candidate at guard if he’s still 280?
Eric Hansen: He wouldn't be getting reps if they thought he wasn't one of the best four guards technique-wise/athletically and that putting on weight was impossible. Our interview rotation with Joe Rudolph and the O-linemen doesn't come up for another couple of weeks, so I'm going to do a little digging to see why he has not put on weight since last season. If he can't get bigger, then perhaps he could be used as an extra blocking tight end in certain packages.
Jerry M. from Dallas: Eric, what is the status of the TV contract ND will get? Will ND get enough money to be competitive with the SEC and Big 10? Or, will we be forced to join one of those conferences?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jerry. Notre Dame's current contract with NBC runs through the 2025 season. A new media right deal is expected to be in place before they get to the expiration date. It's being negotiated now. As athletic director Jack Swarbrick likely nears the end of his run, this will be a huge part of his legacy, how this turns out, I believe. He has expressed confidence that Notre Dame will be able to command the kind of money that will make it competitive with the Big Ten/SEC. If he's wrong, I do think Notre Dame will have to consider conference membership in one or the other to stay competitive.
John - Palmyra, PA: Is there a chance that the starting linebackers from last season could ALL find themselves coming off the bench this season? Who of the backers on the roster is the most likely to enter the portal immediately following the spring game due to a perceived “lack of playing time” going forward? I want to know when a talented backer or two transfers, who it was that stood between them and the field.
Eric Hansen: John, I got lost on the last part of your question. I must not be caffeinated enough. Let me at least answer the part I do understand. I think there will be tremendous competition at all the linebacker spots. JD Bertrand isn't getting overtaken. He has a very good chance of being only the fourth player since ND began archiving tackling stats in 1956 to lead ND in that category three times. The others are Bob Olson (1967-69), Bob Crable (1979-81) and Manti Te'o (2010-12). Jack Kiser deserves to start based on productivity, but his best position is the Will linebacker, not rover. I would say current Will starter Marist Liufau is the most vulnerable and needs to show marked improvement this spring. Now what's more likely is that the rotations get shortened up. Nolan Ziegler relieves Bertrand more, Prince Kollie time shares with Liufau, Kiser plays, but Jaylen Sneed evolves into a third-down threat. But I am open to being surprised. As far as who transfers, there's a possibility that could happen. I'd follow the depth chart late in spring and the playing time trends at that point.
Tanker, Dulce NM: Hi Eric, I hope you are well. i appreciate the chats and hard work as always. I've heard the chatter that the staff is still limiting jadarian price after the achilles injury. Any timeline on when he will be let loose? I have high hopes for him and think he could turn the backfield this year into a real 3 headed monster.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tanker (if that is your real first name, I want to buy your parents a beer). And thank you. Jadarian Price is close to getting out of the injury pit and doing some normal football drills. The expectation is that those will expand as the spring goes along. It sounds like by summer at the latest he'll be 100%. I expect big things from him, but the nice part is, they don't have to rush him.
Jim Tal Valley Center, CA: Eric, wishing you the very best from the soggy West Coast. I know that plenty is going on as it relates to keeping the Irish faithful up to date on all the latest doings. Thanks so much for your tireless efforts. In your opinion, are there any incoming June arrivals that could possibly make an immediate impact and see some meaningful playing time relatively quick? Also, is it truly a huge disadvantage that is very difficult to overcome if you arrive in June as opposed to being an early enrollee?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jim and thanks for the detailed compliment. I love it. Here is the list of the June arrivals:
OT Sullivan Absher
CB Micah Bell
TE Cooper Flanagan
OT Charles Jagusah
RB Jeremiyah Love
DE Armel Mukam
OG Joe Otting
WR Kaleb “KK” Smith
OG Chris Terek
DE Boubacar Traore
DE Brenan Vernon
As you can see, a lot of them are at developmental positions that don't lend themselves generally to freshman playing time. That said, Brenan Vernon at DE, because of his size, might be able to contribute. Also Jeremiyah Love and maybe Micah Bell -- more likely in the return game than at CB. As far as June arrivals as a rule, there have been many, many who have starred and a few who have done so freshman year. Think of Ben Morrison, Michael Mayer, Kyle Hamilton to name a few from recent seasons.
This coaching staff, in particular, believes June arrivals shouldn't be penalized because they were unable or unwilling to enroll early.
Denny from Beaverton Ore.: Hi Eric; We had a chance to visit Ireland for the Navy game in 2012 and it was an absolutely great trip. I remember walking behind the marching band as they paraded through the Temple Bar area. We are finalizing plans for the game this year. Did you or Tyler have a chance to go before and/or will you be able to cover the game in Ireland this year? If you are, is it a quick in and out trip or will you be able to spend some time sightseeing? I hope you both can go.
Eric Hansen: Hi Denny. I've been to Europe before, because I had grandparents in Norway and relatives on my mom's side in Italy. I've not been to Ireland, however, no has Tyler. Nor, has he visited my relatives, for that matter. Tyler is going this year, and it will be pretty quick in and out, just because of the volume of work that we have to do at that time of year and because there's a game the very next week at home.
Ryan from Mars, Pa.: Good afternoon Erick how has Mills and Rocco looked in practice go Irish.
Eric Hansen: So far, so good, but Saturday will give us a much better indication when we presumably see competitive periods rather than repetitive drills.
Kevin-Sleepy Eye, MN: Eric!!! I'm back...but always reading this. Basketabll: can the new coach retain our players who have already entered portal? Football: Onye going to be factor this fall? We need run stoppers.
Eric Hansen: Kevin, you lively minx. I see what you did there. Coupling a football question with a basketball question. Very clever. ... We'll start with football. Jason Onye has gotten the coaching staff's attention. He needs to build on that, but he's more than on the radar. It surprises me, but he has a chance to take that surprise to another level as an interior defensive lineman. ... to hoops. Two of the four players who entered the portal already found and committed to knew schools — guard JJ Starling (Syracuse) and F/C Dom Campbell (Howard). That leaves Robby Carmody and Cormac Ryan. Carmody has an ND degree and has one year of school logged beyond that. Now that he's fully healthy, according to his dad, he wants to play. So he's keeping his option open to return, but if there's a better chance of playing elsewhere, that seems like the more likely path. Ryan also entered the NBA Draft, He could return from that and/or the portal. My sense is that he's probably done at ND, but we'll see.
Jeremy from Goshen: Who on the coaching staff do you think has the most to prove this spring?
Eric Hansen: Jeremy, this sounds like a trick question. It's D-line coach Al Washington, on the field and on the recruiting trail.
Irish Mike, Altoona, PA: Hi Eric and as always thank you for these chats! Do you expect an Ohio State invasion and a takeover of the stadium when the Buckeyes visit South Bend! It seems to happen quite frequently when the opponent has red as one of its team colors!
Eric Hansen: Given I have family and many close friends that are part of that fan base, my perspective may be skewed, since there's a large portion of them begging for tickets I don't have and asking to sleep on couches that don't pull out into beds. The fact that the teams have been in some bowl games in the not so distant past may temper it a little, but I do expect at least lakes of red, if not a sea of red at Notre Dame Stadium in September.
RK from Sartell Minnesota: Eric, what’s your opinion on Tyree to the slot receiver? Genius or Not inspired?
Eric Hansen: I love the move. You guys were asking about that, suggesting it long before it happened.
Stan the Stancake man from Virginia: RE: Irish Mike's remark about "red runneth over", I was at the Nebraska game in 2001. There were rumors circulating that Irish fans were selling their tickets to Nebraska fans throughout the week and, on Friday evening before the game, Bob Davie was interviewed by the local channel. I remember his saying that Notre Dame fans would NEVER do such a thing. We arrived early and I was surprised to see so much crimson in the stadium already and assumed that the blue would soon take over. Even the ND players were stunned as they came out of the tunnel at the sea of red that greeted them.
Eric Hansen: Hey Stan, I actually had an interview set up with then-athletic director Kevin White that gameday before the game. We were up in a suite before the game started and the stadium was empty when the interview started. His back was to the glass and then we walked down a level to the media part of the press box and we both looked out the glass and his jaw dropped. And you could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.
Michael from Chicago: Happy MLB Opening Day! Is there a max/min # of asst. coaches that can be in the box? Is it designated for the season or by each game (meaning could a coach start the season in the box and then decide they want to be on the field)? What is the rule that allowed Buchner to be in the box with Rees? I can’t recall other players being in the box with the coaches during games, can you? Many thanks☘️
Eric Hansen: Happy MLB Opening Day to you. Boy, did it sneak up on me. For T-Mobile users, make sure you sign up to watch MLBTV for free this season. The window closes soon. No, that is not my NIL deal, just a happy customer. To your question, I believe Tyler Buchner had to request a special waiver to be in the press box with the coaches. And it was granted because of his injury status. I know there were some proposals a few years ago restricting analysts in the press box and on the sideline. I don't believe they are in operation. Otherwise is would be limited to grad assistants and regular assistants (or a head coach on rare occasion). I will have to double check on that one.
Eric Hansen: Before I close for this week, I'd like to welcome Charleston Bowles to our Inside ND Sports team. Charleston, a Ball State grad, joins us on Monday as our recruiting writer. He'll be my new phone-a-friend on chat days for the tough recruiting questions. Please give him a follow on Twitter: @cbowles01. We feel extremely fortunate and excited to have him join us.
Eric Hansen: That's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Thursday at noon EDT.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports