Chat Transcript: Talking ND recruiting mojo, Pyne or portal, kicking woes
Eric Hansen: Greetings and welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, post-Blue-Gold Game Edition. A reminder, we'll be back to do this again next Wednesday after the draft, then move into intermittent mode (rather than weekly) in May, June and July.
Also, PLEASE include your name and hometown with your questions. "Guest" doesn't qualify, unless your name really is Guest. Off we go.
Chris in Albuquerque: Hey Eric, can you give a general update on recruiting after this past weekend? Any possible commits coming? I feel like with guys Marcus Freeman is going after, the commits may not come as fast as I would like, as he has raised the recruiting game up a bit! Thoughts?
Eric Hansen: Hi Chris. Yes, the recruiting game has been raised. Notre Dame sits at No. 2 in the Rivals 2023 team recruiting rankings, and I believe the Irish will retake the No. 1 spot before the calendar flips to May. It would not surprise me if ND gets two commitments this week in the 2023 class. The committment counts stands at 10, and all are four- or five-star prospects. The Irish have never had that kind of start previously in the Rivals Era (2002-present). As far as the 2023 class, the objective this weekend was to build momentum to get prospects to line up official visits to ND for the weekend of June 10-12, then close the deal. So far, that list is impressive and growing. I think there will be some (a few) commitments in May for the Irish as well. Notre Dame also made a strong impression with some key prospects in the 2024 class this past weekend. Check out Kyle Kelly's stories to find out why the weekend went so well.
NOTE: A couple of hours after the chat concluded, defensive lineman Boubacar Traore became committment No. 11 in the class, and the Irish retook the No. 1 spot in the team rankings.
Cheryl from Royse City, Texas: Eric, rumor has it that Drew Pyne did not have a good spring and had a weak performance in the spring game. Should ND look for a QB in the portal?
Eric Hansen: I don't agree with the rumor, wherever you heard it, that Drew Pyne didn't have a strong spring. In fact, other than the Blue-Gold Game, the opposite is true. But the Blue-Gold Game was a clunker. The notion of going to get a QB from the transfer portal (ideally a one-year grad transfer if so) is complicated. If you're going to do that, then you're telling Pyne he's not good enough to play at ND and he might as well transfer himself. Basically, you would be shopping for a No. 2 QB, who would have to learn the offense in the summer and August training camp with no spring ball. That doesn't sound like a very smart tradeoff. If Pyne stays, then there aren't enough reps for everyone near the top of the depth chart, let alone Steve Angeli. I think Pyne is good enough to play winning football in stretches. Having a defensive game plan built around stopping him as a starter is another matter, at least against good defenses. My vote is to stand pat.
Eddie from Chicago: Which recruit were you most surprised to see sign with ND? Which recruit is the most important to keep from flipping?
Eric Hansen: Eddie, I assume you mean committing, since they can't sign until December? I would say DE Brenan Vernon is the one of the 10 who surprises me (and others) the most. He seemed destined for Ohio State. The one most important to keep from flipping is five-star DE Keon Keeley.
Chuck from Cleveland: Hi Eric. Can't wait to hear your OBJECTIVE view of the spring game after all of the "cries for help", haha. My question is about the kickers. They both came highly regarded and will be counted upon heavily this year IF the Defense is as good as advertised. What is the key to quick improvement — repetition? technique? psyche? leg strength? How can Mason hasten the kicking game improvement before 9/3? You are the BEST!
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Chuck. I like the word play there with "Mason hasten." Given South Bend's climate and the propensity to hold spring practice sessions indoors, it does throw off the rhythm and the routine of the kickers. That's happened a lot in the past. It's better now in the IAC vs. the Loftus, but it's still an issue. There's not a problem with leg strength for either Blake Grupe or Josh Bryan, and Grupe is pretty battle-tested from his five seasons at Arkansas State. So how can Brian Mason get this right? The good news is the kickers will have lots of time to work on mechanics and the mental approach with their private kicking instructors now that spring is over and school is all but done. They'll also have an opportunity to kick outside and establish better routines. Mason is also bringing in walk-on Zac Yoakam in June. Does that ensure this all gets fixed? No sir, but Mason has a strong enough track record that I feel the narrative will be different in August.
Jeff from Fort Wayne: Really enjoy your chats, Eric! Since Jerome Bettis has been on campus this semester finishing his degree, which I really admire him for, he has been more involved with the football program. Do you think after he graduates that he will want to continue his involvement and help more with the team? And would the team want his continued involvement?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jeff. I know Jerome Bettis is loving this experience, and the team is too, but I think it will be harder when he's not on campus. Not to say he'll roll it all the way back, but he'll be back in Atlanta with his family and with businesses to run. So his help will be sincere but more intermittent.
Bill from Idaho Falls, Idaho: Eric: Made the trip to your new workplace home — you're the best. Marcus Freeman has stated that the D-line and O-line need to be the identity of this team. What evidence of that did you see at the Spring Game and practices leading up to it? Most people agree that the O-line must be better this year. What gives you confidence that is occurring? As always, appreciate your expertise!
Eric Hansen: Bill, thanks. Hope you enjoyed it. .... I think the spring game very much reflected the strength and depth of the defensive line, less so the O-line. Because of the player draft concept and splitting up the talent, you didn't get the offensive line continuity and cohesion in the Blue-Gold Game that we saw in some of the other practices. I don't want to overstate how much practice the media got to see this spring, but what we did see, I was impressed at the detail and the technique individually. The confidence that I have in improvement occurring is Harry Hiestand's track record and also the testimony from the former O-linemen who have come back for practices. And remember, the best returning center in the country, Jarrett Patterson, is not yet practicing with the group. That will up the ante.
Kevin from Sleepy Eye, Minn.: Eric! We haven't heard much about Sneed. How was his spring?
Eric Hansen: Kevin! That was almost Manny-esque!!!! Jaylen Sneed drank out of a firehose this spring. Lots of learning, sometimes overwhelming, held to a very high standard by James Laurinaitis and Al Golden. I'd say Josh Burnham (now a vyper end) and Nolan Ziegler had similar springs. They're all very talented, very resilient and will be better for it come August. Junior Tuihalamaka went to the head of the class as far as the freshman linebackers were concerned.
John from Jackson, Miss.: Given his recent comments re the NCAA, and Mark Emmert stepping down, what are the odds this is Jack Swarbrick's last year as AD, and by this time next summer he is the NCAA president? If that happened, who would you think would be on the short list to replace him?
Eric Hansen: I think Mark Emmert has left the NCAA in such a precarious place, it's going to take a lot of time, energy and wishful thinking to make that an attractive job for anyeone. I guess, there's a low standard of what's required for a big paycheck if that's attractive. I think at another point in his career this might have been a great fit for Jack. Given that he's 68 and knows what's coming for college athletics, I'm not sure a rebuild is what he's looking for in life right now. But your question is primarily: Who would replace Jack? There are scads of great candidates with Power 5/major college experience AND Notre Dame ties, including Bubba Cunningham (North Carolina), Boo Corrigan (NC State), Allen Greene (Auburn), Bernard Muir (Stanford) and (non-Power 5_ Bill Scholl (Marquette).
Andrew from Washington, D.C.: Watching the title game, you could see an obvious difference between the athleticism/physicality of the SEC linebackers vs. ours. I feel like we place too much value on "assignment correctness." Will we see a lot more of our freakish LBers this year (e.g., Botelho, Kollie, and Sneed)?
Eric Hansen: Hi Andrew, I disagree that assignment correctness is overvalued at ND, but getting that quality in better athletes, we can agree, should be the goal. And that's the direction that the ND linebacker corps is moving in the near future: Marist Liufau, Jordan Botelho, Prince Kollie, Junior Tuihalamaka, Jaylen Sneed, Nolan Ziegler, Drayk Bowen, Preston Zinter, etc. Don't discount the value of a guy like Jack Kiser, who might be a better athlete than most people think and who is going to make a lot of plays this year.
Murphy from Orlando, Fla.: The Justyn Rhett decommit hurt. What are realistic expectations at cornerback recruiting this season? Gray? Bell? Tease? Though I heard he wants a shot at WR. Any names we haven’t heard?
Eric Hansen: Murphy, you hit the top options: Christian Gray (set to announce July 4), Micah Bell and Micah Tease. Full disclosure, I used my phone-a-friend lifeline to get more names from Kyle Kelly. So, Caleb Presley from Seattle is also in play. There are a couple of long shots ND is trying to get some traction with — Javien Toviano from Texas and Amare Snowden from Michigan.
Pete Cuozzo ND ‘82 from Naples, Fla.: Hi Eric. You were fortunate not to have to endure the Peacock broadcast of the Blue-Gold Game. Production quality was abhorrent (I used that word for you)! Any chance zero ‘22 home games are on Peacock? More importantly, with the commitment of Sam Pendleton this week, how do you see the O-line recruiting dominoes falling over the next couple of months? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Hi Pete. I actually had the Peacock stream on during the game and was aghast (I used that word for you) at the technical glitches. Whether the games are on NBC or not, they're always on Peacock. So no luck on your wish. The only positive is that had the game been ONLY on NBC, there would have been a hard out at 3 p.m. ET, and the game would have been shortened to accommodate that. ... To the O-line, I think Notre Dame feels good about Sullivan Absher, Monroe Freeling and Charles Jaguseh all ending up Irish, but no slam dunks there. Austin Siereveld, who announces next Wednesday, is a more difficult read between ND and Ohio State. Absher could announce in May as well.
Bobby - Cleveland, Ohio: Can you detail the academic requirements a transfer athlete has to meet in order to be even considered by Notre Dame? I've read about the high school academic requirements (core classes, SAT and GPA minimums), but I was curious as to how that might differ from a second- or third-year college student. Also, do you think that these requirements hamstring the Notre Dame program in this new "Wild West" transfer portal? It seems as if the Irish aren't very active in the transfer portal at all. Thanks for your time!
Eric Hansen: Hi Bobby. I'll try to simplify something that isn't simple. Grad transfers are pretty easy to get in the door. So if a player has a degree, that makes the process smooth. If he's an undergraduate, the complications are: Do credits transfer well? And, can that process of figuring out if credits transfer well be expedited? That latter has improved, and that will help the Irish. An encouraging sign was the women's basketball team getting an Oregon transfer Tuesday who's just finishing up her sophomore year. There still will be more underclassmen who aren't a match than who are, but at least there's a streamlined process to determine that now. Beyond that, there's no hard-and-fast standards ... it's more art than science by admissions. Having been recruited by ND in high school helps, because the player profiled as an ND take at some point. ... And, yes it does put ND at a slight disadvantage, but the Irish don't want to make a living in the portal anyway, just patchwork here and there.
Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric. Congratulations on your induction into the Indiana Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Well deserved! All one needs to do is to read your work. I did not get the opportunity to see Saturday's game and have a few questions. Is the offense as challenged as the score would seem to indicate, or is the defense that good, or is it something else? Can Drew Pyne dig himself out of the perceptual hole he has dug with his performance at the Blue-Gold Game to keep in the mix for starting QB? And did Steve Angeli earn more reps and consideration with his performance, and maybe the start on Sept. 3? I would appreciate your insights. Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Thanks Tom. My mouth got so dry during my speech that I really needed a beer to finish, but, thankfully, I didn't express that out loud at the time. ... Let's start with the offense. Not many healthy scholarship wide receivers, and they were split up between the two sides. ... Pyne had to play for both teams with Tyler Buchner out. ... Less continuity on the O-line because they were split up. And Pyne did not have a good day. Running backs looked pretty pretty good. I wouldn't expect the offense to look like this in August. And yes, the front seven of the defense and the safeties are impressive. ... As far as Pyne, it was a rough day at the office and not truly reflective of his entire spring. He's mentally tough and a hard worker, so he's got a chance to improve over the summer, to a point.
No, Steve Angeli won't be starting or even No. 2 on Sept. 3, but he did something that not a lot of No. 3 QBs do in the spring when there's a QB derby going on for Nos. 1-2. He got better. He developed. He gave himself some nice momentum for summer.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric. I hope you had a great time at the game. Which new coach's position group impressed you the most during the game, and was there a particular player who was not on your radar at all whose performance surprised you? I know you can't draw many conclusions from spring games, but what three areas of improvement would you most need to see over the summer for ND to have a legitimate chance to beat OSU? One final question (I am not at 17 yet). How much of Mark Emmert's ouster do you think is due to the fact that NIL is starting to spin out of control, and the NCAA now realizes that it is a threat to the future of college football? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and for all your great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie, and thanks for not even coming close to a 16-part question. I would say Ryan Barnes at corner (game-high six tackles and very physical) and WR Jayden Thomas surprised me the most individually -- and I did not have walk-on tight end Andrew Yanoshak scoring a touchdown on my Bingo card. ... Areas of most urgent improvement: Wide receiver play, cornerback play and kicking game. And Tyler Buchner handling stairs better. ... Which position group impressed me the most among new coaches? I'd say O-line from how far they came, but D-line in terms of what position group is the best right now. There's something to like about all of them, really. ... I think Mark Emmert's retirement is a result of his own incompetence. It's a tough job, and he managed to miscalculate and mismanage at almost every turn.
Tim from Pleasant Prairie, Wis.: Eric, greetings from beyond the cheddar curtain. The Irish seem to be very deep at RB. Even the youngest among them seem ready to contribute in a meaningful way, with yet another talented RB due to arrive this summer. Do you see a No. 1 and No. 2 emerging and getting a disproportionate number of carries? If so, who would you say they are? Or do you see this talented group being more a "running back by committee," using each player's unique gifts situationally?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim. Deland McCullough, ND's new RBs coach, has said from the beginning there are a lot of different jobs to do (short-yardage, closer, etc.) and those four will all be used to fill them. I'm not including Gi'Bran Payne, who arrives in June and we haven't seen yet. Given Payne's injury history in high school, I think he might be redshirted just to help him catch up. I also think it's pretty apparent you can put Chris Tyree or Jadarian Price in the slot and help build depth at that position situationally. So I don't think the carries gap between 1-2 and 3-4 is going to be significant.
Don in Phoenix: Eric, The long four months begins. Hope you have some time off planned after starting the new venture. Listened to the podcast with Malik, and in the question section liked your answer regarding the who's to blame for the players not being invited back during the Kelly years. My question is what did Brian Kelly do that he did not get credit and what did he not do that is overlooked?
Eric Hansen: Hi Don. I think Brian Kelly has gotten credit and blame pretty well placed, but maybe that's a blind spot for me. I'm surprised sometimes at the takes people absorb from untrustworthy sources. So let me answer this question more straight up. Brian Kelly deserved credit for a strong player development model, particularly post-2016. For helping to strengthen the program infrastructure. For evolving as a coach. For recruiting better on defense than Charlie Weis did. For winning the games he was supposed to win and getting ND into the national title mix three times. ... What he did not do was immerse himself into the recruiting process enough. Early enough. Often enough. Ambitiously enough. He saw himself as a closer, and he was good at that. He did make himself more accessible after 2016 to his players, but to a point. He had a blind spot with some of his assistant coaching hires. Brian VanGorder almost cost BK his job.
The way Kelly left Notre Dame and the narrative he's concocted to explain it will overshadow a lot of the good he did. And it's hard to blame those who feel that way.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric. In the Blue-Gold Game did anyone make you say, 'Wow, this recruit is going to be a player.' What did he do to give you that impression? Thanks for hosting.
Eric Hansen: Hi Len. This is your shortest question ever. Thank you. I owe you a beer for trying. .... If I hadn't seen Jadarian Price in earlier practices, I would have been shocked out of my mind on Saturday. Similarly, but not to that extent, with Jaden Mickey and Junior Tuihalamaka. But I expect there will be another wave of freshmen who impress in August -- some of the June arrivals and some of the mid-year enrollees who got healthy and/or better as they adapt -- like Billy Scrhrauth, Joshua Burnham, Jayden Bellamy, to name a few.
Dan from Vernon Hills, Ill.: Eric, after the Blue-Gold Game, did Tyler Buchner win the QB1 derby?
Eric Hansen: I think he won it before the Blue-Gold Game, but Drew Pyne is better than he showed Saturday.
Andrew from Sioux Falls, S.D.: Planning to make it to Columbus for the opener. Do you think there will be a decent ND representation?
Eric Hansen: Andrew, I grew up in Columbus, and those fans aren't eager to give up their tickets even at a handsome profit. I think the ND fans who do get in the stadium will be loud and passionate, but they'll be greatly outnumbered. I'm glad you're going. The atmosphere will be epic.
Pat from St. Paul, Minn.: Excited for the chat! Two questions …1) Have you gotten a sense from those inside the program that Tyler Buchner had separated during the spring practices and 2) Still feel good about Dante Moore?
Eric Hansen: Hi Pat. I'm excited too, believe me. This is a fun part of my week. 1) I think Tyler Buchner showed he's No. 1, and the hope is he'll continue to grow/improve over the summer they way he did this spring. But the hope is also that Pyne will, too. 2) Yes, I do. As long as Dante Moore doesn't extend the timeline into the fall, which so far he is NOT.
Steve from St. Louis: Any chance a '24 QB commits before a '23? Or do you think the '24s will wait to see what happens?
Eric Hansen: I assume you’re talking Notre Dame and not nationally ... though none of the top 2024 QBs have committed anywhere. In terms of Notre Dame, I think 2024 prospect CJ Carr has come to peace that he wouldn't shy away from going where Dante Moore does. I think ND leads with Carr, but I don't think he's in a hurry to commit and it's not a done deal. So I think it makes sense for him and the others to let June play out — at the very least — before they start to commit.
Joey G. from Philadelphia, Pa.: Hi Eric. We’ll, I must say Blue-Gold Game is giving me a lot of angst. O-line and special teams didn’t play well. Pyne and the wide receivers were out of sync. Running backs, D-line and linebackers look great. Do you think Marcus Freeman is taking a huge gamble if he stays with his current QBs and wide receivers rooms? And by not hitting the portal earlier, could it doom his first season?
Eric Hansen: Joey, simmer down now. You're taking the Blue-Gold Game way too literally. There's a mirage element built into its structure. I do think a WR from the portal is a necessity and not a luxury, and I think a potential starter is the right ambition. But remember, Avery Davis and Joe Wilkins Jr. will be back (Davis is almost already back) and Lorenzo Styles is much improved. He's WR1 in my opinion, even though he didn't get a chance to show that Saturday. ... I see QB Gerry Bohanon from Baylor hit the portal today, but I doubt he'd want to come to ND to be the No. 2 QB, since he's already the No. 2 QB at Baylor. So who would you see as a fit at QB? And Marcus did hit the portal early, for a kicker and for an All-America safety.
IrishMike from Altoona, Pa: Hi Eric! Cold and snowy here in central Pa! Following is an excerpt from a column in the Altoona Mirror from Frank Giardina, a former PSU athletic department employee. “I am not sold on the Marcus Freeman hire at Notre Dame. He has the reputation of being a ‘players coach.’ ‘Players coaches’ often don’t make good head coaches. Former Irish head coach Brian Kelly was never warm and fuzzy, but the man can coach. I have seen his teams play at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame. He was always a bit of a curmudgeon, but his teams were sound fundamentally. Freeman looked lost in Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl meltdown to Oklahoma State last season.” Marcus is a helluva recruiter! ND faithful, myself included, think he’s a great hire! Is Giardina’s opinion common outside ND circles? What are your thoughts?
Eric Hansen: I don't know Frank, so I'm sorry to be so blunt. But I think he has his head up his butt. There's not a formula of players' coach or hardasses that guarantees success. The coaches I've seen who are successful are 1) Authentic. They don't try to be someone they're not. 2) They evolve. They change with the X's and O's. They change with the way they relate to players, so they can stay ahead of the curve. Brian Kelly actually did all of that. He lost the purple look ... until he went to LSU. ... Brian VanGorder was not warm and fuzzy. Mike Elko, Clark Lea and Marcus Freeman were all more successful. And because you're a players' coach, per se, doesn't mean you're not demanding and you don't set high standards. Now tell Frank to get off my lawn.
Erik from Salina, Kan.: Thanks again for these chats. In watching the spring game two things stood out to me when I compared ND to what I saw at other spring games (Penn State, Georgia, etc.). (1) I thought ND's players looked physically larger and stronger than other programs, especially our O-line. (2) I thought ND's offensive players looked decidedly slower than those other programs, especially at the skill positions. What is your take on our physical size and speed as a program relative to any other spring games you've seen this year and to past ND teams?
Eric Hansen: Hi Erik. I think a lot of teams look slow juxtaposed to Georgia. I think maybe the illusion of slowness was the amount of walk-on wide receivers and tight ends used in the BG Game? I don't think speed on defense is an issue, either. And it will become less of an issue as the 2023 and 2024 classes join the roster and as some of the younger players in this class get their feet under them with the X's and O's.
Stan from Chester: Wishing all good things to you, Eric! Do you think too much emphasis is being laid on Pyne for his performance in the B/G game? Seems to me that the scenario he was a one-off. I wonder how ANYone would respond to quarterbacking both teams behind offensive lines that were thrown together in a mix he had never seen. Granted the defensive lines were also tossed together, but I think it would take less time for a defensive line to gel that an offensive line needs repetitive reps to come together.
Eric Hansen: Stan, if you're a mind reader, you're darn good at it. My answer is contained in your question. Good job.
Don in Phoenix: Eric, Thanks for answering. You are very good at what you do!
Eric Hansen: Thank you, Don!
Steve from Kenosha, Wis.: Eric, you, Tyler, and Kyle are definitely churning out some excellent content (and I’m appreciative of stories beyond football). I apologize if this may have been asked and answered earlier in the chat, but given your last story in the matter, do you have some thoughts on how NIL will continue to evolve within the ND administration to benefit their student-athletes?
Eric Hansen: Steve, I'm not sure if you heard our podcast with Tom Mendoza, but we took a pretty deep dive there. Once we get past the NFL Draft, I have some interviews set up to do some of those big-picture stories. To give you an oversimplified, succinct answer for now, NIL is scary in what it's become, at least the gray area of it. There's still a lot to like about it. Notre Dame believes it needs to be competitive in terms of opportunities, but it doesn't need to be the most lucrative. We'll see how the 2023 recruiting cycle plays out, but so far, ND's position is holding true.
Kevin from Fort Wayne: I know Dante Moore is our priority QB recruit, but are you hearing of possible other options should Dante choose to commit elsewhere?
Eric Hansen: Hi Kevin. Notre Dame wants to show it’s committed to Dante. And unless his recruitment becomes protracted beyond June, then I don't think they'll explore those options. If they get to that point and he's uncommitted, they're going to have to go to the portal (for 2023) or try to flip someone out of another class. I don't think there are many attractive uncommitted options left.
Jeff from Phoenix: Hey Eric. Last month on the chat I asked — and you answered — a question as to whether ND would consider a two-QB system as the best offensive weapon. But now I’d like to take another angle and ask whether a two-QB system could be a complete non-starter due to the impression it could create with highly ranked QB recruits. That is, could ND appear to recruits as indecisive or lacking player development focus if they even raised the possibility of going down the two-QB road in 2022 or sometime in the future? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Jeff, not all two-QB systems are created equal, and last year's Jack Coan/Tyler Buchner was one in which recruits could understand and buy into: A young touted QB was getting a chance to play and develop on the field and the older QB was on board with it and now has a chance to get drafted. I think there would be other scenarios where that would be a bad look, as in "both these QBs stink, so we're going to play both and hope to get some good out of that." Those you want to avoid, from a practical standpoint and a impress-the-recruits standpoint.
Pete Cuozzo from Naples Fla.: Eric, what’s with the video post from “Notre Dame Football Recruiting News Today” that says Austin Siereveld committed? I saw it on YouTube Monday … same day Sam Pendleton committed. Thought it would have been pulled by now. Or is it a counter-offensive move by another program pretending to be ND? Ahh, conspiracy theory perhaps? Or just a dumb mistake?
Eric Hansen: Pete, I looked up the video. It's just some guy who probably lives in his mother's basement fooling around on the computer, splicing Notre Dame content together that is not his own. It's not a video from ND or any legit media outlet that covers it. By the way, Austin Siereveld is committing next Wednesday.
Tony from Lake Mary Fla.: Hey Eric, I was thinking just now about the impact of having a head coach be the lead recruiter, as Marcus Freeman says. By the time many recruits come and become upperclassmen, if there has been success, it is likely that the position coaches or coordinators have moved on and moved up. But a successful head coach at a place like ND will, in all but rare cases (wink wink), will not leave. I've always thought if I was good enough to be recruited, I would not care so much about the coordinators, positional coaches and that relationship. Have you or any of the rivals counterparts noticed a correlation here?
Eric Hansen: Tony, it is a very smart move on Marcus' part -- and I've noticed it paying dividends in the way recruits on offense aren't eliminating the Irish because Tommy Rees may not be here in 2023 or 2024 and they have a great relationship with him. Now they also have one with Marcus.
Jonathan Thie from Sioux Falls, S.D.: Who do you think we will get in the transfer portal for a wide receiver, who is the most likely guy?
Eric Hansen: I'd be pursuing Jaylon Robinson from UCF. Now there are new names flooding in from now until Sunday. There were 200 new players entering the portal in the last 48 hours. So new options will emerge ... and be vetted.
Jacob from Hobart, Ind.: Thanks for making time to do these chats and answer so many questions. I have a few about the Blue-Gold Game. In terms of entertainment value, how would you rank this year's Blue-Gold game? Is there another year's game that stands out as your favorite? What could ND do to make the game better?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jacob, thanks for making the time to ask a great question. ... I enjoyed this year's game immensely (I love defense), because it was an actual game ... not offense vs defense, where you have to concoct a scoring system so the defense has a chance to win the game. I also LOVED that there was a player draft, that the media could attend and the fans could watch on an app. What could make the game better? Show all of the trade secrets offensively and defensively, but that's not a good idea for winning games in September.
Jorge from Rowlett, Texas: It's been nearly five months since Marcus Freeman was hired as Notre Dame's 30th head coach. What has impressed you most and where do you see him needing to improve the most? I know other than the bowl game, the real proof will be on the field. But having been around ND football long enough to see player/coach engagement, a coach's relationship with the media, alumni, etc., it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this? Thanks in advance for your answer and keep up the great work!!!
Eric Hansen: Jorge, I have a hard out in two minutes, so I can't give you the answer you deserve on this one. And it's really a cool question. So I hope you'll let me answer it next week.
Eric Hansen: I went into overtime and still couldn't get to all the questions. Thank for all the great ones this week. We are going to do this next Wednesday at noon ET, then probably move from weekly into intermittent mode after that.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• 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.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @ByKyleKelly.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.