Chat Transcript: Spring speculation, Rees beyond ND, future QB priorities

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, late February edition. Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your questions. Let's get rolling.

Jeremy from Goshen, Ind.: Thank you for doing these chats. They are the highlight of the week, especially now that most of your work is behind Rivals paywall. My question is is centered around spring practice. What positions will you be following the closest/ intrigue you the most?

Eric Hansen: Jeremy, thanks for joining in. My former employer also now has a pay meter/pay wall. It's where sports content is headed. ... QBs, specifically, Tyler Buchner would be No. 1. Cornerbacks and wide receivers would be next. Those are the positions I have most questions about. I am curious about other positions, though, like what the O-line progress will look like with Harry Hiestand coaching them and how the four freshman linebackers and sophomore Prince Kollie fit with some experience ahead of them.

Frank from Del Boca Vista, Fla.: Hi Eric, thanks for all of your hard work. Are Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner going to be getting equal reps in spring ball (and fall camp for that matter)? Or do you think TB is already the perceived starter and will be getting the majority of the first-team reps? Thanks again,

Eric Hansen: Hi Frank, and thank you. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees wasn't asked that last week and it wasn't the time/place. We'll get a definitive answer next coaching access for the media. My sense is competition in the spring will bring out the best in both of them. so I would assume fairly equal snaps between Buchner and Drew Pyne. Freshman Steve Angeli will get some work too, particularly with the backups. My assumption is that Tyler Buchner will emerge as the No. 1 option if he's healthy and you'll see a less-equitable split of the reps in fall camp. However because Buchner is exposed to potential injuries in the QB run game, the No. 2 QB has got to be ready.

Paul from Stuart, Fla.: Eric, how can Tommy Rees play for ND, graduate from ND, understand ND, work at ND, have his dad work at ND, be promoted at ND, go through the Kelly traitor week, assist in the hiring of other offensive coaches who he will closely work with, and at that point, consider employment at U. Miami or some other integrity-challenged outlier?

Eric Hansen: Hey Paul. I'll give you Tommy's answer first to the question, though not quite worded as yours was:

"Anytime you have opportunities, no matter what profession you're in, I think it's your job to explore them. There's no harm in exploring what other opportunities may present. You want to handle all those things the right way.

"Nothing opportunity-wise (for Rees) was about anything except for let's take a look, let's see if it can help personal growth and development. At the end of the day, there's a lot of opportunities that come across your desk. There are very, very, very few of them that are better than Notre Dame.

"That's what it kept coming back to for me."

Eric Hansen: OK, Paul, here's my take. ... The timing was awful. To Rees' credit, it wasn't a protracted process. And I can see why it rubbed some people the wrong way, whether it was Miami or a school of which you had a higher opinion. It would have been a lateral move. Not a good look in the context of what Rees said when he elected not to go to LSU. ... However, moving forward, the situation changes. ... as soon as the next coaching carousel. Tommy Rees is 29 years old. He has aspirations of being a college head coach. He has aspirations of coaching in the NFL. How long does being Notre Dame's offensive coordinator serve those career goals? That's Tommy's decision. If he wants to be the head coach at Notre Dame someday, he'll likely have to leave and come back to do so. At some point, Tommy Rees will leave Notre Dame. Again, that's all the more reason Marcus Freeman being the lead recruiter on every offensive and defensive prospect is a smart move.

Mike McFadden from Williamsport, Pa.: To increase overall team parity, much like the NCAA decision to limit scholarships at 85 a few years ago, do you feel the NCAA could/will place an overall school salary cap of the 10 football coaches per school? Do you think that will calm the end-of-year coaching chaos movements? Thanks, Eric.

Eric Hansen: If the NCAA was too limp and inept to put together guidelines and guard rails to regulate name, image and likeness, then they certainly lack the power and ability to impose a salary cap. Even if they tried, they'd likely end up with lawsuits that they would lose. I can understand the angst over this, but there really is no one powerful enough to impose the salary cap. Even if there was, I'm not sure it would work.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you are having a great week, and thanks for hosting the chat. With ND seemingly having a good chance to get Dante Moore, if Chris Vizzina is ready to make a commitment before Moore, do you think ND would take it, or hold out in the hope of landing Moore? Along those lines if they get neither, who are the next couple of QBs in line that they would be interested in? Do you think they would circle back and try to flip Jackson Arnold? After getting to spend some time with all the coaches last week, which one surprised you the most and why? Thanks for your insights and all the great reporting.

Eric Hansen: Hi Marie, thank YOU. The perception with both of those elite talents is that Notre Dame is in the top group for both — as in top two. My read is that if either wanted to commit, Notre Dame would give them the green light to do so. If ND missed on both, they could circle back to Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold (and are still in contact). They'd probably have a better chance there than getting uncommitted Nico Iamaleava back in the mix. Avery Johnson, from Kansas, is an option. He's an outstanding athlete, but less polished as a QB. The Irish also continue to evaluate rising QB prospects such as Marcus Stokes, although the haven't yet offered a scholarship to him or some of the others who intrigue them. ... As far as new assistants and surprises, I'd say Chansi Stuckey. His non-coaching background is fascinating, and Tyler James has an upcoming story on that.

Patrick from Newburyport, Mass.: Hi Eric. I have a lot of optimism for the upcoming season, but the secondary is concerning. Brandon Joseph was a big pick-up, and I'm a Cam Hart fan. But is there anyone you could see making a jump next year, specifically at DB? Have you heard any chatter about Barnes, Riley, or Mickey and Bellamy having enrolled early? Or any confidence in Morrison contributing? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: I'm much more optimistic about the safeties than the corners. I just did a overview story on the safeties, and you'll see why I feel that position group is in a good spot, especially if ND gets the 2020 version of Brandon Joseph. ... As far as the CBs, it's still not a guarantee that TaRiq Bracy remains at ND for 2022, even though he is enrolled in school now. Cam Hart is the only cornerback who had a decent grade from Pro Football Focus. So you have Hart, Lewis, Bracy and six players who are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen who combined for three cornerback snaps in 2021. Reason for optimism? Mike Mickens has a history of getting young corners ready to play early. It didn't show up at ND last year, but that's his history. Of the six young corners I mentioned, I like Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison, though Morrison doesn't arrive until June. It's a big spring for Philip Riley, Ryan Barnes and Chance Tucker. Barnes was the most advanced of those three last year. I think it could be Riley this time.

Chris from Albuquerque: Hey Eric, and a great morning to you! As of now (it's tough I know), does Keeley keep his commitment to the Irish?

Eric Hansen: Keon Keeley is a five-star defensive end in the 2023 class from Tampa who is verbally committed to the Irish. When you wade into big-boy recruiting, these are the kind of scenarios you'll encounter. Other schools won't stop recruiting these kinds of players, even if they say they are 110% committed in a graphic. So expect this recruitment to have that element all the way to signing day. What you can feel good about? Keon is very close to the Reader family. Tre Reader is a preferred walk-on, who is committed to ND, and younger brother Troy Reader is an elite baseball prospect, who is also committed to ND. There's a comfort zone there for Keon.

Getting kids on campus means more than what's coming out of their mouths, and Keon reportedly will look at visiting ND twice this spring. Finally, new D-line coach Al Washington is a charismatic guy. I like the chances of Keeley and Washington hitting it off. He's pulled in five-star prospects before (at Ohio State), so he knows the territory.

John from Palmyra, Pa.: Was there any interest from Dasan McCullough to come start at Notre Dame, but he could just not get into school? Or was there no interest from the get?

Eric Hansen: John, Dasan McCullough, the second of new running backs coach Deland McCullough's four sons, is an early-enrolled freshman at Indiana University and was a Rivals top 100 prospect in the 2022 class as an outside linebacker/defensive end. Notre Dame did offer him a scholarship before Deland left the Chiefs for IU last year. ND's new D-line coach, Al Washington, got a verbal commitment from Dasan while Washington was at Ohio State, but Dasan flipped to IU after dad left the Chiefs. That's also when Deland II opted to hit the transfer portal and leave Miami, Ohio for IU. I think Dasan could have come to ND if he had wanted to, but decided to stay at IU.

He could certainly transfer at some point, but undergrad transfers are complicated. Daeh, a 2023 cornerback prospect, recently reaffirmed his commitment to IU but could certainly change his mind. He is a Rivals250 prospect, but not as highly rated as Dasan. He does not hold an ND offer at this time. Diem, the youngest, is in elementary school.

Greg from Chicago: Saying this offseason was strange is an understatement. ND went from “almost all the coaches are staying” to all but three left the program, delays in filling spots, transfers, issues with the portal, etc. While the coaching carousel should calm down, with NIL, the portal, etc., should we expect this type of craziness every year? I read the interview with Jack Swarbrick in the S-T last week. He sounded extremely concerned with where this is all headed.

Eric Hansen: Hi Greg. I hope the new site format isn't tripping you up. You asked me the same question in the last chat, and I answered it. My answer hasn't changed. So in case you had trouble locating it, here's the link.

Norris from Singer Island, Fla.: I realize Marcus Freeman had a rough ride completing his coaching staff. But my question focuses on the status of our offensive coordinator. With Kelly gone, Tommy Rees was literally given the keys to the Cadillac, but something seems to have happened about the time of the Fiesta Bowl game. Was it TR’s game plan? Failure to make adjustments as the game progressed? Choice of QB’s? Lack of a running game? Mike Elston failed his test to become the DC because of his game calls. And suddenly TR becomes a candidate for the offensive coordinator opening at Miami?

Eric Hansen: Norris, I'm not sure I perceive Marcus as having a rough ride completing his coaching staff. He aimed high, very high. And sometimes when you do that, you don't get the person at the top of the list every time. It beats going after low-hanging fruit and not upgrading your staff when you have a chance to do so. ... As to Tommy Rees and the Fiesta Bowl game plan, the Irish did score 35 points on a defense that was top five in total defense nationally and top five in rushing defense, and No. 9 in scoring defense. But as was covered already, there weren't the necessary adjustments made on either side of the ball to hold a big lead and win the game. ... I'm kind of guessing at what your question is. You want to know if Rees' game plan was flawed, why would Miami (or other teams) be interested?

There are a lot of people in the coaching business who are absolutely sold on Rees' potential and his growth curve. There are those who look at production and want to see more before they join that club. I think that's a reasonable stance. What I believe Mario Cristobal at Miami saw was a guy who had some really good ideas when it came to the passing game. Mario, being an offensive guy himself, knows the run game. So he envisioned the two of them as making a pretty good combination.

Dr. Pete Cuozzo, ND ‘82 from Naples, Fla.: Hi Eric. I grew up believing the old adage, “there’s no ‘I’ in TEAM.” Yet ‘I’ is the centerpiece of NIL, both literally and figuratively. Do you believe there needs to be additional guardrails for how NIL is implemented in collegiate sports, especially football? It feels to me like a free-for-all, even though there’s nothing “free” about it. Thanks

Eric Hansen: Pete, I believe there's a need for more guardrails and just about every president, coach and AD feels that way. The problem is the NCAA was too incompetent and lethargic and timid when it came to this issue that they abdicated their power on it. Now someone else (Congress) will have to clean up their mess, and it won't be easy. I should point out that there are some very honorable facets of NIL, but there are far too many unseemly examples.

Joey G. from Philadelphia, Pa.: Hi Eric. Hope all is well with you! I read an early report on the two-deep depth chart. I’m always interested to see who is not on there. A name that stands out to me is Gabe Rubio. I think with year 2 under Matt Balis, Rubio could be poised for a breakout. Any news you can report on Rubio?

Eric Hansen: Hi Joey. He's part of a very, very deep and talented position group. The interior defensive line, from top to bottom. graded as high as any position group on last year's team by PFF, and they only lost Kurt Hinish (and only added Donovan Hinish). The top four players at DT/NG all have experience and strong production —- Jayson Ademilola and Howard Cross, Rylie Mills and Jacob Lacey. Aidan Keanaaina and Gabe Rubio would be in that next group. Under Mike Elston, the D-line rotation would go three deep. I would expect with that kind of talent, Al Washington would do the same.

Mike from Toronto: Eric, a continued thank you for your efforts to keep us informed on all things Irish. It looks like we are trying to connect/re-connect with former players, and there is an initial gathering at the spring game. It would be great to meet some of these guys. Do you have any more information on this project or where I could go to keep up to date?

Eric Hansen: Mike, I'd love to help you out,, but I'm not sure if you're referring to the Irish Players Club's ventures or if this is something else. Can you email me (ehansen@insidendsports.com) and we can figure this out together?

Jim Zannino: We would like to know why Nyckoles Harbor from Washington, D.C., is not a priority for Notre Dame football. He is from a Catholic high school and he is in the Rivals top 20. We follow recruiting closely and we haven't seen any talk about this player coming from the Irish staff. Thank you.

Eric Hansen: Jim, please include your hometown next time. ... Notre Dame has offered Nyckoles Harbor a scholarship, but it takes two to fall in love. So far, Oregon, Miami, Penn State, Maryland, Texas A&M, among others, are higher on his priority list. Harbor can play on either side of the ball, but likely will end up at defensive end/linebacker. That might be one of the issues. ND already has commitments from two DEs ranked in the top 20 in the 2023 class and may have the inside track on top 10 prospect Samuel M'Pemba, who visits next month. They're at least in his top group. Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman recently interviewed Harbor. If you want more, here's their conversation.

Adam from Florida: Did you get a chance to read Tim Prister's interview with Jack Swarbrick?

Eric Hansen: I did not and will not until after I do mine. We've done interviews with Jack in close time proximity before and typically ask different questions and approach similar questions differently. That benefits the readers by giving them more info.

Kirk from Northern Virginia: Have you heard anything about where KJ Wallace and George Takacs are looking to transfer?

Eric Hansen: It's not something we're keeping close tabs on. There's a curiosity but not an urgency. With Takacs, I would imagine he'll look at BC, where former position coach John McNulty is now the offensive coordinator. But it may be wise to see how things shake out after spring practices are over to get the best sense of where they might fit on a given roster.

Rick from Lake Forest, Calif.: Welcome to your new digs! I've missed you, but hope you are doing well. Quick question, this year's Shamrock Series Game is in Las Vegas on Oct. 8 (same date as the Jimmy Buffet concert in LV!). Is that considered a home game? And if so, do season ticket holders get first shot at tickets and parking?

Eric Hansen: Rick, come join us if you'd like. ... It is technically an ND home game, yes. I'll have to check about the parking/ticket priorities, but that would seem to make sense. Nothing yet has been announced.

Rog from St. Louis: Are you and Tyler going to be able to put together some kind of series of featured articles for the upcoming season similar to the magazine you produced at the paper? Really enjoyed the in-depth interviews, articles, predictions, etc. Even if it isn't in print form, it would be great to have your insight into the upcoming season.

Eric Hansen: It's definitely something we're considering. This will be the first summer (fingers crossed) since 2019 in which there will a normal academic/workout and recruiting calendar. So if the access is similar to 2019, this would be a very doable and worthwhile project.

David Thomas: How do you think Lorenzo Styles will be utilized next year?

Eric Hansen: Hometown, David, please. ... I think he'll be ND's No. 1 wide receiver. I see him playing mainly outside, but also some in the slot.

Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning Eric! With the coaching hires finished, I wonder if each position coach has/will be assigned a specific geographical area for recruiting? Or will position coaches recruit their respective positions regardless of geographical area? If so, who would be the best for the west coast/Hawaii? Finally, is the three-year contract for Al Golden fairly standard for a D1 coordinator or is it on the short side and thus could expose ND to negative recruiting by other schools? Much thanks-

Eric Hansen: Hi Jeff. Under Brian Kelly, there were some geographical ties with assistants, but more and more recruiting became tied to position coaches and coordinators. I sense that the non-coaching staff — director of recruiting Chad Bowden and his group — will take ownership of the initial/geographical contacts and the assistants then will recruit more to their position group, as the trend has been going. However, next time we have Marcus Freeman in front of us, I will ask him that. ... It's fairly standard for two-year contracts, but the standard continues to morph with higher salaries and more guarantees for elite coordinators on both sides of the ball. I don't see negative recruiting as an issue with regard to the contract of a coordinator.

Paul W from Toronto, Ontario: Hi Eric. Have you had a chance to talk with Jack Swarbrick about the decision to stay at four teams in the playoff? And, if so, which side of the fence does he fall on?

Eric Hansen: I have not done that interview yet, but since he was the original presenter of the 12-team concept and since we've talked in depth about that before the latest roadblocks, I am extremely confident that I knew which side he is on. But yes, I have some follow-ups on the topic.

Eric Hansen: OK, that's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll probably do one more before spring practice starts, then go weekly once it does start on March 17.

---------------------------------------------------------------

• 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 and @TJamesND.

• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports

• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports