Chat Transcript: How Notre Dame paid for past WR recruiting/retention flaws
Eric Hansen: Welcome to the pre-Thanksgiving/pre-Black Friday/pre-Stanford game version of Notre Dame Football Live Chat, brought to you by J&R Solutions.
Some quick programming notes:
► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, it keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, which is Monday nights at 7 ET. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. Tyler James and I are also doing a live postgame show of our takeaways after every game. Here’s what last week’s show looked like. We’re also partnering with WSBT-TV this season, including collaborating on highlights and analysis. Here’s sports director Pete Byrne and me doing a quick run-through of this week’s game.
► On this week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast, Ryan Fowler, radio host of The Game on Tide 100.9 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., joined Tyler James and me to share his knowledge on the SEC, which will likely provide the opponent for Notre Dame’s bowl game, should the Irish win at Stanford on Saturday night. He also discussed the progress of former Irish head coach Brian Kelly at LSU, the strengths and flaws of the Tigers this season, if Tennessee would be a better bowl opponent for ND, the job Tommy Rees has done in his first year as Alabama's offensive coordinator, why former ND quarterback Tyler Buchner didn't gain traction with the Crimson Tide, an outside perspective of Notre Dame and more. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.
► Finally, thanks to all who have been listening to WSBT radio this season, as I have rejoined Darin Pritchett as a co-host on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com) on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the 2023 Notre Dame Football season and during bowl prep, though there will not be a Thursday show this week. I'm also co-hosting the pregame shows with Darin and Tyler Horka (which is not a clever stage name for Tyler James). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. This week’s pregame show starts at 4 p.m. ET. You can download episodes as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat.
Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s). Optional ... is you favorite Thanksgiving side dish and your 40 time after you've eaten it.
Here are the rules. No burping either.
Eric Hansen: Off we go ...
Dave from Jacksonville: LOVE to read the chat transcripts, usually late at night - Question - seems to me that the combination of poor WR recruiting for the past 5 years continues to be the gift that keeps on giving? Is Sam Hartman's accuracy problems in the middle of the season related at all to a possible unannounced injury? Or just the stacking of the box, limited WR openings and in face pressure? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Dave ... thanks .. and great question. It's poor recruiting and retention and you could argue average development pre-Chansi Stuckey. Here's the class of 2020, which would be seniors: Xavier Watts, Jay Brunelle, Jordan Johnson. Watts has moved to safety and is stellar there this year, but you got nothing out of him as a WR, Brunelle transferred to Yale without ever having caught a pass at ND. Five-star Johnson also was catch-less ND, transferred to UCF, where he was a bust with no career catches. He's now playing at the junior college level at Iowa Western, where he is far from dominant.
The 2019 class before that was Kendall Abdur-Rahman, who transferred without making an impact, and Cam Hart, who has been outstanding after moving to CB ... but again the Irish got nothing out of him before he changed positions. The 2021 class was a good one -- Jayden Thomas, Deion Colzie and Lorenzo Styles ... Bad luck here in that Thomas and Colzie have been injured most of the year and Styles transferred and is now a CB. ... That was followed by 2022, where Tobias Merriweather was the only high school signee, with two 11th-hour WR defections before signing day.
There's been speculation about Sam Hartman and an injury since September and he, Marcus Freeman and Gerad Parker continue to shoot that down. But I do think the loaded boxes, the injuries in the WR group and the growth curve of the young ones and lack of in-game adjustments in key games have been very real factors.
Boston_irish_Fan: How to watch the ND - Stanford game on Pac - TV network? What are the options, if any?
Eric Hansen: This comes from my colleague, Tyler James: If you haven't already, you should figure out if your TV provider has access to Pac-12 Network. You can do that by searching for your provider at this link: Get Pac-12 Networks
The most common options appear to be CenturyLink, Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, DISH, Frontier, fuboTV and Sling TV. You may still need to make sure you have the right package for Pac-12 Network if any of those are your TV providers. There are more regional providers listed as well.
Some of the popular TV providers that don't have it include DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV.
The best deal out there seems to be a free trial of fuboTV. Just make sure you cancel it ASAP if you don't want to eventually get charged.
Brian B from Plymouth, Mich.: Hi Eric. Thanks for all of your great ND coverage this season. Any update on an opponent for a 12th game next year? When will it be finalized? Are there 2 bye weeks again in ‘24?
Eric Hansen: It is my understanding that Notre Dame will play Army in the game that's not officially on the schedule and that it will be a Shamrock Series game, likely at Yankee Stadium. The date figures to be Nov. 23 ... so game 11 ... as to not possibly conflict with a possible New York Yankees postseason run. That would leave the bye week Saturdays as Oct. 5 and Nov. 2.
Mike from Phoenix, Ariz.: Eric - Frequent reader/infrequent questioner here. I missed asking this question during the fall-out of the abysmal offensive performance displayed vs. Clemson. Despite the Wake result, I'm still a believer that changes are warranted. Last year there seemed to be persistent questioning/opining related to an OFFENSE ANALYST to assist Rees in his first season without the Brian Kelly safety net. A common theme about the lack of that position seemed to be Rees reticence to the idea and his "Golden Boy" status. With the Parker promotion, all the reasons FOR an analyst seem to be amplified, and the reasons AGAINST diminished. So 2 part question: a) Why has there been so much less "chatter" about this topic this year? b) Why didn't MF go get a top-notch analyst to support Parker? I look to Alabama as an example--I see no reason why MF can't begin to position his program as a "former-coach-reclamation-center" a la Saban. Some recent offensive-minds that have flamed-out as HCs come to mind: Harsin, Taggert, Frost,... heck, even Garrett would be an ex-NFL OC/HC with the added bonus of getting him OFF NBC! What about Skip Holtz...get him back in CFB after 2 USFL Championships!
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. I'd imagine your more-pressing question isn't why hasn't there been more chatter, but why wasn't this more strongly considered and actually implemented? I think it's a great idea and something for which I've advocated. Not just to have a backstop, but to be a resource for both Gerad Parker and Marcus Freeman ... the latter in game-day operations and decisions. Whoever the OC is next year, whether it's Parker or someone with a lot of experience, I still think that move makes sense. And as far as chatter, I'm pretty sure Marie from Atlanta has suggested this, so you may want to make nice with her.
Terry from Ithaca: Why does team performance vary so much from week to week? This is a hardworking team. It's hard to believe their practice habits change that much from one week to the next. It seems more likely related to what is emphasized in the game plan or something about the game day routine while on the road. What do you think?
Eric Hansen: Hi Terry. There is a normal home/road split that most college teams fall into, but you're right, this exceeds that. In watching Brian Kelly over 12 years, there was definitely an evolution in his approach, one in which Marcus Freeman needs to microwave this offseason in terms of how to improve that. I think the cadence/offensive signals problem at Duke was the most shocking to me that hadn't been dealt with ahead of time. But I give Freeman credit. He does not stand pat. He restructured practices this week to have more competitive team periods early with the thought of carrying that over to the game for a faster start. They're also leaving on Friday afternoon instead of Thursday, because the sports science folks who made the Navy trip and re-entry over multiple time zones recommended this amended schedule.
Joe H from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hey Eric one quick question after reading a story on another message board. Is there any chance or interest in Tyler Buchner returning to South Bend? I, for one, would welcome it.
Eric Hansen: Hi Joe. Tyler Buchner might not be able to make that second transfer without either sitting out a year, missing spring practice here or both, based on when he graduates. If he has his degree, it's no problem, but he's a junior and I don't know how his credits from Alabama would transfer. As far as what ND would get, it feels like this was more of a lost year for him, with one start, in which he was pulled and is now third or fourth string. Had he stayed at ND, I think he'd be well-positioned to compete to start in 2024.
Don in Scottsdale, Ariz.: Eric, Can't believe this is the 12th guaranteed opportunity for the Irish in 2023. Went fast. You and the Inside ND sports have done a great in season job and made the long off season bearable with your content. I'm hoping the team gets over the away game slow start syndrome and makes this a walk over. We get the PAC 2 network as part of our plan and will record the game and get to the golf course. Looking back, I guess this season shaped up as expected. Very good defense with some surprises on the DL, OK, for the most part O, with inconsistent line play and an obvious lack of receiver talent/experience. That said which coaches exceeded expectations with their position groups, which coaches didn't maximize talent and lastly what identifiable growth did you see in Coach Freeman. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and best to Tyler and Charleston.
Eric Hansen: Don, Happy Thanksgiving to you and thanks so much for being a subscriber and a thoughtful chat-head (that's a compliment). Let's start with identifiable growth with Marcus Freeman. I think he definitely has more confidence in how he structures practices, has stronger visions of what he wants to do on offense and how to get there, manages the NIL factor well in recruiting and continues to push hard for transfer policy reforms for incoming transfers. I think two areas of needed growth that come to mind are improved gameday operations and less reliance on analytics for critical head coaching decisions in games. It's nice to know the analytics numbers, but sometimes you have to go against them.
I'd say the assistant coaches who met or exceeded expectations with their position groups are CBs Mike Mickens, safeties Chris O'Leary, D-Line Al Washington, RBs Deland McCullough and I'd argue Chansi Stuckey given his circumstances. And certainly DC Al Golden. I think you could also make a case for LB grad assistant Max Bullough. I think QBs coach Gino Guidugli and O-Line coach Joe Rudolph are harder to separate for an evaluation because that eval is so dependent on offensive coordinator/TEs coach Gerad Parker. Their late arrivals (February) and having to learn the offense on the fly lends me to believe we'll have a cleaner eval in 2024 and both will project better in year 2. As for Parker, he had some personnel aspects work against him like his more experienced receivers getting injured and losing TD Mitchell Evans a few weeks ago. But I don't think he met the standard. Special teams coach Marty Biagi didn't have the success of his predecessor, Brian Mason, but there are things he did that I really like.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric, first let me say Happy Thanksgiving to you and all the Hansen family. Also, I will say on behalf of all of the other Chatters that we are thankful for these chats and your insight, information and great questions at the press conferences. Question: it seems that usually ND's bowl opponent is ranked higher than we are. Given the likely opponents of Ole Miss or LSU how do you think we would match up against them?? Early signing day is about a month away. Are you or Tyler keeping your eyes on any particular surprises, good or bad, that may happen between now and then? Go Irish!!!!
Eric Hansen: Tom. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. And it was great to have at least a virtual meeting during the Atlanta club's get-together earlier this year. Hope and plan to get to Atlanta in person next year. ... I think LSU and Tennessee are the most likely opponents I'm hearing for the ReliaQuest Bowl. If it's the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando (actual name, not a euphemism), it'll be a Big 12 team .. Oklahoma, Iowa State, Okie State .. a team like that. But I'll throw in Ole Miss to answer your question. ... If you have a chance, please listen to our podcast. We asked our guest, Ryan Fowler, who covers Alabama, about LSU and Tennessee vs. ND. The Tide played both of those teams and Ole Miss. His pick was that Tennessee is the better matchup for ND. I'm torn. LSU is resoundingly the best offense in the nation .., in total offense, in scoring offense, in pass efficiency. They're 5th in rushing offense, second in third-down efficiency ... and 103rd in total defense. So it's the most intriguing.
Given that Tennessee (No. 27 offense, No. 44 defense) has scored a total of 17 points the past two weeks against Missouri and Georgia, I probably think Tennessee is the team ND matches up better against. Ole Miss is 13th offensively and 65th defensively. ... As far as recruiting, it's looking less and less like there may be 11th-hour additions or subtractions for the 2024 class.
Roger from Peoria: Eric: Happy Thanksgiving 2023 to you and yours. One game remains in the Irish regular season which has seen 3 losses by the Irish. Let's assume the schedule was different and the one game remaining to be played was against OSU, Louisville, or Clemson, and an Irish win would send them to the 4-team playoff. Which of those teams, if any, would you pick for the Irish to play in that final game and why?
Eric Hansen: Happy Thanksgiving, Roger. In your hypothetical all these games weigh equally with the CFP selection committee, as I understand it. With that said, I'd take Clemson. Even though Notre Dame came the closest to beating Ohio State, Clemson is the most flawed team among those three.
Tim from Ozark, Mo: 1. Who are your top theoretical, yet realistic, replacements for Golden and Mickens (assuming both leave for promotion opportunities). 2. Do you hear anything from coaches about the difficulties of succeeding with "someone else's guys"? Back in the day, players stayed, and so did coaches until they found success with "their guys". These days, everything is so fluid it's got to be difficult. 3. How cool would it be to have an offense with a runner like Love, a passer like say...CJ Carr, and someone to catch it like maybe.....Cam Williams??? Wait a minute.....stay tuned…
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim. It is possible that both return ... I'll preface it that way or that one returns and one leaves ... but I'll play your scenario that both leave. Without doing any research or having to do any, I would say Jim Leonhard, who's 41 and currently a senior analyst at Illinois. In his six seasons as Wisconsin's D-coordinator (2017-22), the Badgers in total defense ranked 2-29-4-5-1 and 10. ... 2. NEVER. Brian Kelly did that in 2011 and he almost had a mutiny on his hands. 3. You're right, stay tuned.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, Happy Thanksgiving! Taking into consideration it was the first start for both, what grade would you give Billy Schrauth and Ashton Craig for their play on Saturday? Do you think Craig will be the starter at Center next year? Of the younger players that got in at the end of the game who impressed you the most, and who surprised you the most? I know Stanford is down this year, but somehow, Notre Dame never plays well out there, is there any part of the game where Stanford would have an advantage over Notre Dame? Enjoy your turkey and your family,, thanks for the great insights and for hosting the chat.
Eric Hansen: Marie, if you next week ask me for grades on the side dishes Thursday ... I will happily comply. Given it was their first career starts and Wake Forest was well aware, I'd give them each a B (Craig was more consistent). They were encouraging debuts. ... I think Craig has a chance to be the starting center, but I think there are other options in play. ... There were many more deeper reserves who got in on defense (38 players total) than offense (23). So impressed ... Eli Raridon on offense and Devan Houstan on defense, even though Devan only played 6 snaps. I am not counting the young WRs who have been playing a lot. ... Stanford's biggest advantage? Their marching band potentially plays better defense? Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Bob (Oxnard CA): Happy Thanksgiving week! Greathouse looked faster than he’s been. Do you think he can emerge as a true # 1 receiver down the line? I think I at least underestimated the impact of his hamstring problem on his speed earlier in the year.
Eric Hansen: Happy Thanksgiving, Bob. This is a really good question with a strangely complicated answer, which I will try to simplify to the point maybe of oversimplification. I'm not sure Greathouse will be a No. 1 WR per se, because you may have a whole bunch of young receivers emerging at the same time. So that is not to diminish his ceiling but more to explain the potential around him in his class and in the next class of Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert and Logan Saldate. You're right, the hamstring slowed him down ... so did the move to boundary receiver out of necessity. But it's not all about speed. Of the freshmen WRs in pure straight-line speed -- Jordan Faison, Rico Flores Jr., Braylon James and Jaden Greathouse -- Greathouse is No. 4. But the way he runs routes, used his body to shield the ball, the way he reads defenses and coverages elevates him. Tobias Merriweather is faster than Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie, and yet to this point ... but I do like where Greathouse appears to be headed, as you do.
Matt from DC: A lot has been made of Xavier Watts leading the nation in interceptions…which evokes memories of Brandon Joseph to some extent. Can you compare and contrast their games/skill sets? Joseph seemed to hurt his draft stock by returning for an extra year. Do you think Watts would have more to gain or more to lose by returning to ND?
Eric Hansen: I don't think Brandon Joseph hurt his draft stock by coming to ND and probably would have been best served to return in 2023. What hurt him was his 2021 season at Northwestern after having been an All-American in 2020 as a redshirt freshman. That year he played with future first-round draft choice CB Greg Newsome II. In 2021, he did not. Since you didn't ask what hindered him in 2022, I'll just answer what you did ask. Xavier Watts is way better in the run game and as a tackler. He started behind as a coverage guy and has caught up and passed B Joseph. Joseph is a little taller and longer. I do think Watts would benefit from returning to ND in 2024 but would not blame him if he chose to move on.
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Eric, do the ND coaches have an idea what players aren’t coming back at this point?
Eric Hansen: Yes, they have a pretty good idea of who's staying, who's going and who's on the fence. But there are always surprises.
Rick from Ohio: Do you think Sam Hartman will be drafted or signed as a free agent?
Eric Hansen: He's kind of in that gray area. I would guess someone would like him enough to use a draft pick and I would anticipate he'll stick on someone's roster as a backup next year.
Jonathan from Hideaway, Texas: Eric, hi again! I realize that fan is short for fanatic. But do you think we’ve maybe gone overboard on the criticism of ND’s offensive scheme and play calling? By “we” I certainly mean to include myself. I’ve been as frustrated and bewildered as anybody, I think. But seeing Jaden the Great finally (FINALLY) revert to form last weekend, and seeing Jayden the Junior (sophomore eligibility) still so obviously limited, it got me second guessing myself. Plus, looking at team passer ratings ranks—say that 3 times fast—got me wondering even more: USC #9 (167.21), Alabama #10 (166.78), ND #11 (162.07), Ohio State #12 (161.38). Pretty good company right there. And finally, unlike those other impressive pass-stat teams, ND has maybe played the toughest teams to pass efficiently against: #1 Ohio State (97.71), #6 Clemson (101.00), #24 Duke (120.45), #24 NC State (120.45), #28 Louisville (120.95). What do you think? Have we sold Parker short?
Eric Hansen: Jonathan ... What do they hide in Hideaway, Texas? Sounds mysterious and a place with some good watering holes. ... Great research. Here are some numbers to give back to you. Sam Hartman's stands at 158.8 pass-efficiency rating, third-best single season mark in ND history. The games he was over that mark -- and he was WAY over were Navy, Tennessee State, NC State, Central Michigan and Wake Forest ... so four teams before he started to see a loaded box. His numbers against Ohio St. (140.0), respectable ... 112.2 vs. Duke, 115.6 vs. Louisville, 70.9 vs. Clemson. The year prior against Clemson he fashioned a 234.9. So if those were the numbers for a QB of say a good Group of 5 school like Tulane, you'd say, that's reality. When you have the resources and aspirations of Notre Dame, don't you need to have one of the best offensive coordinators in the country who can at least mitigate those numbers if not transcend them in the big games? Like Al Golden did when facing USC's offense and Caleb Williams this year?
Or Ohio State and Marvin Harrison Jr.? Or a fully healthy Riley Leonard? My assertion is that ND needs an elite coach in that position. It's now Marcus Freeman's job to determine whether Gerad Parker can learn from 2023 and evolve into that kind of play-caller/game-planner in 2024.
Mike-Stillwater Ok: I had a question about coach Parker and his tenure as OC at Notre Dame. Do you believe he would leave on his own, be fired or be demoted back to his TE coaching position? Go Irish ☘️
Eric Hansen: I think all but Option A is possible, as well as none of the above.
Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric. Happy Thanksgiving. Quick question. What do you think is the primary reason Audric Estime was left off of the Doak Walker top 10? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Too much eggnog by the people selecting the top 10? I could see him not making the top five, but top 10 ... wow.
The Beaver. Grand Rapids, MI: Today I am thankful for (1) a University and football team I love and love to follow; (2) a Rivals reporting staff that values their jobs like I value my passion and turns following Notre Dame football into a sports community rather than reading sports news (thank you Eric); and chatters like Marie and Manny and Ced (fromsaginawwholovesnotredameasmcuhasanyone) who make me smile when I see their names even before I read their questions. Eric: name one ND Football experience this year that has been the most rewarding or made you the most thankful to follow and report on this team.
Eric Hansen: Beav' you are more complimentary than Eddie Haskell on his best day! And it's all appreciated! ... That's hard to cut down to one ... On ongoing blessing are these chats and how many people submit questions and really, really good questions that give me story ideas and make me think. ... Gosh, the fact that narrowing this down to a singular moment/facet/event is so difficult says a lot. ... I would say talking to Audric Estimé this summer one-on-one about how he dealt with the death of his mom and how that family rallied around him ... and how while he misses her, he draws incredible strength and inspiration from her and smiles every day and lives life to the fullest ... for both of them.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Eric, the season is nearing an end. I can think of many great plays/series and many disappointing ones. My favorite positives on Offense was the drive to go ahead against Ohio State. Coincidently my biggest downer on D was how that game ended, more the coaching errors than the execution errors. You have heard coaches say to put their players in a position to succeed is their most important purpose. That includes teaching, schemes, practices etc. It had to hurt the staff to know the D had only 10 on the field. The biggest D moments were the entire game against USC. The way the D controlled that offense was special. The biggest Offensive downer was the game plan versus Louisville. I still feel as if ND was tipping their plays or maybe the ex Big 10 Louisville coach was stealing them. What were your Offensive highs/lows and defensive highs/lows? And thanks for hosting.
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Len. I'd say offensive high was lightning-delay hot dogs and the IN-GAME adjustments against NC State we didn't see later in the season when teams got a book on Gerad Parker and the Irish. Offensive low, Clemson. A HUGE missed opportunity. Defensive high ... USC. Masterful. Defensive low? Probably getting pushed around by Clemson's run game and the final series vs. Ohio State.
Jimbo from Hinsdale, Ill.: Hey Eric, with the news that the number 1 lacrosse recruit Matthew Jeffrey is now committed to play both lacrosse and football at ND next year, how do you envision him making an impact? His film shows that he is pretty electric with the ball in his hands in space. I feel like the WR room is quickly becoming stacked with young talent and the competition will bode well for next season’s output (excited to see KK Smith healthy and contributing as well). Thoughts? Bright future ahead.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jimbo. In all candor, you're ahead of me in scouting Matt Jeffery for football. ND has done well with that combo, even in the past when Will Yeatman played TE and lacrosse at ND before transferring out. Some of ND's players have excelled at both sports in high school -- Ian Book and Tyler Buchner and Jack Coan and Jamir Jones to name a few. We'll get more info about his football prowess when we get to football signing day next month. And you're right about KK Smith being included in that group, with him being out all year so far following shoulder surgery. Yes speed and talent upgrades coming at a position group that needed it.
Matt from Strong Island, N.Y.: Thanks for doing this chat on a busy family and travel day—you rule, as usual. I would love to hear your opinion on the renewal of the NBC deal and whether it’s truly competitive. $50 million-ish from NBC + $12 million-ish from the ACC is quite a bit less than the $70 million-and-rising the Big XX schools are taking in. Is the lower deal just the cost of doing business as an independent? Do you think we get anything significant in return from NBC for taking a lower number? Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Eric Hansen: Matt Happy Thanksgiving to you. I'm trying to line up an expert on the TV numbers for our podcast next week so we can comb through the numbers and get a better sense of how that fits in with the dollars the Big Ten and SEC are taking in at the top of the college football food chain. At the very least, these are encouraging figures.
DJ from Fresno: Are there any serious names being mentioned for transfer portal quarterbacks and receivers coming in for 2024?
Eric Hansen: DJ, it becomes serious when the portal actually opens on Dec. 4. Until then it's speculation ... not that Notre Dame isn't doing its due diligence on players it would like to see or expects to see or both in the transfer portal. I'd be willing to answer this in more depth next week, but already we've seen one name that was being floated, Utah QB Cam Rising, announced he's staying at Utah.
Matt from Strong Island, N.Y.: …piggyback on DJ’a question—maybe Stanford’s Ayomanor?
Eric Hansen: Notre Dame had Elic Ayomanor — a wide receiver from Medicine Hat, Canada — in for a visit the summer of 2021 for the '22 class and didn't press for him thereafter. He's a sophomore now, so he's in the yucky territory when it comes to getting transfers through admissions. Maybe a high academic peer would produce a “maybe” instead of a hard “no.” I'm not sure he would be looking around given his success there this year. Unless he is ACC-avoidant.
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: I know Angeli's play has come with the games in hand, but man he has thrown some dimes. Like his poise and I think he could serve as a good stopgap until CJ or Deuce get acclimated. Not to say Kenny can't do it, just haven't seen him. I think the young offensive weapons getting experience and likely some preseason reps with Angelic could be vital, not to mention Schrauth and Craig holding up nicely. Maybe I am overly optimistic (and looking ahead way past two games), but excited about next year. Is it one of those "ahead of schedule seasons like 2012 and 2018? The D seems to have a lot of unknowns next year outside of the secondary. Thoughts?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tony. I think there are reasons for optimism, plenty of them. The biggest unknowns are who's going to be the No. 1 QB? What other key portal pickups might be in store? Who's on the fence who might return (Watts, Cross, Mills, Fisher, for example)? And who will the coordinators be in 2024?
Tom from Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eric, wishing you and all your family a Happy Thanksgiving. Who on the coaching staff could start to feel their seats getting warmer, between now and an anticipated bowl game? Other than Al Golden are there other potential coaches who might depart? Of the guaranteed returning players, pick two you see emerging from the pack for next year. As always, thank you for your work. Go Irish ☘️ 🏈☘️
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, and Happy Thanksgiving. Last offseason, I believe Marcus Freeman said every one of his assistant coaches had at least one offer to go elsewhere, so expect more of that. I think Gerad Parker is the only one who is up for debate in terms of performance, and we don't know yet if Marcus Freeman feels that is justified. He has been publicly supportive. .. Two emerging players next year (who haven't already done so this year like Jeremiyah Love and Rico Flores) ... hmmm Eli Raridon and Jaylen Sneed/Christian Gray.
Jeremy from Goshen, Ind.: Hi Eric, thanks for taking this pre-thanksgiving chat when it could have been an easy excuse not to. I have been reading these chats for years and a long standing theme has been QB play and lack of development. We have blamed lots of different things over the years from recruiting the right talent, coaching, and others. It's always been wait for Jurkovic, wait for Buchner, now we're waiting on Carr and Knight. It bothers me that we have to go back to the portal again for 2024. My question is why isn't Angeli ready to play and play at a high level. He'll have been around for 2.5 years. I don't see Ohio State bring in transfers. Kyle McCord has played and improved as the year has gone on. Why can't ND develop their own talent and get them improving every year? Eventually I don't see how this doesn't hurt recruiting.
Eric Hansen: Jeremy, this is a thoughtful, well-worded question that I'm going to get in one form or another, I'm convinced, every week from now until the Texas A&M game has been played to opener the 2024 season. And I'm going to change a lot of minds here from people who have dug in their heels on this. Let me try to put a little bit different spin on this. So last year was really the first season we got a full blast of the no-waiting transfers and the great impact it had on college football. So let's look at the 13 seasons before that -- 2009 to 2021. In 10 of those seasons a first-year starter was the QB on the national title team. Most often it was NOT a freshman like Trevor Lawrence, but an older player who came up through the system. Cam Newton and Jake Coker were notable transfers as first-year starters (Joe Burrow won the title in his second season at LSU after transferring).
Could Steve Angeli be ready? Yes, it's possible he is. But it's possible he isn't. If he had Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka and Cade Stover to throw to, then the risk is diminished to a large degree. If you look at those national champs who won with first-year starters, there was a larger margin for error because of the teams that surrounded those QBs. There's risk with a portal QB too for ND, but they are more of a known than Angeli, most likely. I would venture to guess had DJ Brown held onto the near-interception Kyle McCord threw, and Ohio State went on to lose to Michigan because of the disparity at QB, there would/will be Buckeye fans who will say Ryan Day should have gone to the portal.
Eric Hansen: OK, I am out of time. I am loaded up for the rest of the day with assignments, including covering MBB tonight. Thanks for all the great questions. Thanks for putting up with my "dad" jokes, as my grandkids call them. We WILL be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
P.S. Tom from Sister Lakes, great question ... just couldn't do it off the top of my head. Will have an answer for you next week if you resubmit it.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @cbowles01.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports