Chat Transcript: Probing portal perplexities and Notre Dame's fit long term
Eric Hansen: Welcome to the post-bowl announcement/transfer portal frenzy rendition 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. And we’ll roll right through bowl season on a weekly basis. 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. We’re also partnering with WSBT-TV this season, including collaborating on highlights and analysis. We’ll have some collaborative content with them next week after the bowl announcement and on Game Day before the Sun Bowl.
► On this week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast, Tyler James and I tapped WSBT-TV sports director Pete Byrne to discuss the tsunami of Irish football happenings. The topics included the decision to fire wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, transfer turnover at the wide receiver position, an evaluation of ND's offensive issues, the potential of bringing in transfer QB Riley Leonard, the ND program’s progress under head coach Marcus Freeman, how the Irish should feel about landing in the Sun Bowl, Byrne’s background as a Notre Dame graduate and student manager 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, we’re rolling into bowl season at WSBT radio 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. With Darin on vacation, we are off 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 next pregame show will be on the day of Notre Dame’s Sun Bowl game. You can download episodes as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat, PLEASE include your name and hometown with your question(s).
I don't mind a little commentary, but when it overwhelms your question and forces me to up my caffeine intake, I usually pass on those. Just a tip.
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: The "no gambling" rule has been rescinded this week.
Off we go.
Terry from Chicago: Eric do you feel the current transfer portal rules need revision in order to not encourage roster turnover quite as much and disincentive players to jump ship frivolously/minimize transfer availability without valid cause? I feel the current format is making CFB into NFL junior and robbing the college game of much of its charm and character. What are your thoughts? Perhaps I am yelling at the clouds on this one but curious to hear your stance.
Eric Hansen: Hi Terry. You are, in essence, telling the neighborhood kids to get off your lawn, and you have a lot of company in doing so. It's unsettling for people who love the dynamic of college football as they knew it for so many decades (or months if you're way younger than me). I think the old rule was best for everybody — one year to sit out unless you were a grad transfer or had some pretty extreme circumstances. The problem became, if you had a good lawyer, you could get around the rule ... and the NCAA was tired of losing in court. So the transfer rule changed.
And more changes appear to be on the way. This story from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports details what may be next ... NCAA president Charlie Baker is proposing the creation of an FBS subdivision that permits schools to directly compensate athletes thru a trust fund & NIL, sources tell @YahooSports ... So I don't think it's possible to go back to the way it was. I do think most of the top-tier schools, including Notre Dame, will try to use the transfer portal to plug holes and not to build a foundation.
Those who disagree with your view will argue college football drew more eyeballs in 2023 than it ever has. But that doesn't mean the charm and character won't eventually change and also change the interest level. We'll see. The very reason I pursued covering college sports out of college was because I loved the college sports dynamics and didn't have interest at all in covering pro sports (though I briefly did at one point). What I can say is there may be schools that are successful with perpetuating the part of college football you like. I just think those concepts may be less universal, from school to school, moving forward.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you’re holding up during these crazy portal times. At least the portal has become a little friendlier to Notre Dame this week. What is the maximum number of wide receivers Notre Dame will take from the portal? If you had to choose between Beaux Collins, and Josh Kelly, who would you choose and why? If for some reason Riley Leonard does not end up at Notre Dame, which other quarterbacks in the portal do you think Notre Dame would seriously pursue? Finally, who are you picking to win the national championship? As always, thanks for all the great insights and for hosting the chat. One final question, do you think Brian Kelly is relieved He is not playing Notre Dame in a bowl game and instead playing a terrible Wisconsin team or do you think he would’ve welcomed the chance to play Notre Dame?
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. I am holding up great. And thanks for asking such fun questions. Let's do these one at a time. ... I think Notre Dame would like to be at 10-11 WRs for 2024. They've lost four to the portal at this point and will lose Matt Salerno to expired eligibility. They bring in three freshman and retain five. So 2-3 makes the most sense given the four portal losses and a potential multi-year starter in Rico Flores Dr. being one of them. I think it's possible ND takes both Beaux Collins of Clemson and Josh Kelly of Washington State to go along with transfer commit Kris Mitchell of FIU.
If I had to choose between Collins and Kelly, I'd take Kelly, because he gives you more separation on routes and can stretch the defense. Collins would be a tall, possession receiver. ... Not going to go down the alternative QB path yet, because I think Riley Leonard will end up at Notre Dame after his visit. If it doesn't happen, I'll be happy to explore the alternatives. ... As far as the national title, I'm picking a dark horse, the team I've been voting No. 1 most of the season -- Washington over Alabama in the title game.
What I can say about the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup that could have been between Notre Dame and LSU had the football gods not interfered and made it impossible, the best way to frame how LSU would have felt about it ... it would have been a circus and they have incredible respect for Notre Dame's defense, ranked 8th nationally in total defense and scoring defense. So they're not sad about not playing against the best defense statistically they would have seen all year.
Related Content
► Notre Dame football adds grad transfer commitment from FIU WR Kris Mitchell
► What you should know about Notre Dame's mid-week transfer portal visitors
► What's next in the compelling journey of Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts?
► Notre Dame football commit Styles Prescod receives four-star rating
► Notre Dame Football Transfer Tracker for 2023-24 offseason
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Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric. Has there ever been a player opt out of playing in the bowl championship series? I ask this to preface my next question. With the 12 team system coming next year, do you think portal transfers and bowl opt outs will diminish with an extra 8 teams added? Do you see most if not all the players staying with the team at least through the playoffs? I realize players may transfer on the later date. Hope this makes sense. Thanks and Go Irish!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. I think you mean the College Football Playoff and not the BCS, that died after the 2013 season? Off the top of my head, the only player I can think of was Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He got hurt in the ND game to open the 2022 season and only played in three games that year. The eventual first-round draft pick was healthy enough to play for Ohio State in the playoff last year, but chose not to come back. So technically he didn't opt out, he decided not to opt back in. It's difficult for me to project how that dynamic will play out in a 12-team playoff, but my sense is that few if any players would opt out of a playoff game. The timing of the transfer portal window makes me less sure of that projection.
Norris from Singer Island, Fla.: Let me play devil’s advocate with three questions. First, even if ND had beaten Ohio State, beaten Louisville, and beaten Clemson, regarding this year’s CFP, would they not be in the same position as FSU now find itself? Second, if ND goes 10-2 in 2024, with such a mediocre strength of schedule, would they not still find themselves outside looking in, at a12 team CFP? Third, with the administrative changing of the guard, has the time not come for ND to give up being an independent and living in a world of nostalgia? If FSU, Miami and Clemson leave the ACC, that conference would be no better than the MAC and the remaining AAC teams would be the bulk of the ND schedule. The time to join the Big Ten has come, allowing ND to play quality opponents on a regular basis to build their résumé, and even have the opportunity of playing a spotlight game at season’s end for the BIG 10 conference championship.
Eric Hansen: Hi Norris/DA. To your first question, I think ND is in the playoff at 12-0. Remember the committee said the reason for excluding FSU was QB Jordan Travis' injury, not the Seminoles' overall résumé. The Irish would have a win over Ohio State in that scenario. ... ND's schedule on paper in 2024 looks weaker than this year's but there are always surprises in teams being stronger and weaker on the schedule. I think it matters when those losses came and to whom. If they lost two November games, to Florida State and USC, it makes it difficult to see them in the field unless those two teams are top 5 and those were very competitive games with maybe key players missing with injuries.
Norris, I have been hearing the "Notre Dame needs to join a conference" drum since the Gerry Faust days, in some stretches louder than others, and I've become numb to it. They've done studies on it and had referendums, and I don't think it's about nostalgia. I think it's about identity and control, which is important to Notre Dame. And so is winning. For decades, the three pillars that held up Notre Dame's desire to remain a football independent have been:
1. Access to play for a national championship. 2. A national TV contract that brings them exposure and a revenue stream that keeps them competitive for assistant coaches, facilities, recruiting budgets, etc. 3. They have a place to house their other teams -- MBB, WBB and the Olympic sports. If any of those three pillars are threatened, Notre Dame would need to strongly consider changing its stance. The one that seemingly was threatened and now solved is the NBC extension through 2029. Are the numbers going to be competitive over the long terms with the SEC and Big Ten? If not, THAT is the reason to consider joining a conference.
Ryan from Mars, Pa.: Good afternoon, Eric. With Xavier winning the Nagurski Trophy and saying he’s playing in the bowl game, does he come back next year? And are you surprised we didn’t make a different bowl? Go Irish ☘️☘️🏈🏈
Eric Hansen: Ryan, you packed a lot of interesting stuff in a very short question. After talking to Xavier Watts last night in a Zoom call, he's strongly considering coming back. Hasn't made up his mind, but you can read all about it here: What's next in the compelling journey of Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts? It would not surprise me if he did come back to ND in 2024. Yes, I am surprised that ND didn't end up in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. According to a source, the Pop-Tarts Bowl was surprised too. But let me say this, ND ended up in a city (El Paso) that loves the Irish. They're playing a ranked opponent in Oregon State with a really good defense and no or few opt-outs on that side of the ball. The game sold out in one day. Obviously, the ReliaQuest Bowl vs. LSU would have been so much fun, but Alabama upsetting Georgia tripped a domino that pushed ND or an ACC team out of that bowl and required a Big Ten team to fill that spot.
Steve from Kenosha, Wis.: As a journalist, and a Hall of Fame one at that, how do you navigate the waters of reporting on a story and responding to rumors? In an era of rampant speculations and a notorious lack of credible fact checking, how do you respect your sources and balance responses to subscribers who have an insatiable need for both a confirmation of these rumors and a need for information that hasn’t been deemed ready for publication?
Eric Hansen: I never like when coaches give me a word salad or dodge my questions all together, so it would be unfair of me to do the same with such a thoughtful one, even though it’s complicated. So here goes. The sports news ecosystem has become a much more diverse cauldron of different backgrounds, standards, expectations, accountability practices, sourcing dynamics and, sadly, truth/accuracy. And it’s not necessarily a melting pot. Let me start off by saying, I’m lucky to be in the Notre Dame section of it. There are so many people on our beat with impressive talent and integrity, which I not only respect, I’m grateful for the competition because it makes me better.
I started with a very simple goal in this business four decades ago, and that was to be better today than I was yesterday. This is a topic that I could really expand on, but let me stay very specific to what you asked. The biggest transition for me in moving away from newspapers for 40 years — 33 ⅓ at the South Bend Tribune — was that not only were there no guardrails in place for me that we had to live by in that world, there was a demand from some readers to cross lines I wasn’t comfortable crossing. And because there were other websites that played by different rules — some of them very much within ethical and irreproachable lines and some decidedly not — there was a request by some to change and urgency from others to no. So, I found middle ground. If I could present information that was well-sourced, reliable and didn’t compromise my standards or my sources, I’d present it before I had a story written behind a paywall in message board form.
And if I couldn’t meet that threshold, I’d live with the consequences of people beefing about reporting elsewhere over incidents that sometimes had not yet happened or were patently false. Because if you give away your credibility, you really have nothing worth offering people. And then I’d be breaking the promise I made to myself about trying to get better each day in every way. So, now I can give you the sausage and, to an extent, how the sausage was made. But I’m not going to compromise on what I believe sports journalism should still be. And I know on this Notre Dame beat, I’m far from being alone in that.
A postscript to that ... I have to do it in chat as well. There is a rumor that is so ridiculously false that if I pulled it up and labeled it as such, I'd be helping to give it credibility. So I'm going to pass. I don't mind clarifying rumors when it warrants that, but this one is so outrageous, it's unfair to even give it life.
Kerry from Irving, Texas: If you were to compare Notre Dame's 2023 football season to a Christmas gift, what would it be? Feel free to include or exclude the bowl game invite as part of the answer.
Eric Hansen: Hi Kerry. Well definitely not fruit cake, although it probably felt like that for some right after the Clemson loss. I'd say a Chia Pet. Definitely fun, but a missed opportunity. But isn't it the thought that counts?
Steve from Brooklyn, Mich.: Great responses. Always enjoy week in and week out. There is an AT&T commercial airing during many of the college football games that show their advancing technology being used in football games for deaf schools. If a college for the deaf can use optical readouts that show the play call being sent in from the coach to the quarterback, then what stops the non-deaf schools from sending in plays similarly to what the NFL is doing now. Seems like there has been one exception already made for deaf schools and this would eliminate the need to steal signs. Thoughts?
Eric Hansen: Hi Steve. This came up with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden a few weeks ago. Golden has spent the last six years as an NFL assistant before coming to ND in 2022, and he's a huge advocate of the direct helmet communication system they use in the NFL. So, yes, it's time. And thanks for the compliment.
Scubatvt56: Jametown TN Eric when your live chat starts please give us an up to date list of Notre Dame players opting out of the bowl game and our opponents up to date list as well. Thanks
Eric Hansen: Here are the Sun Bowl opt-outs so far for Notre Dame and Oregon State, unrelated to injuries, as of late Wednesday afternoon:
OREGON STATE
QB DJ Uiagalelei
QB Aidan Chiles
WR Anthony Gould
RB Damien Martinez
OT Taliese Fuaga
DB Jermod McCoy
NOTRE DAME
WR Tobias Merriweather
WR Rico Flores Jr.
WR Chris Tyree
WR Braylon James
C Zeke Correll
TE Holden Staes
NG Aidan Keanaaina
DE Nana Osafo-Mensah
LB Marist Liufau
CB Ryan Barnes
S Antonio Carter II
S Ramon Henderson
Manny in San Pedro: Eric!!!! Any truth to the rumor you have eligibility to play wr in the bowl game?!? Is this just ab NIL world now and we should expect starters to regularly transfer or is this because of WR coaching change?
Eric Hansen: Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are all kinds of variations of this Chansi Stuckey and the wide receivers question, but none of them had the foresight to include me as a WR option for the Sun Bowl, as yours did. So thank you for that twisted but awesome thought. What draws players into the transfer portal isn't universal at all. There are all kinds of reasons, and they vary from school to school, position group to position group and even within a position group at ND. NIL does power some of those transfers. Or it helps in splitting hairs and making a decision. Or it could be a non-factor in the decision-making. With ND's receivers, there was not unanimity in why they left. The primary reason Chris Tyree moved on was to get a chance to be a featured player at Virginia. He only played 35 percent of the offensive snaps last year and likely would have to rotate with Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison and incoming freshman Logan Saldate next season -- all ascending players.
Tobias Merriweather and Braylon James reportedly had issues with Stuckey but not for all the same reasons. When he was purged, Rico Flores Jr., had issues with the change ... big Stuckey supporter, so ... even as you look at the entire outgoing transfer contingent to date at ND, some players were not INVITED to return. So, all kinds of motivations. ... I only used my skills (limited as they might be) in college to play intramural football, so I'm pretty confident I have eligibility left.
Tom from Golden Beach, Fla.: Two questions: (1) With the 12-team playoff structure, do you think there is more incentive now for ND to schedule weaker opponents to guarantee a good record and therefore a spot in the playoff field? No matter how strong the schedule, they can never earn a bye. Also, without a third loss this year, ND likely would have made a 12-team playoff this year. (2) In our new transfer portal world, does it make sense to intentionally limit or even end traditional freshman recruitment for some positions (esp special teams)? For instance, it seems like you can find a pretty decent placekicker each year via the portal. However, if you recruit a PK out of high school, there is a decent chance of a bust that will lock up a scholarship for years to come.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, two really interesting ones there ... 1. Keep in mind, ND is scheduled out way into the next decade (even if it's not on paper), with not a lot of holes to fill. I wouldn't try to water it down too much. You still have to sell tickets and playing a tough schedule gives you more margin for error with the committee if you end up 10-2, both for seeing and inclusion. Much better to host a December playoff game, don't you think? 2. Yes, special teams coach Marty Biagi said as much last month during a media session I was sitting in on that getting a kicker out of the portal (and likely punters once Bryce McFerson is done), makes more sense than taking a chance on a high school kicker.
Here is his quote that I used in a story from that conversation:
“I think you'll see more and more of it,” Notre Dame special teams coach Marti Biagi said earlier this week of Power 5 teams largely recruiting proven grad transfers over high school prospects at the kicker position.“We only get one. If we had two to three kicking scholarships, two to three punters, you're like, ‘OK, we can work on this one, but we know we have this guy.’ But when you're trying to get [just[ one, then there can't be a big margin of error.
“ I don't think it's ever an option that we're not going to look at high school kids. So in general, that's the great part about having camps in the summer. If anybody does catch your eye, then you're able to see it. But I would say the hardest part for us is trying to go see kickers play in their element in high school. It's just really hard to grasp that.
“Anybody can come and in a one day camp really perform, but you're trying to say 'OK, is this who I'm really putting my eggs in a basket for?' … You get film, and it's hard. You hate it. I was a kicker and you hate it, because 7-for-10 [on field goals] in high school, you don't know.
“Was it because of the hold? There's so many little things and you're like, ‘OK, the film is good in college.’ You can see it, so [taking a transfer] definitely makes sense.”
Chris in Albuquerque, N.M.: The chia pet is freakin hilarious! Well done.
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Chris. Are you going to the Sun Bowl?
Cederick Walker from Saginaw, Mich.: Any word on tight end carter nelson will flip to notre dame and if sam hartman don’t play in the bowl game who starting qb here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us.
Eric Hansen: Hi Ced. TE Carter Nelson seems very firm in his commitment to Nebraska. And with Holden Staes in the portal, ND might add a transfer TE now ... we'll see. As of this moment, if Sam Hartman doesn't play in the Sun Bowl, it would be Steve Angeli ... BUT if Riley Leonard commits to ND by the weekend, does Angeli think about the portal, leaving Kenny Minchey to start. These kind of answers don't age well ... so stay tuned.
Shaun from Boston: What have you heard on Minchey’s season behind the scenes? Do you anticipate he will get any snaps in the bowl game? What does his future at ND look like? Thank you!
Eric Hansen: Hi Shaun, let me tease this out a bit. As I just mentioned, there is a weird scenario that could have both Oregon State playing talented but No. 3 QBs in the Sun Bowl. The Beavers are already there with Ben Gulbranson. Putting that aside, the buzz I heard about Minchey's development was very positive and encouraging. Irish DC Al Golden, for instance, was effusive in his praise of Minchey when the ND No. 1 defense had to face him in practice leading up to the Oct. 14 USC game. Golden felt he prepared them well for facing 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
Angeli really impressed as well, and I know how talented CJ Carr is. And so, if Angeli stays, it's not automatic he'd be the frontrunner to be ND's QB in 2025, because it could just as easily be Minchey or Carr (I always have to now put "if they all stay"). He really intrigues me. Super smart. Wide skill set. Another stay tuned.
Chris in Albuquerque, N.M.: Yes sir we bought up 11 seats, and three families are going. Scratch that a fourth family friend is going down. We will have to meet for a couple adult beverages if you are making it down as well.
Eric Hansen: Awesome Chris, thanks for the update.
John from Elkhorn, Neb.: Hey Eric: Hope you get to head to the Sun Bowl - interesting matchup. What do you think is the reason for Jerome Bettis Jr. not declaring yet? Hope he ends up at ND.
Eric Hansen: Hi John. This still feels like he'll eventually end up at ND. Tyler James put in a FutureCast in late September and hasn't changed that. He doesn't have the bandwidth today for me to do a phone-a-friend, but my sense is Bettis still wants to enjoy the process a bit, being in the 2025 class. I don't think there is a threat to ND in this eventually going their way. But recruiting is recruiting.
Lorne from Reno, Nev.: Hello, Eric, and I wish you well this week – I suspect the mailbag is full and rant-y today, and I’m afraid I’m no exception. Let’s see. Schools from Berkeley and Palo Alto, CA, are playing in the ATLANTIC COAST Conference next year. An undefeated Power 5 champ is not in the 4-team playoff (karma 30 years after ND 31, National Champs 24?). The Pac-12 has its best season in years…and disbands. Four of our receivers hit the portal (agree with CMF: thanks Chris and good luck - I’ll never forget Soldier Field and the Wisconsin game you turned around - but Rico?). The portal and NFL opt-outs for top players make most bowls even more silly than usual. And though technically prohibited, buying recruits is now, in practice, virtually sanctioned. What has happened to the game we love and (yes, there’s a question coming) is there any hope for sanity in conference alignment, bowls, NIL and transfers? Or any of them?
Eric Hansen: Hi Lorne. It depends on what your definition of sanity is. The NCAA losing in the courts time after time meant change was inevitable. Their inertia when it came to being actively involved in shaping that changed was a terrible missed opportunity. I still don't know what former NCAA president Mark Emmert did to justify a paycheck. It's a lot all at once. The one thing I think you can feel good about is that Marcus Freeman has done a good job of dealing with those changes. While he's had growing pains in other areas, this has not been one of them.
Arnie from Hinsdale ,IL: Hi Eric-- to you knowledge, is ND actively trying to re-recruit any of its 2023 players that have entered the portal?
Eric Hansen: Hi Arnie. I think if there were a change of heart, there would be some who would be welcomed back... but I think they put in a lot of work to convince them not to enter the portal in the first place. I am not optimistic there will be any U-turns.
Joe H from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hi Eric. A Crazy up and down season ending in an improbable bowl game seems fitting I wonder what you see is in store for us three or four years down the road with college football in its current Wild West state With ND stated purpose of admitting football players to be students first and graduate in 4 or 5 years do you think we can navigate that landscape while being successful on the field and not betraying our principles.
Eric Hansen: OK Joe. If you are going to ask me questions that require clairvoyance, I'm going to need to up my fees. ... I think Notre Dame is at a critical juncture with this, and the new leadership is going to have to weigh in on those decisions. But I do like the start Marcus Freeman has gotten Notre Dame off on in trying to stay in step with the change while marrying that to ND's principles and mission. So far, so good, with a lot of change to come.
Brian from Atlanta, Any thoughts on the return of Tyler Buchner to ND as a LAX player? Via the transfer portal, no less. I hope that this time, his playing career at ND works out.
Eric Hansen: Hi Brian, what we're hearing is that Buchner to ND is trending but not done ... to play lacrosse in spring semester ... which is hardly a stretch. He's really good and so are the defending national champs. Think about it, he missed one semester at Alabama, can come back and get his ND degree, maybe by summer. That would give him some options --- in life and in sports. ... Continue to play lacrosse, go into life with an ND degree, and/or play football at ND or somewhere else in 2024 without having to sit out a year as a result of a second undergrad transfer. Smart kid. Sister is at ND, and his parents have a place here.
OscarG from Downers Grove, Ill.: Is a player's NIL money affected by opting out of a bowl game?
Eric Hansen: It can be, yes. Not all of those arrangements are universal, but there are scenarios in which a player opting out would mean giving money back. On the other side of things, the Duke's Mayo Bowl is leading the way in trying to financially incentivize playing in a bowl game beyond the existing NIL incentives, which may or may not exist depending on the individual. ... OK now even my head hurts. I hope that was clear.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric, and thanks for hosting. Looking forward to you and the staff giving us a better understanding of the motives of the players that transferred. Was it coaching, NIL, playing time or something else. For now, a question on MF and Jim Harbaugh. Michigan stayed with Harbaugh for many seasons despite his teams continuing to lose to Ohio State, sometimes losing badly, and not making the CFP. Now Michigan had made the CFP three years in a row. IMO their talent level is similar to ND but behind Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State. Coach Harbaugh has a track record at Stanford and in the NFL. Coach Freeman does not have such a record. The College football landscape keeps changing and it is hard to predict. Based upon the current landscape I believe Coach Freeman will lead the ND team to CFP success in the future. If it takes as long as Coach Harbaugh to get there, will ND wait and keep coach Freeman? I would appreciate your thoughts on this.
Eric Hansen: Hi Len, I have a hard time squaring the Harbaugh comparison and the fact the playoff format is changing to trying to how I think you want me to answer this question. So let me try to attack it a couple of different ways. If we were still talking about a four-team playoff format into perpetuity and it took Marcus Freeman until year 7 to get there and all six of the season leading up to that included three or more losses with a losing record in year 6? No, I would say the ND administration would NOT be on board with that. Now let's put in the current parameters of a 12-team playoff and take Michigan out of this …
Keep in mind that as of next season, the two people who took a leap of faith in hiring Marcus Freeman -- president Rev. John Jenkins and AD Jack Swarbrick -- will no longer be doing those evals and making those decisions. That doesn't portend bad things for Freeman, but losing that loyalty investment tends not to be insignificant. I think the expectation is that Freeman shows progress, that he regularly competes for a playoff spot and that there not be coaching regression or poor assistant coach hirings that bleed into the bottom line or recruiting once we get past year 3. I still like Freeman's chances of living up to all that, but this offseason and next season are very key in that equation.
Gene from New York: Hi Eric, Thanks as always for the great coverage, particularly during the more trying times! All the turmoil around coaching changes or lack thereof has been frustrating and a cause for concern. On the one hand, ND finally had a WR coach that could bring in an apparent higher level of talent. . . who gets fired and seemingly precipitates an exodus of half the freshmen he brought in. Or, were the coaches aware of the imminent move and did that help bring on the firing? On the other hand, a vote of confidence for the OC, which has to have everyone scratching their heads. Did Coach Freeman get a special dispensation where ND won’t have to play any Top 50 defenses, or by extending one career is he potentially shortening his own?
Eric Hansen: Gene, if a train is traveling east at 52.4 miles an hour and needs to deliver a crate of oranges by midnight on the first full moon of the fifth month after leap year ... OK, we're even. And I am kidding you ... unless you're drinking or have bare feet. ... This is a lot to unpack and it doesn't feel like multiple choice. What I think you are trying to ask me is did Marcus Freeman fire the right offensive coach? And could getting that answer wrong cost Marcus down the line? Let me answer the second part of that first. Yes. It could. We saw it with Brian Kelly and Brian VanGorder. ... and then he hits on three great DC hires in a row after that in Mike Elko, Clark Lea and Marcus Freeman, now all Power 5 head coaches. To your first question, Marcus Freeman must see something in Gerad Parker that leads him to believe he will grow into an elite play caller and quickly. But from where I sit, I think it would have been easier to explain/justify a change at OC than at wide receivers coach.
Marcus may be right .. and I've seen parallel situations happen like that before. I don't think Parker's learning arc is all that unusual for an inexperienced OC. But it needs to be extraordinarily productive in 2024 ... not typical -- to make that decision work.
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Hey Eric. Great reporting as always. This week was the first time really diving into the insider lounge forums, and it was an experience for sure. Anyway, I know this doesn't really matter anymore, but does anyone outside of Jim Phillips (who has not been happy with the ND - ACC arrangement since he took over) know why Notre Dame was locked out of the CheezIt and Gator (I think) bowl? Or as a yahoo article said NC state and Clemson had to be chosen for two of those three? All the reporting has been "matter of fact" but previously to selections there seemed to be no "fact". Also any idea of FIU transfer Mitchell's skill set will translate to Power 5?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tony, thanks for subscribing and thanks for withstanding the culture shock. I will say this, I think the people on our message boards, by and large, are the most astute, least interested in rumors and name-calling, and fun to talk to that I've seen on any message boards. So we are lucky. .... There is still a lot of smoke about why Notre Dame didn't end up in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which used to be the Cheez-It Bowl and 10 other incarnations, two of which ND played in previously. There may have been more than one Yahoo article, but I'll accept your representation of it .. and in that case, that is not what happened. I have a source who said the Pop-Tarts Bowl was convinced they would get ND to the point they scheduled a Zoom conference (but didn't announce it) with Marcus Freeman for that late Sunday afternoon. And so ND was excluded from that tier of bowls (which included the Gator and Holiday). Now those two didn't make much sense anyway. USC in the Holiday would have been a rematch.
The Irish played in the Gator last season ... So they, Miami and North Carolina dropped into the next tier of the Sun, Pinstripe, Duke's Mayo ... and then it went to a drawing out of the hat, and the Sun Bowl won the drawing and got first pick. ... I think it's easier to project from Group of 5 to Power 5 at WR than it is from FCS to Power 5. He does have elite speed. The other thing you like, the one Power 5 team he did go up against, Arkansas, he caught 6 for 157 yards.
Eric Hansen: Ok, typically this is when I have to bow out to get ready for my next assignment ... but I don't have radio today, so we'll press on for a bit.
Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning Eric! With the transfer portal going full bore, I want to get your perspective on non-grad transfers. IMO, a process by ND that is careful and consistent is critical, but adding slow to the equation helps no one. ND has Collins from Clemson and Leonard from Duke visiting this week, and both are juniors and will not have degrees before transferring. Are both academically approved by the ND administration if they decide to transfer? If yes, isn’t this significant (in process and speed) if not precedent-creating for football undergrad transfers? HCMF indicated a couple weeks ago that there was progress with admins and deans making transfer eligibility decisions faster, so is the Collins/Leonard situation proof of this (albeit a tiny sample size)? Thanks, go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Jeff. .. yes here is the article you reference that I wrote after asking Marcus Freeman that question in a Zoom: Notebook: Is Notre Dame's portal policy becoming more transfer-friendly? And yes, in a small sample size, I think that would be a sign that progress is happening, backing Freeman's comments in the story. It's one thing for a transfer coming from Duke ... and not disparaging Clemson, but that's a different situation when it comes to transferring credits, even with the fact Collins was someone ND recruited out of high school and admission accepted. ... Again small sample size but, I believe, significant.
Rui from Ossining, NY: Good day Eric...Happy holidays to you and your family...in college basketball, we are starting to see many teams hire position of "General Manager", whom are responsible for NIL opportunities for the program/players...are we also seeing alot of that in college football, and if so, does Notre Dame football program have a "general manager "?
Eric Hansen: Happy Holidays, Rui. Yes, Notre Dame hired Butler Benton in April to be Notre Dame's assistant AD for player personnel. Dave Peloquin, who had some of those duties previously, took a new position with his dutiies including boosting Notre Dame’s name, image and likeness (NIL) efforts as assistant athletic director for football strategic initiatives. … Benton’s duties include and affect the areas of recruiting and evaluating, monitoring the transfer portal, and managing and developing the current roster.
Mike from Rochester NY: Hi, Eric, just finished listening to this week’s podcast, another great one. Following up on the description of boundary/field/slot receivers, I’m assuming that Colzie and Thomas will be back at boundary for the bowl game and Salerno will be available at the slot. Do either Greathouse or Faison or both move to field receiver for the bowl? Might Jeremyah (sp?) Love move to field receiver for a few snaps in the bowl? Or someone else?
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike ... glad you liked it and thanks for listening. So if all six WRs really are healthy and available, I think Faison and Greathouse play in the slot, Colzie plays into the boundary, KK Smith backs up at the field position. I think you can move Jayden Thomas around to either outside position and probably would do the same with Salerno.
Don in Scottsdale: Eric, another year of great coverage and another year of the old saying for the Brooklyn Dodgers when they lost to the Yankees; "Wait until next year" , The Tony the Tiger Bowl allows ND to have extra practices, play some younger guys, gets bowl swag to the players and may get some bonuses for the coaches it they get to 10 wins. Is there anything else? Even if Angeli plays lights out Riley is coming and even though there will be an open competition the thumb is on the scale for him to start. I’d imagine the only real winner in this is the Sun Bowl. My question, since the top 4 teams, 12 next year, are already named, what can the non New Year bowls and the NCAA do to make these games somewhat meaningful?
Eric Hansen: Hi Don, and thanks ... and you nailed what's in it for Notre Dame to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. ... I alluded to this before, the Duke's Mayo Bowl is trying to set a template for there to be financial incentives ... beyond Best Buy Gift cards and gear, etc., to play in those bowls. And I think it's going to take real creativity to slow or stop the crawl toward extinction for those games. Next year will be a good litmus test.
Tom Kennesaw, GA: Hi Eric, I am sure you are loaded with portal questions. Do you think that one of the reasons so many seemingly established players are leaving top programs is the ability to negotiate higher NIL deal$$$?? Also, any behind the scenes info on Blake Fisher's staying?? Finally, are any of the WR's ND is looking at have top-end speed skill set like Flores and Tyree?? Thanks as always!!! Go Irish!! … One more … how close are Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard? Respected rivals? or texting friends? Also, do you think Hartman's positive experience at ND, not only for him but his entire family, will have any influence on Leonard's decision? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: There is no question that drives the decisions/motivations of some players around the country. I don't think that's the determining factor with the outgoing ND players, by and large. .. .As far as Blake Fisher, I've heard rumors both ways and I can see both sides. So last week when I knew Tobias was teetering, I thought with Stuckey gone, there was a slightly better chance he'd decide to stay ... and I did not read that well. So with the no-gambling rule lifted this week, you can bet against me ... but the louder buzz I am hearing is that Fisher will go pro and not be back at ND in 2024. ... Hartman and Leonard have a relationship and yes I think that helps ND.
Mike from Baton Rouge, La.: Eric, maybe a little early, but any concern with HCMF continually going to the Cincy well? If he remains successful at ND, he’ll hire a lot of assistants. Does he need to learn how to assess coaches he doesn’t already know? Also, not that he can do anything, but does Luke Fickell (any HC) get sick of that? And bonus, b/c I couldn’t figure out where else to ask: when a ball carrier scores from a half yard out, do they get a yard? Have not seen decimals except in averages. Thanks for another great year of NDFB coverage!
Eric Hansen: Hey Mike. ... and thank you. ... I think the post-2016 purge on Brian Kelly's staff set too strong of a narrative about hiring assistants with whom you have some history with and good experiences with as something to be universally avoided. I don't think it's a one-size-fits-all narrative. Some of those are astute moves. Some would not be. It depends on the individual. But when you have a history, you do take some of the "bad surprise" risk out of it theoretically. I think a good rule of thumb is to consider: is this one of the best assistants at his position now or with the potential to get there on my staff? If the answer is yes, then it doesn't matter whether you have a personal history, as long as he is a Notre Dame fit. ... And if a player scored from the half-yard line, it's a 1-yard run. In stat-keeping, if it's on the 1-inch line, the stat book will say that's the 1. So no fractions to mess with. Thank God.
John from Scottsdale: Based on your observations, what do you put as the probability of the ND offense improving significantly in year 2 under Parker vs. no change or regression that leads to a new coordinator in 2025.
Eric Hansen: I think Gerad Parker is a very good idea guy. I'm not sure he's a fixer and I'm not sure the pressure/spotlight of trying to develop that skill at Notre Dame won't slow down of developing that skill that could have accelerated perhaps elsewhere. Given Marcus' orientation on defense and without a veteran sounding board as an analyst, I think the risk of retaining Parker is greater than the likelihood of this working out. I am not ruling it out, but you asked me where I stand now.
Sean from Portland Ore.: As someone who lives in Oregon and is intimately familiar with *THE* Oregon State University, I'd caution ND fans to not be so overconfident getting caught up with OSU transfers and opt outs. OSU had a better record last year with this same "3rd string QB" than they did this year with DJ, including beating Oregon last year. OSU will have less opt outs at this point, more to prove and play for, and surprisingly a more veteran QB than ND will because I think Hartman will not play. On to the question: Will ND set a program record for most transfers taken in this year? It looks like it could be more than 10! 3WR? 1QB? D-Line? Safety? Kicker? Nickel?
Eric Hansen: Sean, thanks for your insight and for the inside joke. I got it. Wink. In answering your question, there were a record seven scholarship incoming transfers last year, so yes at this juncture, I think that record will be broken. Not obliterated, but broken.
Bill from St Joe: Eric, why did Bama defeating Georgia create the requirement that one or a couple bowls have to pick a Big 10/10+ team.
Eric Hansen: The ReliaQuest Bowl has a weird clause that ties it to the Orange Bowl, and I'm going to simplify this a little (because there were years where the Orange was a national semifinal). So the Orange Bowl pairing this year was: Highest-ranked ACC team not in a playoff vs. the highest-ranked team not in the playoff among the Big Ten, SEC or Notre Dame. Prior to Alabama's upset of Georgia, Ohio State was in line to play in the Orange. The Bama win changed that and sent Georgia to the Orange. The ReliaQuest Bowl was an SEC team vs. ACC/Notre Dame or Big Ten. If the Big Ten is excluded from the Orange Bowl, then the ReliaQuest HAS TO take a Big Ten team. If the Big Ten is in the Orange, then the ReliaQuest could have taken ND or an ACC team. And remember next year this all changes.
Jeff from Schererville, Ind.: Thanks as always for the chats, Eric. As an Andrean alum, I'm curious what you've seen from Drayk Bowen, who is probably the best football player ever at 5959 Broadway. What's his ceiling and how much of an impact should we expect him to have on the defense in 2024 and beyond (or even in the bowl game for that matter).
Eric Hansen: Hi Jeff, and thanks ... Defensive coordinator Al Golden can't say enough good things about him. He'll have a chance to compete to be a starter next year. Impressive athlete who should get more playing time with Liufau opting out, though that doesn't necessarily translate directly to him. Really like where he has a chance to talk his game. It will be interesting to see if baseball ends up being a distraction for him or if he can pull that double off.
Sean from the Garden State: Hi Eric. Most of the players who announced that they would enter the transfer portal did not surprise, especially grads and/or those who did not see a clear path to playing time. In that regard, Rico Flores' announcement was a head scratcher. To a lesser extent, so was Holden Staes' announcement, though he might have seen an ascending Raridon and a hopefully recovered Evans as impediments to playing time in '24. What factors, other than playing time, do you think contributed to their decisions? Also, do you think Howard Cross would be well served by another year in South Bend or should he pursue the next level. Appreciate your insights!
Eric Hansen: Hi Sean, we're getting into lightning-round/wrap-up time, so let me just get to the Howard Cross question ...Have been told that Cross improved his draft equity this season as much as any player on the Notre Dame roster. And yet he AT THIS MOMENT may be more of a lean to return than not, which Notre Dame would be ecstatic about.
Ed from Sayville, N.Y.: Hello Eric and all the best of the season to you and those close to you. If such an award existed I suspect everyone in the chat would help launch a Hansen for Heisman campaign.The Irish did well in the transfer portal this past season getting very solid play from Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Thomas Harper in particular. This in spite of certain limitations ND has with respect to transfer admission policies. I’m curious if you have a feel for the extent to which the final four teams utilized the portal and to what level of success.
Eric Hansen: Ed, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think there are those who probably have an Eric Hansen dartboard as well. ... I think all four are more committed to building and developing their own players but filling needed holes and gaps through the portal. Two have transfer QBs, though both Michael Penix Jr. and Quinn Ewers are in their second seasons at their current schools and not their first. I think those programs would like to stick with that template, but the volume of outgoing transfers may eventually force them to tinker with that approach.
Adam from Dayton, Ohio: Eric, we appreciate you! Marcus Freeman seems to have the defense as a playoff caliber team (with help of Golden, of course). We know he is a tenacious recruiter. Like Meatloaf sang, 2/3 ain't bad. Offense...there are issues. Between talent, Stuckey, and Parker/scheme, what do you think has been the biggest issue? Has Freeman bet his entire ND legacy on Parker, and if so, do you think he best wisely?
Eric Hansen: Hi Adam, there could be a further evaluation after the bowl game on assistant coaches, though that's not a prediction ... just something to keep in mind. I don't think it's fair to say Freeman is betting his ENTIRE ND legacy on Parker, but he is putting himself in a situation with little margin for error if it does not pay dividends in 2024.
Geoff from Placentia, Calif.: Can you explain to me the difference, philosophical or otherwise between opting out of a bowl game vs. regular season games? If you are a first round caliber player, and your mentality is "I know I'm NFL bound and I don't want to get hurt," then once your team is eliminated from playoff contention, why not just opt out of the rest of the season? To be clear, I don't think players *should* opt out. I'm just having trouble seeing why many feel it's palatable to opt out of a "meaningless" bowl game, but not a "meaningless" regular season game. I would argue that for a team with a couple of losses, the bowl game has *more* meaning than the rest of the regular season games.
Eric Hansen: Geoff, I wish I had the time to get into this a little deeper, but I see where you are coming from. And that may be next. After USC started losing in October, I remember there was a college football analyst WHO SUGGESTED Caleb Williams opt out of the regular season. A good topic for another day.
Eric Hansen: OK that's 75 minutes of overtime and now I do need to move on to my next assignment. As promised I will post the current state of opt-outs for the Sun Bowl after I post the rest of the transcript. Just need to make a couple of calls since I have been focusing on you all for the past four hours-plus (and deservedly so). Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do this all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
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