Chat Transcript: Assessing Notre Dame's WRs and Riley Leonard's 'it' factor
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat on a breathtaking spring-esque day here in South Bend, Ind.
Some quick programming notes:
Beginning next week, my spring football reporting commitments begin to conflict with the Wednesday chat window. So we’ll move away from Wednesdays, beginning next week for a while. Typically it will be Thursdays at noon ET during that stretch, but next I need to see the Irish women’s basketball NCAA Tourney schedule before I schedule next week’s chat, so I’ll post something Monday as to time and date.
► 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. We’re back in our normal Monday at 7 ET time slot. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube.
► Tyler James and I are hitting the pause button on the Inside ND Sports Podcast this week due to ND’s spring break, but we’ll be back next week. On our most recent Inside ND Sports Podcast, Tyler and I shared our three biggest takeaways from Thursday's first spring practice at Notre Dame, what glimpses we saw that won't matter and others that will, the impact of ND's staff changes, who the Irish will be without this spring, a scholarship for safety Luke Talich, Devyn Ford's move to safety, confidence in the offensive line 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 in the thick of Notre Dame spring football coverage and discussion at WSBT radio season. And Darin Pritchett and I are together this week on Wednesday and Friday on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 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).
Here are the rules …
Eric Hansen: HOWEVER, because South Bend feels like Florida today, all but the "No Spitting" rule have been rolled back this week. So kick off your shoes, grab a beer and feel free to gamble and fight as long as it's not with me.
Eric Hansen: Off we go ...
Mike from Rockville, Md.: Hi, Eric! Thanks for these chats! It's early, but who do you see being the starting receivers this season? Also, I remember Sam Hartman having an immediate "It" factor with both his presence and the way he threw the ball. Does Riley Leonard seem to have both of those qualities? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: It is early, and there are lots of options, and spring practice will go a long way to informing us who the starters will be, but I'll take a stab at it. ... Remember, there are two not yet enrolled -- freshman Logan Saldate and Clemson transfer Beaux Collins, both of whom will enroll in June. I think this will end up being a deep rotation, so 2s are important as well, but I feel comfortable putting Jayden Thomas' name in ink .. and then projecting Kris Mitchell and Jaden Greathouse in pencil. ... I think Riley has the 'It factor" vibe and I noticed it in both the ND-Duke and Clemson-Duke games last season, but it's different from Hartman. Personality-wise and performance-wise. On the field, he has a great knack for toggling between the pass and run game and creating big plays in both.
His spring is about becoming more dangerous in the passing game ... namely more accurate and consistent. ... Way different vibe from a personality standpoint. Leads differently, but very effective.
Matt from Austin, Texas: Hi Eric, I hope this finds you well. What insights can you provide regarding our Spring practices as they pertain to our WR corp and Riley Leonard? And if I may tack on one more question, which freshmen have stood out to you this Spring as having a real opportunity to be impactful during the upcoming season? Thank you as always.
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. The format of the early spring practices doesn't showcase a lot of the elements of the team, strengths or weaknesses, but the wide receiver group is one from which you can glean some useful information. (I hope Vicky Bishop, the best English teacher I ever had, noticed how hard I worked not to end that sentence with a preposition.) The one thing that really stood out about the WRs was speed.
Marcus Freeman even gushed about it. But speed in practice isn't the same about translating it into consistent production, but it's a great start in that process. ... Leonard is a big dude. Big, strong, looks like an NFL quarterback. I'm curious what he'll look like after spring practice in terms of chemistry with the wide receivers and throwing accuracy. He has a big arm, reminds me of the deep balls DeShone Kizer used to throw. Can't wait to see more of him.
It's so early for freshmen to stand out yet, and eight of them won't be here until June. Of those I expect to make a case for at least a niche role if not more are: LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, RB Kedren Young, WRs Cam Williams and Micah Gilbert and DE Bryce Young. NG Sean Sevillano Jr. is intriguing because of his size and quickness at that size. There's no one quite like him on the roster. CJ Carr is run to watch, but he's not going to compete to start. ... this year.
Ryan from Mars, Pa.: Good afternoon Eric how did Rocco Spindler look in Practice last week?
Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. Offensive line is one of the position groups that doesn't get an honest look in the early non-padded practices, just because of the nature of the format. What I can tell you is Rocco Spindler was out there, did all the drills and ran with the 2s. That doesn't mean he will not be a starting offensive guard. He didn't move to the top of the depth chart until fall training camp. We'll have a chance to talk to him and O-line coach Joe Rudolph next week, so stay tuned for those reports and insights on Rocco and the others.
Eric Hansen: There are a few women's basketball questions scattered in here today. Since I cover that team as well, I'll be happy to take and answer those, but I'll wait until that last part of the chat and do them all at once.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you are having a great week and really enjoyed the first practice last week. How concerned are you about Aamil Wagner‘s inability to gain weight? Is it possible to be a tackle at only 281 pounds? We have heard how immensely athletically gifted he is, if he is unable to get his weight up, is there another position or role he could play on the team so that his skills could be utilized? after last weeks practice which players on offense and which players on defense surprised you the most in a good way? I’m sure you’re looking forward to the next practice as much as we are looking forward to hearing about it. Thanks for hosting the chat and the great insights.
Eric Hansen: I am not concerned at all about Aamil Wagner's more deliberate climb to putting on good weight. He's got the work ethic to do what's asked of him in the weight room and the diligence to keep learning on the field. Some guys just develop in a different time frame physically. It took Tosh Baker five years go get into the 320s and 6-8. Charles Jagusah was there when he walked in the door, at 6-7. I think even playing inside, Wagner would need more body mass to hold up against the bigger defensive lines ND will face. ... Keep in mind on surprises, there are players who are kind of under the radar who are not surprises for me. A good example would be LB Jaiden Ausberry. I had high expectations for him, and they are still very high after seeing him Thursday.
OK, having put in that context, surprises on offense for me were WRs Jayden Harrison and Micah Gilbert, although I was warned that the recruiting analysts fell asleep on Gilbert. On defense, I'd say Adon Shuler and Jordan Botelho. Thank you for all your great questions and yes I am having an amazingly good week.
Ced Walker from Saginaw, Mich.: I was very impressed with out wr jayden Harris & Kris Mitchell during our first spring practice the surprise will be beaux Collins 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. Beaux Collins is an interesting case, because he played the boundary receiver position, which is the receiver position at ND with the most proven commodities. As I mentioned earlier, he won't enroll at ND until June. That's because he's finishing his course work at Clemson for his degree this semester. However, he's doing it remotely in South Bend and was at practice watching last Thursday. I'm eager to see what he can do as well.
Denny from Bullard, Texas: Hi Eric. Here we are in March and I’m not sensing much going on for the “pot of gold” event that has been a big deal the last couple years. Am I missing something? Please advise if this is taking place as hoped and elaborate on potential attendees as well as maybe offers to go out.
Eric Hansen: Hi Denny. You are missing something. It has been a big deal in Notre Dame kind of carving out a day when it owns social media with its Pot of Gold recruiting event, when it creates all kinds of cool graphics and sends out en masse a ton (sorry for the imprecise count) of scholarship offers to players who completed their sophomore seasons in the fall. It's not an in-person event and has not been. Tyler and I discussed it on Football Never Sleeps on Monday night near the end of the program, so you may want to check that out. We'll have plenty of coverage of it Sunday, St. Patrick's Day.
Marty from Sylvania, Ohio: Marcus Freeman in Toledo last night for a fundraiser. Very impressive speech and interview with local sports network, BCSN. He was asked about the portal vs. recruiting. Coach said portal will never take the place of recruiting. It’s the foundation for ND. I sure see a great future for MF and I hope ND is one of the benefactor. What are your impressions Eric?
Eric Hansen: Hi Marty. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I continued to be very impressed with Marcus Freeman as a coach, as a father, as a person, his authenticity and his vision. And I agree with his approach to the transfer portal as it fits Notre Dame.
Dennis from South Bend: Considering how weak the ND overall schedule is in 2024, would a 10-2 final record still assure ND of a spot in the 12-team playoff or would they be skating on thin ice?
Eric Hansen: Hi Dennis. You always have to be careful about characterizing a schedule's strength in March, because there are always surprises. ... But let me answer this question more generically and take into account the teams we expect to be the strongest on the schedule. I think in most years, 10-2 is going to get ND into a 12-team format. I see that being difficult this season, because two of the teams most likely to cause the losses are in November (Florida State and USC). And losing two games in November would make it difficult for the committee to see ND as an ascending/improving team. Then again, the committee seemed to love Iowa for no apparently good reason last year, so who knows?
Jake from Saratoga Springs: Hello, curious to see if you expect Steve Angeli to transfer after spring practice and if you think there is a chance that Kenny Minchey could transfer as well leaving 2 scholarship QBs on the roster?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jake. I don't like to predict individual players transferring. I don't think it's fair to them. What I am willing to explore is what might go into such a decision. Tyler James and I discussed this on Football Never Sleeps, so you may want to check that out if you want more depth. First, anyone transferring in THIS day and age should surprise no one. But let me apply some logic if I may.
If Angeli finishes the spring as No. 2, he has a 15-day window to transfer (which actually starts a few days before the April 20 Blue-Gold Game). He needs to take into account how close he is to his ND degree and how much that means to him. He also needs to gauge his chance of being the 2025 ND starter. Since he's in ND's spring practice and not someone else's it diminishes (but doesn't eliminate) his chances of being someone else's starter in 2024. So why not see how 2024 goes at ND and you can always hit the portal after the season.
I'm not sure what Kenny Minchey's motivation would be to transfer after this spring. He does not have the expectation of being the 2024 starter. So unless CJ Carr jumped him and he didn't feel he was being developed, what would his motivation be for leaving? Same with him, the carrot is a chance to compete to be the 2025 starter.
Ed from Sayville NY: Happy St. Patrick’s Day Eric, and same to all on the chat. Considering all of the more highly touted 4 and 5 star recruits of the BK era, is there a more impressive ND NFL resume than that of Drue Tranquil? If not, who else should receive honorable mention?
Eric Hansen: Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too, Ed! Drue Tranquill is one of the most interesting players I've covered in my career for lots of reasons that go beyond his recent 3-year, $19 million contract extension with the KC Chiefs. Maybe more than anything else, how he pushed through so many seeming dead ends in his career to get to where he is today. I once asked Brian Kelly near the end of his time at ND, who is the player who changed everything. And his answer was Drue.
OK, let's tackle the NFL part of that question. I think it's easier for me to evaluate how far guys came than try to do that AND overlay what they've done in their NFL time so far. So I'll do this. Alohi Gilman is the guy in the Freeman/Kelly Eras who was drafted who was the biggest long shot. ... Two stars and started his career at Navy. Drue was a three-star prospect. Some other 3-stars who were drated in the Freeman/Kelly Era ... Jarrett Patterson, Kyren Williams, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Tommy Tremble, Ian Book, Ade Ogundejii, Julian Love, Durham Smythe, Nick Martin, CJ Prosise and Bennett Jackson.
Tim from St. Louis: Wanted to ask your opinion on "Strength of Schedule" relative to the 12-14 team playoffs? Don't misunderstand. Had loved the seasons opening with Michigan, Mich St, Purdue, Northwestern, etc. It built a culture of physicality, toughness and confidence. Just fear playing a soft schedule then jumping into the playoff. Is there a Strength of Schedule factor when seeding the playoffs or is win/ loss record the bottom line, in your opinion?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim. Yes strength of schedule is a factor in assessing a team's inclusion in the playoff as well as its seeding. it's not the only factor, but it is one of many important ones.
The Beave from Grand Rapids, Mich. via Phoenix today: Hi Eric. Last I checked ND was 5-10 over the 85-scholarship limit. We all know there will be spring additions to the portal. At first thought, it would seem advantageous to get to your final destination before spring practice to learn the new system and audition for the new coaches.Talk about some of the motivations for players to wait for after spring practice to enter the portal. Final attempt to play their way into the 2-deeps? Need spring semester to graduate? Other motivations? Always appreciate your insights. Thanks and happy Spring Football Season.
Eric Hansen: HI The Beave. And guess what, it's Phoenix-like in Grand Rapids, today! ... To be precise, Notre Dame is six over, at 91. A great way to check it and see the class eligibility position by position is our scholarship chart. Some of the motivations for players to stick for spring semester before transferring are: 1) Completing their work toward a Notre Dame degree or getting closer to one. 2) They're engaged in a position battle that may or may not lead to a starting berth or a notch up on the depth chart in a reserve role. So yes, you nailed the top two, and there are more. Some guys just love being at Notre Dame, love the friends they've made and the school .. and it's hard to leave.
Jules from Joliet, Ill.: There is a lot of talk of changing the signing days for the new commitments or even adding a third day. Can you explain why there has to be signing days at all? Why can’t recruits sign their letter of intent when they commit? Thanks for all of your great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jules. I wish I had more time to give this deeper thought, but off the top of my head, it standardizes the calendar for everyone and I actually think takes pressure off kids, who may be pressured into signing when they aren't yet sure about their decision. For roster management purposes -- and it's getting harder with the transfer portal -- you need to have certain deadlines and standardized evaluation, quiet and dead periods to do all those things properly. If this sounds like a word salad, It's because this is a tough question to answer off the top of my head. I'll maybe follow up with a more detailed answer in the next chat.
Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Eric, I very much appreciate your email response. Thank you. This new transfer from Colgate appears to be ready to play special teams. Who on the roster can you see striking fear into a team on punt return? Kickoff return has been great. That kickoff return for a TD in the USC game was awesome. Punt return has been meh for some time. Go Irish!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Sean. Thanks for sending the email. ... and for the compliment! There were five guys fielding punts at the first practice -- actually four with Jordan Faison watching them. Faison, who's all in on lacrosse right now, is the No. 1 candidate. He averaged 14.0 on his two returns. ND, as a team, was 24th at 11.20 with Faison, Matt Salerno and Chris Tyree. The other candidates, at least at this point, are Jaden Mickey, Gi'Bran Payne, Jadarian Price and Jaden Greathouse. Keep in mind, punt returns — period — aren't as prevalent as they used to be (in part due to the evolution of punts and punt coverage). Of the top 10 teams in average per return, five of them returned 8 or fewer all of last season. But it's great to have someone explosive back there. In terms of kickoff returns, Marshall transfer Jayden Harrison was second in the nation last year at 30.7 per return. Price was even better (34.4), but he didn't meet the minimum number of returns to qualify.
Joey G. from Philadelphia, Pa: Hi Eric, I hope all is well! Is it safe to say that Notre Dame has become better known amongst today's youth as a WMBB school? Seems that way with the lack of success from the Football and MBB programs. And it appears the best athlete on campus is Hannah Hidalgo. Who do you think makes a title appearance 1st Ivey, Freeman, or Shrewsberry?
Eric Hansen: Lack of success from Football? I'm glad you weren't my fourth-grade teacher. I'd still be serving detention for my A-minuses. But of the three coaches you mentioned, I would say Niele Ivey is best positioned to win a national title the soonest. I think ND is in every good hands with all three of those coaches.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric! Thanks for these chats. I know it takes a lot of time from everything else you have going on. I wanted you to know that these chats are greatly appreciated. We have been told by your and Tyler in your reporting that Mike Denbrock has a background with the O line, amongst many other areas of coaching. And that he will work closely with his offensive staff. What can you tell us about his thoughts on selecting the starters for an offensive line? For example is he a best five will start kind of guy? Is he okay with rotating one position on the line similar to what Hainsey and Kraemer did? Where does his views differ with Joe Rudolph and where are they similar?
Eric Hansen: Hi Len. Really great questions, and thanks for the kind words. Those were elite compliments!! Full disclosure, I kept in touch with Mike while he was away from ND, but it was not something we ever discussed in that kind of depth. His time as OC and associate head coach at ND his last time here overlapped Harry Hiestand's best-five approach, so I would be surprised if he had an issue with Joe Rudolph's approach. I'm not sure any coach prefers to rotate O-linemen. I think the Hainsey-Kraemer situation was unique and they made it work. I think Mike isn't here to change Joe's approach in any way, but enhance it, and provide another set of eyes ... and plays that play to the team's strengths and blocking schemes that do so. ... And the ability to fix things and play chess at the line of scrimmage. I think that's where Denbrock shows up in line play.
Matt from Kansas City: Quickfire Five: 1. Joe Alt is the best Notre Dame NFL prospect since? 2. It seems the D-Line and secondary is pretty solid with high expectations and LBs are more of an unproven quantity. Does that usually lend the defensive style to more of a blitz heavy attacking system or zone system? 3.Is ND practicing with in-helmet communications yet, presumably for the QB and MLB? 4. Can you comment on how candid generally you find the ND coaching staff to be with you when they are speaking off the record? 5. If I put you on the spot and tell me two positions that you think ND could potentially upgrade (I mean maybe even grab a starter) through the transfer portal in the spring, which would they be?
Eric Hansen: HI Matt. 1) Best since Kyle Hamilton in 2022. The fact that it is that recent is a testament to Notre Dame's evaluations and player development. 2) I probably am misunderstanding this question. How would unproven linebackers affect the frequency of playing zone or blitzing? Just because they are unproven doesn't mean they're not good. And it doesn't express what they do well or what the pass rush will be like from the front four. So I'm going to have to pass on this one. 3. I don't think so. That, to me, seems like something they'd do in scrimmage situations and the Blue-Gold Game. There hasn't been scrimmaging yet.
For No. 4, I'd rather not comment. If just you and I were having a beer, sure. In a public forum, not going to go there. 5. Barring injury or injury setback, I can only name one, and that MIGHT be offensive tackle. That may not even be true by the end of spring.
Terry from Huron, S.D.: Hi Eric, hope all is well in South Bend. With ND securing two WR pledges in the '25 class and Bettis, JR. picked to end up at ND, how many WR do they take? My concern is they fill up on this class before some of the higher rated WR with high interest in the Irish make their college choice. Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Terry. It's downright tropical in South Bend ... especially compared to South Dakota (or at least my mental image of what SD is like). I think ND will definitely take four, and would expand that to five for someone like Talyn Taylor, I believe.
Patrick from Irishlandia: Thanks for the great chats, Eric. Always awesome. With Denbrock as the OC and a new QB and several new receivers, should we expect dramatically improved WR production this season? Any reason why we may not?
Eric Hansen: It depends on your definition of dramatic. If he could have brought the LSU receivers with him, that would have been a dramatic upgrade by anyone's definition. I think the WR play will be improved, though, for a number of reasons, including through scheme.
Skip from Houston: Hurleman? Special teams specialist?
Eric Hansen: Max Hurleman is a running back/wide receiver/special teams player from Colgate who recently committed to ND as a walk-on grad transfer. Notre Dame, under Freeman, has done a great job of adding meaningful depth to its roster through high school and transferring walk-ons. The Irish really put a lot into those evals. Sometimes they work out and sometimes it was a good try.with no risk. Hurleman figures to have his best chance of making an impact on special teams.
Eric Hansen: OK, I'm going to run through the women's BB questions and then circle back to football if we have time.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric, since you are a man of many talents and have covered WBB this year, I have a question about WBB. Before the last week of the regular season started, where do you think that the ND WBB team would have been seeded in the NCAA Tournament? Now, after some big regular season wins and taking the ACC Championship, what seed do you think they will receive?? I think they were probably a 5 or 6 seed before going on this latest winning streak. Now they may be as high as a 3 seed. Your thoughts?? Any update on the injury status of the center who was injured against VT?? Thanks and as always, GO Irish!!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. Thanks for your question. I think you nailed it. ND's NET ranking has been high all year, and that made a 5 seed realistic heading into the streak of beating five straight ranked teams. And you're on point again, thinking a 3 seed as the projection on Selection Sunday (this Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT; ESPN). Possibly a 2, but I think ND is better off as a 3 if it means drawing away from No. 1-ranked South Carolina's regional.
Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hello Eric. I know this is a football chat forum but kudos to the Lady Irish basketball team. How good is Hannah Hidalgo at this stage in her career compared to Irish great Skyler Diggins? What would it take for the team to get the final four in Cleveland given their extremely short bench? And how big a thrill would it be for you personally to cover them in a national championship game in your hometown? Thanks for all the great work over all your platforms!
Eric Hansen: Jack, thank you! The numbers would say Hannah is the better freshman, especially in points and steals. And she's likely to be a first-team All-American as a freshman. Skylar started making AA teams (3rd team) as a sophomore. But Skylar got better every year and she was probably the better facilitator of the two. She's also three inches taller, which has never seems to come into play with Hannah being 5-6. Two great, great players with some differences in their games, but both impacted their teams in a major way. And yes, I'd love to come back to Cleveland, the city where I was born, and cover my first women's BB Final Four (I've covered several men's Final Fours).
David from New York: Since you opened the floodgates on WBB. Can you do anything to tamp down my excitement for the roster next year. This core plus Miles back and Koval!!! On paper how good could this team be vs. past rosters? Any comps to past years?
Eric Hansen: Well as long as they don't repeat their propensity for injuries, I doubt I will be able to tamp down your excitement, nor should I. The only players with expiring eligibility are Jenna Brown, Anna DeWolfe and Becky Obinma. And only DeWolfe, among those three, plays significant minutes. If everyone else comes back that can, and you add 6-5 Kate Koval, it's a team with Final Four potential.
Lorne from Reno, Nev.: As spring practice kicks off the '24 season, I want to say thank you to you and the Inside ND Sports team for keeping our expectations in check when we don't understand why this may not be the year, for keeping it real when a bad loss makes us want to chuck everything out, for explaining details of how offenses, defenses and special teams work (illuminating that we don't know as much as we'd like to believe we do), and for generally providing the best coverage of Notre Dame football around. Speaking of the amazing women's b-ball team, any inkling on whether Maddy is coming back (I know this season isn't over, but Miles, Hidalgo, Citron, Westbeld and Koval with what would be a strong bench is top-5 material)?
Eric Hansen: OK Lorne, if you want to be my agent, you can be. Thank you. .... Maddy hasn't made that announcement. My gut tells me she'll be back. And yes, that is a team that should have Final Four aspirations and be able to chase them.
Ted from Naples, Fla.: Eric - always enjoy your forum with your on point and concise responses. Great win for the women on Sunday! Am trying to navigate the NIL landscape. Does HH (including the ear rings) make more than Riley? (Perhaps I should rephrase the question to does Hanna make more than the whole football team?) Go Irish - men and women!
Eric Hansen: Hi Ted. Until/unless there is a reliable database with that kind of info, I hate to rely on rumors with regard to NIL. What I can say is Hannah is great at marketing herself and even had NIL set up when she was still in high school. Whatever she makes, it doesn't affect one way or another her dedication to her teammates and her love for the game of basketball.
Tim from St. Louis: Hey Eric - Kudos for your concise recap of The Hartman Saga. One area that should be included was "The Taylor Swift" effect. My wife, daughter and nieces all paid extra attention to the broadcasts to catch a glimpse of Sam Hartman. Ha.
Eric Hansen: Haha. I love it.
Eric Hansen: OK back to football and Taylor Swift questions only.
Dave from DC: Is there a chance that Riley Leonard doesn't take live hits this spring?
Eric Hansen: I would be surprised if Leonard DID take hits. Usually the guys competing for the No. 1 spot do not.
Allen from Cummings, Ga.: Eric thank you for all you do covering ND football!! Heather Dinich of ESPN is reporting that the revenue distribution plan being discussed Notre Dame would only receive a 1% yearly payout from the CFB playoff. Do you think this could push ND to join the BIG 10 ? And are you planning to interview the new ND AD and if so what is your first question?
Eric Hansen: Hi Allen. Heather does a great job. But I don't get too excited about what's being discussed vs. what's been finalized. Even then, it's important to focus on what's important and what's reality. So, if the Big Ten gets say 25% and has 18 teams that spit it, is that much more than the 1% allegedly being discussed for Notre Dame's share? Media rights is the number that matters most, and I am confident ND is in a place where it's competitive with the SEC and Big Ten in that regard, for now. And just remember, even if ND really, really wanted to join the Big Ten for any reason as a fulltime football member, they'd have to legally figure out how to leave the ACC. ... First question to Pete Bevacqua, probably something very general and work my way into the good stuff.
John from Palm Beach, Fla.: Eric- You and the ND Rivals team are the BEST!!!! Please finish this sentence (assuming you agree with the premise) … ND Football for 2024 offers the most complete roster of talent and top end coaching since … when?
Eric Hansen: John thank you. Wow, I'll take it. To your question, that's difficult, because I think the staff is ahead of the roster ... and yet there's potential on this roster to be better than it appeared on paper going into spring. Man, if I had a crystal ball or some kind of clairvoyance device to know how the O-line play was going to be. If it's not 2015 (which doesn't satisfy the coaching part) or 2018/2020, where ND falls short at certain key positions, you'd have to go back to the height of the Holtz Era. Ask me again after the Texas A&M game. I'll give you a better answer.
David from New York: Hi Eric. Thanks for the chats. Any early thoughts on Drew Pyne's fit at Missouri? Was happy to see he came back to ND for his degree and can't believe he has 3 years of eligibility left.
Eric Hansen: Hi David. I'm not sure about the three years left. That would mean he'd be a seventh-year player at the end of that. We'll see. His plan is to be Brady Cook's backup this year and then start in 2025. I think it's a good plan if it holds true. Happy for him. He gives a program his all.
Eric Hansen: OK. That's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back next week to do it all over again, likely next Friday, but I will post the date on our website and on my Twitter/X account early next week once I know what the women's BB schedule looks like.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• 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