Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat on a warm and drizzly afternoon in South Bend, Ind. There are only three more practices left this spring, including the Blue-Gold Game on April 23.
A friendly reminder, please include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question. Here we go.
Joe Howard from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hi Eric. I’m really liking the way our team is shaping up almost through spring practice.We seem to be talented and deep in many position groups, especially O-line and linebacker.With that depth, however, I’m concerned about the possibility of several payers moving on in search of more playing time. Players like Rocco Spindler and Prince Kollie come to mind. What are your thoughts?
Eric Hansen: Joe, thoughts on transferring, particularly early in one's career, almost seemed like part of the package of coming to a place like Notre Dame. The shift out of one's comfort zone usually made you better and stronger in the long run if you could handle it. There were at least two major incentives not to transfer early — giving up on an ND degree and having to sit out a year. Now one of those incentives to stay is gone. So the dynamic may change at Notre Dame. It has certainly changed other places.
To your question specifically, Rocco and Prince are two sophomores-to-be who came in with a lot of fanfare, and they're both really talented. Instead of trying to calculate their probability of departing, which isn't fair to them, I'll sketch out their path to meaningful playing time. ... Rocco Spindler, O-line coach Harry Hiestand told me, is battling and physical and has a chance to overtake the guards ahead of him. That doesn't mean he will, but Harry's mind is open to that possibility. Even if that doesn't happen, he's got a good shot at starting in 2023.
Prince Kollie has had a good spring. He's a Will (weakside) linebacker and is behind Marist Liufau, but it sounds like there's going to be a rotation and also niche roles. So he's got a chance to have a decent role. ... With any kid considering a transfer, there are so many factors beyond playing time, including distance from home, his support system, etc. I remember when both Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt had transferitis at different times and their moms both said they had changed the locks on the doors, so don't bother coming home.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric. Congratulations on your induction into the Indiana Sports Writers Hall of Fame. Well deserved. It seems Notre Dame will be looking to the transfer portal for a few positions. I know coaches cannot contact players until they have officially put their name in the portal, but are players allowed to put feelers out to teams to see if there would be any interest before they put their name in the portal? Is there still a limit on the number of players you can take from the transfer portal per year? If ND were able to pick up one or two relatively good wide receivers, who were coming basically to better showcase themselves for the NFL, how do you think that would affect the chemistry in the wide receiver room? Finally, what did you think about what Brian Kelly had to say about Norte Dame last week? As always thanks for the great insights.
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Marie. There's not a real need to do the third-party search, since theoretically, players can come back to their original school if they don't find a new destination to their liking. But that's contingent on the school wanting them back and having a scholarship for them. I think there is less of that (early vetting) than there used to be, because of how the portal is set up. ... You can stock up on portal players and many schools have. Twenty FBS teams have taken in double digit transfers. That includes 14 by LSU and former ND coach Brian Kelly. The limits in the 2022 cycle to keep in mind are 32 total newcomers and 85 max scholarships overall.
As far as transfers affecting chemistry, we had June-arriving freshman Tobias Merriweather on our podcast last night, and asked him that question. He essentially said that selfishly he believes he can provide the lift ND needs, but that he's not afraid to compete for playing time with someone from the portal or anyone else. Essentially bring it on. It really is no different than bringing in great recruits at a certain position group. You have to compete. I think the one position where that can get ticklish is QB, and Jack Coan handled that very well.
Now to your Brian Kelly question .... It's a fairly lengthy answer. So what I'm going to do is answer it at the very end of the chat. I'll remind everybody of what the question was and who asked it.
John from Jackson, Miss.: Do you think the FCS scheduling is here to stay now? For instance, do you think Swarbrick is envisioning an annual HBCU game? Alternatively, what are the odds that a Shamrock Series game ends up in Jackson, Miss., against Jackson State and Deion Sanders?
Eric Hansen: Hi John. I think the odds of that are remote in terms of an annual thing, but I think Jack Swarbrick would like to see how this goes. How competitive is the game? What's the reception like from fans? TV ratings? I think the odds of a Shamrock Series game in Jackson, Miss., are very low. ND would not want to play on an opponent's field. And they like to do those games in Pro football (or baseball) stadiums. Maybe Jackson State in New Orleans? I think the whole FCS concept is very much wait-and-see.
Terry from Huron, S.D.: I am driving 12 hours for the Blue-Gold Game weekend. Several questions: Who are the recruits on campus that weekend? Does ND allow stadium tours and tailgating that weekend? Can I meet you and buy you a favorite beverage that weekend? You are awesome with ND coverage.
Eric Hansen: Hi Terry. Thank you. To question one, my co-publisher would pummel me for revealing the names. If you want to subscribe, we keep a running tally of all upcoming visitors in our Insider Lounge. It is shaping up to be a weekend of recruit-a-palooza proportions. ... Tailgating is definitely allowed. I used my phone-a-friend about stadium tours, and was told they won't be doing those Blue-Gold weekend and may not restart them in the fall, either. ... on No. 3, email me (ehansen@insidendsports.com), we might be able to make that work. Thanks.
Dan from Plymouth, Mich.: Great work, Eric! Appreciate you. I’m a diehard ND fan living in the shadow of the Big House up here in Metro Detroit. I followed Rocco Spindler very closely all through high school. He has the potential to be an All - American. How is he doing? I’m hopeful he is pushing Josh Lugg and Andrew Kristofic. What have you observed of him through 12 practices?
Eric Hansen: Hi Dan, thanks for the compliment. I appreciate you too. Don't let the fact that Rocco didn't play as a freshman taint your expectations about what his ceiling looks like. In the past 50 years there have been nine starts by freshmen made at offensive guard for the Irish and none of them were by the standard at that position, Quenton Nelson. ... Rocco got yelled at a lot his first day, which is a good thing. That means Harry Hiestand thinks you've got potential. All the O-linemen all had to learn to do things a different way than they had been previously taught. Rocco Spindler has handled it well. Whether or not he overtakes a starter, he has made progress and is impressing Hiestand quite a bit.
Dan from Houston: When is the window for official visits for recruits, and which of ND's current 2023 commits are expected to take official visits elsewhere?
Eric Hansen: The official visit window opened April 1 and closes June 26 this year. Then it'll reopen in the fall. For ND it makes most sense to do those in April or June, but not in May, when there's nothing going on and the students are away for most of that month. ... So far the commits who have visited elsewhere have only taken unofficials to my knowledge.
Phil from Napoleon, Ohio: After the spring game, what position do you see the Irish staff focusing on in the portal, if at any? With la ittle over a week until the game, what position will you be watching the most during the game and why?
Eric Hansen: Provided there are no new injuries or surprise transfers, wide receiver and maybe cornerback from the portal. ... Watching the QBs the most ... who makes great decisions, which Tommy Rees and Marcus Freeman have repeatedly said is the overriding factor for who starts. Although we've heard rumblings, we have only seen one practice where decision-making was in play. Otherwise, it's stretching and throwing for mechanics, not decisions. .. .P.S,. if you know Randy Vocke, tell him I said hello.
Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning Eric. In two months, ND will have five tight ends behind Michael Mayer. Honestly, not all will be catching touchdowns on a regular basis. Do you think the combination of Jerad Parker/Harry Hiestand/Matt Balis can mold another Tommy Tremble from that group of five? Tremble was such a beast with blocking and special teams that I would think Freeman would see that recreating that role would be a huge benefit to the team and a clear path to the NFL (Tremble did sign a $4.9 M contract and is very successful in the NFL). Your thoughts? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hey Jeff. Tommy Tremble had as much to do with that as his coaches, if not more. He saw that as a way to get on the field, particularly after Michael Mayer arrived. There's not an obvious candidate in that five as the next Tremble, as much as there is a more clear heir apparent to Mayer's role (Eli Raridon). If I were going to guess, I'd say Holden Staes may have that potential, but it's something he'll have to work hard to develop.
Eamonn from Portland Ore.: Hey Eric. I’d like to ask about Clarence Lewis. Putting aside the much talked about Oklahoma State game, can you share insight into how he struggled last year? I’m an untrained eye, so what are some things you look at to show whether he struggled or not last year? And perhaps can you break down the difference in boundary corner vs. field corner and why C-Lew’s skill set might favor one or the other? Thank you! Love the ND coverage and that guy Kelly (the one that shocked everyone and took a job with InsideNDSports) is doing a pretty good job!
Eric Hansen: Ha. Thanks Eamonn. I'll pass along the compliment to Kevin Kelly. So I had a chance to talk to Clarence yesterday as did other members of the media. In the Oklahoma State game, it was really a matter of things snowballing on him and he couldn't shake the early mistakes mentally. It didn't help that the coaching was kind of a mess that game. Overall, I think Lewis got out of his comfort zone when he was flipped to boundary corner. He hadn't gotten much work there. And confidence is so much a part of the cornerback position. This spring Lewis is getting work on both sides. The difference in the two positions typically is the field corner requires elite speed, because you've got more ground to cover. But often the field corner gets safety help. The boundary corner, with less ground to cover, requires physicality and toughness. Typically you're covering a big, physical receiver like Chase Claypool. The ball comes out fast. You have a lot of one-on-one matchups. A lot of 50-50 balls. Cam Hart has the tools to do both. CBs coach Mike Mickens says TaRiq Bracy and Clarence Lewis do too, but Bracy is not your prototypical boundary corner. ... The good news is Lewis has had a good spring so far.
Andy from Lima, Ohio: Current NFL O-linemen like Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey never played as freshmen at ND. In comparison, where do you see the long-range potential of Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Obviously, they played as freshmen out of necessity. Why did this happen? What’s your prediction on whether they play four years at ND? Does playing as freshmen put them on course to be three-and-done?
Eric Hansen: Andy, there are only nine true freshmen who have started games for Notre Dame on the offensive line — three guards and four tackles before Fisher and Alt became tackles Nos. 5 and 6 last season. Part of the reason they played is because they're exceptionally talented. Some is because the class in front of them -- Michael Carmody and Tosh Baker -- didn't get the proper strength training because of the pandemic and it set them back. Andrew Kristofic didn't develop as a tackle as much as he did as a guard. And finally, the hope was that guard Aaron Banks would defer his NFL dream a year and eome back and play left tackle. He declined the offer.
Three and out? Possibly, but they'll listen to advice from Harry Hiestand. My sense is four and out is more realistic (Blake Fisher has a fifth-year option; Joe Alt does not).
Jeremy from Goshen, Ind.: What has surprised you the most and the least so far during spring practice?
Eric Hansen: Surprised me the most? How ready the players were for a change in leadership. ... The least? That cornerbacks and wide receivers are the only two position groups that will finish the spring with questions/problems to answer this summer.
Phil B from Litchfield, Conn.: Hi Eric, Thanks again for the great chats. Q: Coach O "randomly" shows up at Notre Dame for a spring practice (with his sons) and addresses the team with a pep talk? Why? I haven't heard a legitimate reason yet. Sounds like something is up. What's your realistic take on the situation?
Eric Hansen: Phil, I'm not sure what you have heard and haven't heard, what you believe and don't believe. I wrote a story on it yesterday. The Orgerons are hear for an entire week. I have no reason to believe Ed Orgeron wasn't telling the truth on his motive for coming. What do you think is up? That Jambalaya is coming to the ND training table?
Tom from Maryland: Is NBC going to televise the Blue-Gold Game? Happy Easter!
Eric Hansen: Happy Easter, Tom. No to NBC. The game will start at 1 p.m. ET on April 23 and will live stream exclusively on Peacock. It will also be available on-demand following the live stream on Fighting Irish TV.
Don in Phoenix: Eric, Have to believe spring has taken hold in northern Indiana. There've been a bunch of Chamber of Commerce days in the Phoenix area. My question this week is based on what you have seen and heard, can Tyler Buchner be the guy?
Eric Hansen: Hi Don, I think we can put the snow shovels away, but maybe not the heavy blankets just yet. ... What leads me to believe Tyler Buchner will be the guy: 1) Minimal mistakes this spring. That was a prerequisite. 2) Significant progress in reads, sliding protections, having command on pre-snap stuff at the line of scrimmage. 3) Has stepped up his leadership skills. 4) Handles the spotlight and pressure well. 5) Knows he needs to follow a strong spring with an equally strong or better summer.
David - NY: Eric! Thanks again for these chats. My question is what you are going to be watching most closely / looking for in the Blue-Gold Game? Maybe a top 3 if you are up for it!
Eric Hansen: Hi David. I had a similar question earlier and think I only provided a top one. So let me be more expansive. ... QBs were 1. No. 2 is offensive line fundamentals and chemistry. No. 3 is the cornerbacks.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hi Eric, Thanks for hosting these chats. With all the staff changes I look forward to them even more. I was at ND in the late '70s, and I was amazed at how many players were drafted and went on to NFL careers. If you look at the ND 1977 and 1988 national championship teams, you would find in the three years after those championships the following NFL draft picks. The draft was 10 rounds then, not seven. For 1978, '79 and '80, ND had 24 draft picks; four being round one picks. In 1989, '90 and '91, ND had 24 draft picks with two being round one picks. These were great teams with a lot of very good players. Over the last three drafts Alabama had 29 drafts picks over only seven rounds with 13 of those picks being round one picks. The game has changed, and more than ever today’s player wants the development offered by so few teams. They will wait their turn as long as they are improving in a very competitive practice setting. How much talent does ND need to win a national championship? Can coach Freeman get the team to that level?
Eric Hansen: Hi Len, thanks for your question. And I guess it's hard to put into measurable numbers, but Notre Dame most urgently needs to upgrade its talent at quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback while maintaining or improving at the other positions. We're seeing in the 2023 and 2024 classes, ND beginning to trend in those directions. There's a lot more work to be done, but this is where Marcus Freeman can flex his strengths.
Lawrence from San Diego: Can I get your over/under picks for the following lines: Tyler Buchner 3700 passing yards. Brandon Joseph 3.5 picks. Chris Tyree 800 rushing yards. Deion Colzie 25 catches. Isaiah Foskey 10.5 sacks. Jordan Botelho 5 TFLs.
Eric Hansen: Slightly under on Buchner, because of the balance in the offense and Bucher''s ability to run. ... Over on the Joseph picks. He gets a lot of them in practice. ... Tyree under 800 rushing yards. I think he'll be big in all-purpose yards, though. ... Colzie catches ... I'm rolling the dice on this one. The kid's got it in him to break through, so I'll say yes. ... Foskey over. Botelho over.
Jim Tal from Valley Center, Calif.: Greetings, Eric. Hope all is well at your end. From all the information that has leaked out about the goings-on at practice, it seems Tyler Buchner has clearly shown himself to be the best QB from both a consistency and talent perspective. That being the case, what is the reasoning behind not naming him as the starter right now? If he's the guy and everything points in that direction, it seems to me the sooner the team knows who's the No. 1 and can prepare accordingly, the better off the offense will be. I would value your opinion on this. Many thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jim. I think the reason he hasn't been named is that Drew Pyne has played very, very well this spring as well. Best-case scenario, too — the top two QBs surging. Very good for the team. And those guys are tight. It's not like when it was Malik Zaire and Everett Golson, or Zaire and DeShone Kizer, where that competition divided the team. I think after one week of training camp seems to be the right time for this situation to play itself out.
Joe from Kansas City: Hi Eric, thanks as always for doing these. Any word on the Ohio State kickoff time? It seems with the details of the Joe Buck trade, it would fall to ABC and prime time, but many don’t think so. And as far as that game goes, over/under 1.5 QBs to take a snap?
Eric Hansen: Hi Joe. The whole Joe Buck thing confused the hell out of me. I've included the link to the story, which basically lets ESPN/ABC show it whenever they choose. Prime time makes the most sense. ... I'll take the under on the QBs on both sides.
Irish Mike: Hi Eric! Thank you for hosting these chats! Although ND is loaded with O-linemen, do you see them checking out the two five-star Georgia linemen who recently entered the transfer portal?
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. Where are you from? Unless Irish Mike implies you are from Ireland? ... In any case, Notre Dame didn't offer either Amarius Mims or Clay Webb coming out of high school, which would make you think there might not be an academic fit for either even if they wanted one or both. Mims is a tackle, so unless there were an injury to Alt or Fisher, he's not going to want to come to ND to be a backup. He can already do that at Georgia. Webb is a center. Not sure he's better than Zeke Correll and he's definitely not better than Jarrett Patterson, so again why would he come to ND to be a depth piece? So my answer to both is no. .. but love the question.
Kevin from Sleepy Eye, Minn.: Eric, I glad I don't recruit. I cannot imagine seeing Christopher Vizzina commit to Clemson, knowing we haven't got an elite QB to commit. How do these coaches manage these situations? Thanks for the great work!
Eric Hansen: Hi Kevin. Thank you. There really is an art to trying to put certain prospects on the back burner while fast-tracking others. It gets tricky with QBs, since you can only play one at a time. If Notre Dame wasn't confident with Dante Moore, they would have pushed harder for Christopher Vizzina earlier. Moore has elongated his timeline, but the feeling still is he ends up at Notre Dame ... in June now. We will see.
Jonathan from Hideaway, Texas: Hi, Eric. Just wondering whether, over the years of chatting, you’ve developed a all-time-favorite questioner. I see Manny!!!!! bringing the energy. Jeff from Phoenix always having an intelligent angle. And the ladies all seeming to get special treatment, as if you’re an old-fashioned gentleman. Or if you’re afraid to name names, lest you hurt the rest of our feelings, can you at least say what makes a chat question especially delightful for you to answer?
Eric Hansen: I am too afraid to name names. I'll just put that out there. Additionally, there are so many memorable ones. You guys have no idea how much fun this part of my week is. ... And I get lots of story ideas from your questions. ... The questions I find most compelling are the ones that are very specific and that make me think about something I'd hadn't previously thought much about. The hardest to answer combine lots of math and are overly broad. ... I really like the passion people bring to this chat, but I also like when they get that I think sports should be fun and they bring a sense of humor to it or at least pretend they understand mine.
Lawrence from San Diego: What can you (or your phone-a-friend lifeline) tell me about Jason Moore’s interest in ND? I see him talked about like someone we have a good chance of landing, but don’t know where that opinion is coming from.
Eric Hansen: I think the interest is real, but nothing imminent. They need to get him on campus sooner than later if the Irish are going to build momentum.
Bill, originally from Asbury Park, N.J.: Eric, Very interesting that Ed Orgeron came up for the week. He’s the only former USC coach that I didn’t dislike going as far back as John McKay. Having said that, I was wondering if you needed an interpreter during his press conference?
Eric Hansen: Ha. Actually, he was really fun to talk to and easy to transcribe.
Rob Compton from Columbus, Ohio: Since you’ve been around the program for a long time, do you see any noticeable differences with the coaching/teaching of the staff and just the overall attitude and approach from the players?
Eric Hansen: Hi Rob. Practices are different. They have a different structure and vibe than under Brian Kelly. That doesn't make them more effective, but there's definitely Marcus' stamp on them. Very close team. ... Very very different practices than the Wies years in so many ways... Backup players get a lot more meaningful reps. ... Coaches are demanding without being condescending.
Marty B: Do you think Norte Dame will use a blocker in the backfield on more plays this season, based on your observations of spring so far?
Eric Hansen: I've only seen one practice when there have been scrimmage periods. I don't see that as a staple. But on short-yardage, I could see a second or third tight end line up like a pseudo fullback on occasion.
Eric Hansen: OK, I promised an answer to Marie's question about what Brian Kelly has been saying recently on the national media circuit. ... We had a good relationship for 12 years, but I'm going to give you my unvarnished opinion.
I wrote a column for my former site the night that all this went down, and I still feel it applies even as Brian Kelly shifts and refines his own narrative about the departure.
Notre Dame coaches having to nudge the administration toward reality of the evolving business of college football goes all the way back to Knute Rockne threatening to leave if Notre Dame Stadium wasn’t built.
Kelly constantly and fearlessly went to war for changes that would give Notre Dame a chance for consistent relevance and eventually a shot at a national title. Those were both philosophical and physical changes.
Until late November, that more or less defined his 12 seasons at ND.
He sold recruits on the vision that not only COULD Notre Dame win a national title, but that they would. Remember his edict at the 2019 Camping World Bowl about how ND needed to upgrade recruiting as a necessary piece to this?
And Notre Dame’s administration delivered consistently in terms of modernizing its approach to football and the logistics of competing with the other Blue Bloods. Those changes weren’t always complete with every detail and weren’t always within the timeline Kelly wanted, but there was consistent progress.
So you tell me, if this was all about having a full-time chef and slightly better facilities, why would Kelly’s assistant coaches have been so stunned when he left? Wouldn’t they be sharing in his frustration or at least know about his?
Why, when he was asked shortly before he left Notre Dame point blank about leaving for another job, was his answer that he wouldn’t consider it? Then he threw in some condition about a fairy godmother bringing a whole lot of money to HIM … not new facilities.
Why would you build your “forever home” near campus if you weren’t ever going to set foot in it?
If Brian Kelly simply wanted to say he needed a change of scenery or a new challenge, I think Notre Dame people would have accepted that more readily, even if the real reason had more to do with ego and money.
But he sold out on the promise he made to the players, assistant coaches and himself in the way he’s framing the departure now. And it’s made those he left behind more determined than ever to follow the original vision, the original promise to completion.
And to wonder who Brian Kelly really is.
People ask why is the media, that got along with Brian Kelly for 12 years, turning on him? I enjoyed working with Brian as much as any coach I’ve ever covered. I found him to be honest and fair and very good at what he does.
It’s my duty, though, to be honest and fair to my readers. And the way Brian Kelly left and how he framed it don’t meet his previous standards, in my opinion.
Don in Phoenix: Eric, Thanks for the answer. Your logic and five points backed with concise answers encapsulates the reasons why you are the best on the beat.
Eric Hansen: Appreciate that, Don.
Steve from Kenosha, Wis.: No question. Jonathon asked about your favorite questioners. I know he didn’t ask me, but Marie from Atlanta brings it home every time since this chat has existed. She is very insightful and knowledgeable.
Eric Hansen: Thanks for that. She does bring it every week.
Eric Hansen: OK, with that, we're out of time for this week. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll do this all over again next week. Let's count on noon EDT on Wednesday, though we may have to move it to Thursday because of an assignment. I'll let you know on the website and on Twitter.
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