Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat as we reach the halfway point of Irish spring practice.

First, some quick programming notes:

► On July 1, Tyler James and I made the move to the On3 network and blueandgold.com and joined some amazing teammates. It’s proven to be a great move for us and, I believe, for our subscribers as well. And if you’re a potential first-time subscriber, we have a great deal — 50% off your first year with an annual subscription. With that, you get all of our premium content, plus all the value you get from a national team of writers and content creators, as well as access to every team site in the On3 network and a full year of The Athletic. Check it out at: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/.

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel.  We’ll be back next week, Monday at 7 p.m. ET, for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps with Tyler James co-hosting with me. And check out some great shows on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel as well, including the live Notre Dame Football Show, on Wednesday nights.

► The Third & Gold Podcast is available at all places where you find podcasts, as well as our YouTube Channel. On our most recent episode, we caught up with former Notre Dame wide receiver and author Matt Shelton. Our next podcast will drop late next week.
Eric Hansen: As far as this week’s chat … PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s).

Here are the rules:

Eric Hansen: Drinking, spitting, and bare feet are in play because of good behavior in past chats.

Off we go …

Phillip from Napoleon, Ohio: Do you think any of the Freshman DL will see significant playing time this coming season? Will Brenan Vernon break out this season?

Eric Hansen: Hi Phillip. Let’s start with Brenan Vernon. You’ve got to love his persistence and resilience, but if he breaks out this season, it would be one of the great comeback stories in ND history. He just hasn’t found traction for playing time, logging 8 snaps in his first three years on campus. And zero last season. What I can say about him in a good light is the 6-5, 300-pound redshirt junior has been a good teammate and helped out last year in practices on the scout team O-line when numbers were thin. I do not see him making a move up the depth chart this spring.

Now to the freshman defensive linemen, there are four of them. three of whom are participating in spring drills: ends Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade and interior DL Elijah Golden. DT Tiki Hola is out this spring with an injury. Of those four, I think Dunham is putting himself in position to get in the rotation. I like the potential of all four down the road, but he’s the one with the clearest path to playing time, the most physically and mentally ready and arguably the most talented. I’d keep an eye on him.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric!!!!!! I hope all is well in your world.  IYO, when did ND’s depth start to really build to the point now that it is a real strength??? Obviously, the portal has helped, but it seems they have done a great job evaluating and developing players. What is that process like?  What do you think has led to MF’s higher level of confidence??? Who do you think, of someone drafted in Round 6/7 or UFA, has the best chance to stick with a team in the NFL?????  Thanks for everything you do behind the scenes to keep us so well informed.  Hope we can continue the Chats well into the off-season. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen: Tom!!!!!!!! Bringing the punctuation today! I know I am going to get some tomatoes thrown at me for saying this, but I think it started in the later Brian Kelly years. But it’s become an artform and a science under Marcus Freeman. BK really got into the science of roster management after the 2016 season. Prior to that, ND often had less than the cap of 85 scholarship players in most years going in, because it was hard to predict transfers and other roster exits. So BK began to have more transparent conversations with players to at least maximize the 85, Also, a little roster churn was not looked upon as a bad thing for the first time.

I think BK recruited depth primarily for injury insurance, but it was a very good player development program. Players got better, they got drafted. They got to the CFP twice. Marcus took it to another level. He recruited depth not just for emergencies, but to flex it in deeper player rotations. Player evaluation is off the charts. Development comes from hiring great assistants and having a culture where non-starters have a role and real value.

Yes, the portal helps, and now the 85-scholarship limit is gone. So finances are part of it. But having the right culture helps the most underappreciated part of roster management — retaining your key players. And Marcus has done a great job of working with the administration — not confronting them — about finding ways to evolve with the new sports model without compromising Notre Dame’s academic mission.

So, the players who are projected to be drafted are Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Malachi Fields, Eli Raridon, Aamil Wagner and Billy Schrauth. So, let’s set them aside and look at the others. I think Will Pauling and DeVonta Smith helped themselves out a lot at Pro Day. I have a hard time seeing Jared Dawson and Gabe Rubio not making at least a practice squad. I would give Jalen Stroman, James Rendell and Jordan Botelho a fighting chance to do the same. The wild card is Junior Tuihalamaka. He does not have great measurables, but his intangibles are off the charts. I wouldn’t bet against him.

Manny from San Pedro: Aloha Eric!!!!! How is the backup qb battle looking?

Eric Hansen: Aloha Manny!!!! Are you in Hawaii today? Or am I? In any event, I wish I was. … but to your question. It’s more important this spring that freshman Noah Grubbs and redshirt freshman Blake Hebert BOTH continue to make progress than it is for one of them to create separation from the other. That process can happen in fall camp after Teddy Jarrard has arrived, in June. On Wednesday, we saw them throw, but the periods we saw had no defenders, so it was like watching someone play HORSE in basketball. We’ll get a full scrimmage a week from Saturday and I’ll have the eye test to pair with QBs coach Gino Guidulgi’s evaluation.

Having said that, the early returns are good. The intel I’ve heard about Grubbs in particular is very encouraging. Long way to go, but an encouraging first 7 practices.

Michael from Chicago: Can you please remind/enlighten me on what the rule/logic is preventing college teams from having a scrimmage against another college. Is it purely the NCAA or do the schools not want it either (putting tape out, potential injuries and/or tampering, etc.?) If ND could, do you think they would?

Eric Hansen: Division I teams are prohibited by NCAA rules from having a scrimmage against another school. Here is a link to a story of Syracuse and Colorado being denied an appeal of the rule last spring, which should help explain the thinking: LINK. There is sentiment growing about changing the rule if the growing momentum about wholesale football calendar changes continues to pick up. There are a lot of coaches that would like them in August rather than the spring. And yes, I think Marcus Freeman would be open to considering that.

Ryan from Frankfort, Illinois: Good afternoon Eric how has Leonard Moore looked during  spring practice GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. We didn’t get to see Leonard Moore in the full practice we took in because of a minor injury, but he is back now and looking great in drills. We’ll see more of him in the April 18 closed scrimmage. I expect another All-American season from the junior.

John Spalding from Hobart, Ind.: Along with your great football work, I really enjoy your WBB work!  Do you know roughly when tickets and packages will be sold for WBB next season.  I only made 2 games this year, but I am retiring and hope to make many more next year. Thank you!

Eric Hansen: Hi John. We’ve got a few WBB questions today, and I’ll get to them all but hold them to later in the chat. Let me knock this one off. Season tickets are already on sale. The link for more info is HERE. And here is a link where you can get on an email list when packages and single-game tickets become available: HERE. Thanks for the compliments, by the way.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you had a fantastic Easter and got to  have lots of fun with your grandkids while they were hunting eggs. Did you dress up like the Easter bunny?  As we are a little bit past halfway of the spring football season, which players have surprised you the most?  Who are the candidates that you think are most likely to really show out in the jersey scrimmage? What have you seen this spring season that’s different from past Football spring  seasons, either with regards to format/ structure ? Freeman always says question everything, is there something you can see that he questioned within the last year and implemented a change in spring practice to address that something? Any updates on the format for the blue gold game? Thanks so much for hosting and the chat and for all the great insights.

Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. I love my grandkids more than anything, but there is not enough money or jelly beans on God’s Green Earth to coax me to put on a rabbit costume. That being said, I dressed up like an eater and went to Easter brunch. Biggest surprises for me (and remember I have different expectations for certain players than other people have) … QB Noah Grubbs, WR Jerome Bettis Jr., LB Ko’o Kia, nickel Nick Reddish before his spring ended due to injury. I think people outside looking in would consider Nolan James a surprise, maybe Will Black and Cam Williams, but I expected all of those guys to surge and they have.

You ask some great questions, but sometimes they tie my brain in knots, because it doesn’t work that way. I am going into the jersey scrimmage with an open mind and a blank slate, looking to be informed, and that’s usually what happens. Let me give you an example how that process looks. Two springs ago, CJ Carr looked good in spring practice as an early enrollee. In the jersey scrimmage, though. it was like “Whoa, that’s why the coaching staff is so excited.” So, it’s those kinds of lightbulb revelations that you take in. I expect Jordan Faison and Leonard Moore and people like that to shine. But the value of the jersey scrimmage to to peek around the corner at who might be coming next.

As to the difference in practices. … again we’ve seen only one full one, but more team periods and fewer individual drills. And looking at the players, just more athleticism throughout the roster. … We’ll get Marcus Freeman after the jersey scrimmage on April 18, and we should get a briefing on the Blue-Gold Game format then. I hope it’s more of a true game format than a concocted one.

Don from Scottsdale, AZ: Eric, Thanks for keeping the chat going.  Specific to the new defensive coaches it seems like the new D line coach is fitting in quite well.  What about the new linebacker and D backfield coaches?  Seems like they have bigger shoes to fill.  Is it too early to get a sense for them?

Eric Hansen: Hi Don. Thanks for jumping in this week. Not too early to get a sense for them. I think what helps all three of them — D-Line coach Charlie Partridge, LBs coach Brian Jean-Mary and DBs coach Aaron Henry is that the defensive coordinator didn’t change too, so the basics of the scheme are the same. That makes processing the nuances of technique teaching differences easier for the players to take in. Jason Onye, for instance, was talking yesterday about how helpful Partridge’s film study about stance, etc., has already helped his game.

We’ll be talking to the DBs on Friday, and I find the best insight about a new position coaches comes from the players — in what they say and don’t say.

Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: Hi Eric,  do you think Ayden Pouncey can stay at corner through his career?  He seems lean enough to potentially have the body type and speed.

Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. Freshman Ayden Pouncey intrigues the heck out of me. He is a guy I am really high on, but not sure yet what he turns into. He’s in the mix to be in the return game for example this season. I am pretty sure he could play offense at the college level, but where could he best help Notre Dame this year and in the future? I think this year definitely as a cornerback. But down the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him play safety.

Tim Thompson from Nantucket, Mass.: Hi all, daffodils coming up = spring football. Recurring discussions about depth and “sleepers” have covered many usual suspects, but 2 players are stuck in my conception of possible contributors, one offense, one defense. On the d-line someone who seems buried is Brennan Vernon. Destined for perpetual back-up? I recall he was a highly regarded recruit, but has been stuck on the 3-deep, mild situational rotation player. Then, what about Styles Prescod. Had some meaningful minutes last year, but seems apparent that the O-line has a sure 7-deep lineup in place. I expect 2-3 o-line players to enter portal before.

Eric Hansen: Tim, between your daffodils reference and your question cutting off at the end, am I jumping to a conclusion that you’ve taken full advantage of the rescinding of the no drinking rule? I do like your questions, and we’ve already hit on the Brenan Vernon saga. So let’s focus on Styles Prescod. Prescod has been a lot closer to being in the fire than Vernon, but he’s battling younger players leaping over him on the depth chart. He is a 6-6, 298-pound redshirt sophomore tackle. who played 89 snaps over 8 games last season. He did not have a very favorable film grade from Pro Football Focus.

The most encouraging scenario for him is the one that Liam Eichenberg followed at ND, and that was coming into his own later than some of the players in his class and the class behind him, and eventually becoming an All-American and high draft pick. The Irish still don’t have overwhelming numbers at tackle, but redshirt freshmen Will Black and Matty Augustine are ahead of Prescod now. There are true freshmen who could make a move. Owen Strebig could. So this is a significant developmental year for Styles in terms of being in the mix to someday be a starter. 

As far as transfers, your question got cut off before you finished your sentence, but there is not a spring transfer portal period this year. So, the 20 offensive linemen on the roster will be the 20 who open the season with the Irish. Going into next offseason, the portal is unpredictable, because it’s no longer just about playing time. There are financial considerations and how close a player is to getting the ND degree he came for in the first place. ND had zero incoming or outgoing transfers at the offensive line position group in January, but they could have next year. We’ll see.

Pat from Philly: As always, thanks. Sitting at your crystal ball 1) Do you think Notre Dame will finally experience a successful, “in-house” QB transition after Carr leaves? I’m defining that as a QB ND recruited declaring for the NFL or graduating and then moving the following year into a recruited QB who holds the job until they leave early or graduate. They haven’t done it successfully this century! Crist and Wimbush seemed teed up but were unable to hold the job. Maybe Clausen gets an asterisk if he was healthy as a true Freshman (although he never overlapped with Quinn)…2) Given how hard its proven to be and the success of teams like Indiana, Miami, and ND itself with Leonard, should this be something the program even wants to do – judging by Jarrard reclassifying, that seems to be the case.

Eric Hansen: Hi Pat. the intent is absolutely to develop another in-house No. 1 QB option once CJ Carr heads to the NFL, which could be after this season. The portal has become a safety net in this regard rather than the top option. But with the way college football is structured, everyone operates on one-year commitments and contracts, so you may not be able to execute what you intend. Having said that, here is why I think ND has a good chance to implement their intent. 1) The Irish are recruiting that position at a consistently high level. 2) ND is very competitive in the NIL/rev share space. 3) Having Gino Guidugli as the position coach and Mike Denbrock as the offensive coordinator are great assets and investments in that plan. So my prediction, without having to cheat with a crystal ball, is ND will indeed do as you’ve laid out and have an in-house successor.

Roger from Peoria: Eric: “Hope springs eternal!” It’s ND Spring ball so that well known phrase applies.  Most Irish fans, myself included, likely apply that phrase every Spring whether warranted or not.  Why, in your opinion, is the application of that phrase this Spring legitimate?  Thanks as always for your cogent insights and observations!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Roger. I hope I am playing the game correctly here. My answer is I have not seen a roster this complete/athletic/promising since the Lou Holtz years and with a really good  coaching staff, from top to bottom, to go with it. AND I have never seen this administration this in sync with football.

Jim from Springfield, Ill.: Thanks for these chats.  North Carolina (away) and SMU (some talent there) appear to me to be the likeliest potential “upsets” this season. What thinks you?

Eric Hansen: Hi Jim, and thank you. So, you are taking Miami and BYU out of the mix because they’ll likely be ranked, I assume? I have not gotten to the point of studying matchups, but of the remaining teams this is how they are ranked in ESPN’s SP+ analytics ratings: 8. Miami, 18. BYU, 28. SMU, 54 North Carolina, 61 Wisconsin, 63. Navy, 67. Michigan State, 69. Syracuse, 74.BC, 75. Stanford, 82. Purdue, 120. Rice … so based on this it would be SMU. And North Carolina on the road is a good call for a trap game. For the record, ND is ranked No. 3, so they will likely be favored in every game.

Tickets for Orange County, Calif.: Greetings from Orange County, CA.  My son and I are planning to attend the ND vs Navy game this year in Foxborough, Mass. Can anybody point me in the right direction to get tickets? I know about the second level re-sellers, but, hopefully, there are other options. Thanks Eric for your outstanding job in educating us that are not worthy!

Eric Hansen: Hi Orange County. You do know that sports writers are the worst ones to ask (at least this one), because we don’t have the experience of doing that to help you through it. It’s similar to when people ask me about South Bend hotels. I have no idea, because my friends and family stay at my house. BUT that is Navy’s home game and I have a good contact there, so if you can email me ([email protected]), I will contact him and get you some into. If you need advice on grilling beer brats or good steaks, now THAT’S in my wheelhouse.

Ed from Sayville, N.Y.: Hello Eric. Has there been any reaction that you may have heard regarding issue of the executive order recently put forth by the president? Might the order have sufficient bite to have a meaningful impact on a near term basis on college athletics? Might the threat of holding back federal funding to public and graduate research programs at schools like Notre Dame be enough to force some action? Could players think twice about entering the portal multiple times should transfer limits be put back in place? Feel free to gong me, or throw up your hands if this series of questions belongs on meet the press.

Eric Hansen: Hi Ed. Ross Dellenger, who’s part of our On3 national team, did a great breakdown of this that I can’t do justice to in this forum. Here it is: The NCAA may not be able to deliver everything in Trump’s executive order  … I’m not afraid to touch the stove here, because I can apply this purely to sports and stay out of the political quagmire. And the bottom line is this … the gesture is appreciated, because it continues to conversations that must be had. In terms of it actually making changes, I’ll borrow this line from a strong CBSSports.com piece: The answer, at least for now, is not much — unless Congress acts or courts uphold it. … So, the journey continues.

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. I am planning my annual visit for a home football game. Do you think there will be any night games besides Miami this year? Thanks for all your great work.

Eric Hansen: Jack, thank you for your question. I am guessing here that there will be a second night game. The bigger guess is which one beyond Miami? If you can email me, I’ll try to do some digging.

Doza from New Bedford, Mass.: For the question about tickets to the Nave game in Foxborough.  Ticketmaster is where I got my tickets. Just checked and they still have plenty available.

Eric Hansen: Doza, thanks so much for the info!

Glenn from Seattle, Wash.: Hi Eric. Feels like all the talk is about Notre Dame making the playoff this season—and with our schedule and talent, that should be the starting point. How do you think we stack up against the other likely contenders like Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon? With what they’ve got coming back, what they added through recruiting and the portal, and how their schedules look, what are our real chances of winning it all? Any dark horse National Championship contenders your keeping an eye on? Thanks!

Eric Hansen: Hi Glenn, as an AP voter, I really dig into the research on these kinds of topics. More good news, with no spring transfer portal this year, we have a better idea of how these teams are shaping up, with offseason injuries as possible trajectory changers. Having said that, April is usually not when I do the research. But I will take a stab at it. As previously referenced, Notre Dame is No. 3 in the SP+ ratings for ESPN. Ohio State is 1, Oregon 2, Georgia 4 and Indiana 5. As far as a sleeper, maybe LSU at 10, with Lane Kiffin and a new, expensive roster.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, my understanding is that the Irish are spending a lot of time working on Special Teams. Have you been able to witness any of that work??? Also, are all of the kick/punt return candidates available to practice in Spring ball? Who do you see as the top 2 candidates for each returner position???  Sure seems like Faison is still the best for returning punts. Thanks, and I hope spring continues in SB. Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. Special teams will always be a priority under Marcus Freeman, and it has paid off for them. Haven’t seen the kickers/punter yet. We’ll likely see that at the April 18 scrimmage. We saw them doing a punt block drills and involved a ton of players in that. Marcus Freeman was one of the three punters involved in the drill. I think Javian Osborne is the only one who could wedge his way into the mix who is out for spring. I always want to be clear about what we’ve seen and what we have not. We have seen players fielding kickoffs and punts and run a few yards down the field without having to break tackles or make someone miss.

So, having said that, I like Jordan Faison at PR, but they may want to use someone else in that role. And there are plenty of good ones. On kickoffs I’d like to see Aneyas Williams or Dallas Golden.

John from Scottsdale, Ariz.: Thank you for hosting these chats. Your insights helps the off season move by quickly as we wait for the 2026 season. Think back to April 2022. Coach Freeman was 5 months on the job. Did you expect Marcus Freeman to be as good of a coach as he is now? I’ll admit I did not. The only ND head coaches in my lifetime prior to Freeman with no previous experience were Faust, Davie, and Weiss and none of those tenures were successes. What were your expectations and why do you think Freeman has succeeded when others in similar circumstances failed?

Eric Hansen: Hi John, great question that requires an ocean of an answer. And all I have is a Solo cup. I’ll do my best. Quite frankly, Bob Davie wasn’t a good leader even when he had experience. Gerry Faust was a high school coach. Charlie Weis knew offense, but couldn’t get the defense right. Marcus Freeman succeeded because he was brave enough to know he didn’t have all the answers, and he wasn’t afraid to ask questions. And he continues to do that even now. And he asks the right questions. His authenticity as a coach and a man is his super power. And he adapts and evolves to a rapidly changing college football world around him.

Penny from Adrian, Michigan: Hi Eric! Thanks for the chats, you always do a fantastic job.
Penny, Adrian, Michigan: Sorry, sent before I asked my question. What is your take on Cass Prosper declaring for the WNBA draft? I think she should have stayed another year.

Eric Hansen: Thanks Penny! I think Cass Prosper would have benefitted from another year, but I think he game remains on an upward trajectory. She has always fashioned herself as a guard, but having to play more forward and even some center this year helped her game. Her family is very basketball-savvy and did a lot of research, so this wasn’t a decision that was made lightly. And financially, she might be losing money next year, but I do agree with your assessment. She really could have boosted her stock with another year of college ball.

Skip from Houston: The state of the Notre Dame men’s basketball program is embarrassing. It is analogous to UConn except in reverse. One of our two major men’s sports programs is fully supported while the other is essentially ignored. Some schools, such as Michigan, fully support both. Question: how do you apportion blame among the administration in its roster budget/facilities, our NIL supporters and the coaching staff? Thank you.

Eric Hansen: Skip. I don’t mind wandering out of my lane a little bit, but this isn’t even on the same road for me. I don’t cover the men’s team and it overlaps my football and WBB commitments. I have not done the deep dive research on this, so I couldn’t tell you what the commitment level is. What I can see as you see, something is broken. We’ve got a great team of MBB beat writers in Jack Soble and Tyler James, so I think you’d get a much better perspective from them. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.

Irishcajun50: If Notre Dame is forced into a conference which one makes the most sense to join?

Eric Hansen: Forced? They would be contractually obligated to join the ACC if they went all in for football. If they found an outclause, the Big Ten would seem to make the most sense for all sports, with a large enough footprint that it now has a national stage.

Cassidy from Grand Rapids (by way of Niles MI): Cassidy.

Eric Hansen: Cassidy, your question didn’t come through, so if you had one, hit me up next week, and I’ll be glad to answer it.

Eric Hansen: That’s going to do it for today. Thanks for all the great question. We’ll be back to do it all over again next Thursday at noon ET.