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\u25ba If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps<\/a>, 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<\/a> channel.\u00a0 We\u2019ll 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<\/a> as well, including the live Notre Dame Football Show<\/a>, on Wednesday nights.<\/p>\n \u25ba The Third & Gold Podcast<\/a> is available at all places where you find podcasts, as well as our YouTube Channel<\/a>. On our most recent episode<\/a>, we caught up with former Notre Dame wide receiver and author Matt Shelton<\/a>. Our next podcast will drop late next week. Here are the rules:<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Drinking, spitting, and bare feet are in play because of good behavior in past chats.<\/p>\n Off we go \u2026<\/p>\n 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?<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi Phillip. Let\u2019s start with Brenan Vernon. You\u2019ve 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s the one with the clearest path to playing time, the most physically and mentally ready and arguably the most talented. I\u2019d keep an eye on him.<\/p>\n Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric!!!!!! I hope all is well in your world.\u00a0 IYO, when did ND\u2019s 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?\u00a0 What do you think has led to MF\u2019s 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?????\u00a0 Thanks for everything you do behind the scenes to keep us so well informed.\u00a0 Hope we can continue the Chats well into the off-season. Go Irish!!!!<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 retaining your key players. And Marcus has done a great job of working with the administration \u2014 not confronting them \u2014 about finding ways to evolve with the new sports model without compromising Notre Dame\u2019s academic mission.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019t bet against him.<\/p>\n Manny from San Pedro: Aloha Eric!!!!! How is the backup qb battle looking?<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Aloha Manny!!!! Are you in Hawaii today? Or am I? In any event, I wish I was. \u2026 but to your question. It\u2019s 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\u2019ll get a full scrimmage a week from Saturday and I\u2019ll have the eye test to pair with QBs coach Gino Guidulgi\u2019s evaluation.<\/p>\n Having said that, the early returns are good. The intel I\u2019ve heard about Grubbs in particular is very encouraging. Long way to go, but an encouraging first 7 practices.<\/p>\n 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?<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n Ryan from Frankfort, Illinois: Good afternoon Eric how has Leonard Moore looked during\u00a0 spring practice GO IRISH \u2618\ufe0f\u2618\ufe0f\ud83c\udfc8\ud83c\udfc8<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. We didn\u2019t get to see Leonard Moore<\/a> in the full practice we took in because of a minor injury, but he is back now and looking great in drills. We\u2019ll see more of him in the April 18 closed scrimmage. I expect another All-American season from the junior.<\/p>\n John Spalding from Hobart, Ind.: Along with your great football work, I really enjoy your WBB work!\u00a0 Do you know roughly when tickets and packages will be sold for WBB next season.\u00a0 I only made 2 games this year, but I am retiring and hope to make many more next year. Thank you!<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi John. We\u2019ve got a few WBB questions today, and I\u2019ll 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<\/a>. And here is a link where you can get on an email list when packages and single-game tickets become available: HERE<\/a>. Thanks for the compliments, by the way.<\/p>\n Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you had a fantastic Easter and got to\u00a0 have lots of fun with your grandkids while they were hunting eggs. Did you dress up like the Easter bunny?\u00a0 As we are a little bit past halfway of the spring football season, which players have surprised you the most?\u00a0 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\u2019s different from past Football spring\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. I love my grandkids more than anything, but there is not enough money or jelly beans on God\u2019s 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) \u2026 QB Noah Grubbs, WR Jerome Bettis Jr., LB Ko\u2019o 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.<\/p>\n You ask some great questions, but sometimes they tie my brain in knots, because it doesn\u2019t work that way. I am going into the jersey scrimmage with an open mind and a blank slate, looking to be informed, and that\u2019s 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 \u201cWhoa, that\u2019s why the coaching staff is so excited.\u201d So, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n As to the difference in practices. \u2026 again we\u2019ve seen only one full one, but more team periods and fewer individual drills. And looking at the players, just more athleticism throughout the roster. \u2026 We\u2019ll 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\u2019s more of a true game format than a concocted one.<\/p>\n Don from Scottsdale, AZ: Eric, Thanks for keeping the chat going.\u00a0 Specific to the new defensive coaches it seems like the new D line coach is fitting in quite well.\u00a0 What about the new linebacker and D backfield coaches?\u00a0 Seems like they have bigger shoes to fill.\u00a0 Is it too early to get a sense for them?<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 D-Line coach Charlie Partridge, LBs coach Brian Jean-Mary and DBs coach Aaron Henry is that the defensive coordinator didn\u2019t 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\u2019s film study about stance, etc., has already helped his game.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be talking to the DBs on Friday, and I find the best insight about a new position coaches comes from the players \u2014 in what they say and don\u2019t say.<\/p>\n Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: Hi Eric,\u00a0 do you think Ayden Pouncey can stay at corner through his career?\u00a0 He seems lean enough to potentially have the body type and speed.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019t be surprised if we saw him play safety.<\/p>\n Tim Thompson from Nantucket, Mass.: Hi all, daffodils coming up = spring football. Recurring discussions about depth and \u201csleepers\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Tim, between your daffodils reference and your question cutting off at the end, am I jumping to a conclusion that you\u2019ve taken full advantage of the rescinding of the no drinking rule? I do like your questions, and we\u2019ve already hit on the Brenan Vernon saga. So let\u2019s focus on Styles Prescod. Prescod has been a lot closer to being in the fire than Vernon, but he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n Pat from Philly: As always, thanks. Sitting at your crystal ball 1) Do you think Notre Dame will finally experience a successful, \u201cin-house\u201d QB transition after Carr leaves? I\u2019m 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\u2019t 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)\u20262) 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 \u2013 judging by Jarrard reclassifying, that seems to be the case.<\/p>\n 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\u2019ve laid out and have an in-house successor.<\/p>\n Roger from Peoria: Eric: \u201cHope springs eternal!\u201d It\u2019s ND Spring ball so that well known phrase applies.\u00a0 Most Irish fans, myself included, likely apply that phrase every Spring whether warranted or not.\u00a0 Why, in your opinion, is the application of that phrase this Spring legitimate?\u00a0 Thanks as always for your cogent insights and observations!!<\/p>\n 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\u00a0 coaching staff, from top to bottom, to go with it. AND I have never seen this administration this in sync with football.<\/p>\n Jim from Springfield, Ill.: Thanks for these chats.\u00a0 North Carolina (away) and SMU (some talent there) appear to me to be the likeliest potential \u201cupsets\u201d this season. What thinks you?<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi Jim, and thank you. So, you are taking Miami and BYU out of the mix because they\u2019ll 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\u2019s 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 \u2026 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.<\/p>\n Tickets for Orange County, Calif.: Greetings from Orange County, CA.\u00a0 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!<\/p>\n Eric Hansen: Hi Orange County. You do know that sports writers are the worst ones to ask (at least this one), because we don\u2019t have the experience of doing that to help you through it. It\u2019s 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\u2019s home game and I have a good contact there, so if you can email me ([email\u00a0protected]<\/a>), I will contact him and get you some into. If you need advice on grilling beer brats or good steaks, now THAT\u2019S in my wheelhouse.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n
Eric Hansen: As far as this week\u2019s chat \u2026 PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/No-Bare-Feet_thumb-3.jpg\")
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