How strong is Notre Dame’s safety net at quarterback? | Chat Transcript

Eric Hansen: Welcome to the last Notre Dame Football Chat in weekly mode. That is until August training camp.

I’ll do maybe one or two a month during the next three months — and more as new warrants. And we will revert back to weekly chats in August. 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 — take a test drive for $1. 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 Monday, May 11 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 NFL and college football analyst Dalton Wasserman, who chatted with us about Notre Dame’s NFL Draft prospects in this draft and beyond. Our next podcast drops on Friday.

As far as this week’s chat …

PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s). No 17-parters and no manifestos. AND NO WHINING!

Eric Hansen: As far as these rules on the list … all waived for today, but BEHAVE.

Paul Berndt, South Bend: On a scale between “deer in the headlights” and “won’t skip a beat”, how disastrous would an injury to QB1 be? Is there a backup on the roster capable of beating Miamis if need be?

Eric Hansen: This is a great question, and one that would have a different answer depending on what point in the season it occurred and how long it kept CJ Carr out of action. But you mentioned Miami, and that’s fairly deep into the season. So, let’s make that the hypothetical. First, that’s not going to be an easy game to win WITH CJ Carr, hardly a layup. 2) But it will come deep enough into the season where the No. 2 QB (and maybe No. 3 will have some game reps under their belt at that juncture, and they’ll be that much further along in their own evolution in terms of understanding the offense.

3) I think the three QBs who will compete to be the No. 2 all have really good talent, and the two who were around this spring — Blake Hebert and Noah Grubbs — showed enough collective progress this spring that I think the ND coaches have no remorse about passing on a backup plucked from the portal. But the progress must continue. And this summer June enrollee Teddy Jarrard enters the picture. 5) This is a team where there’s an incredible roster on both sided of the ball to support whoever is playing QB. To me, losing QB1 would be a bigger challenge once the College Football Playoff run started than during the regular season, because of the caliber of defenses and completeness of those opposing CFP teams.

Matt from Gray, ME: Hi Eric!!! First time having a question for the chat and thank you for doing this. Your insight into the team is fantastic. With CJ Carr being the unquestionable #1 QB my question is about who will back him up. I know you have said previously you think it will be Jarrard as the eventual #2. Why do you think he will be the backup when he is arriving in the summer, has to learn the playbook and compete with two guys who have a leg up on him in terms of knowledge of the system and chemistry with the wideouts? Is it based off pure talent and football smarts or something else along with those? Thanks! and Go Irish!

Eric Hansen: Matt!!!! A strong debut question and excessive punctuation? Pinch me, I must we dreaming. Well played!!!! You are my new favorite person from Maine. … Let me lead with this. CJ Carr has the least time on campus, least college experience and least time in the system of the three QBs competing to be the starter last season. So experience matters, but it doesn’t supersede everything. And I did a story on Teddy Jarrard after the Blue-Gold game highlighting just how invested he was this spring that you might want to check out:
June-arriving QB Teddy Jarrard already making a heavy investment in his Notre Dame future

But here are some of the things I like about Jarrard. He has a lot of time as a starter in high school. He was the high school starter on the JV team as an eighth-grader. I love the guy he trains with, Ron Veal. I love how he’s wired, how athletic he is, his aptitude for being able to play chess at the line of scrimmage. Is he a slam dunk? No. I really thought Noah Grubbs is a gamer and who played ahead of his expected timeline this spring. I thought Blake Hebert made strides in his understanding of reading defenses and coverages. This summer continues to be about all three pushing each other and all three progressing. They can worry about separating from the others in August.

Andy from Wilmette, Ill.: Hello Eric.  Thank you for sharing your insight.  I’d be lost without these chats.  I only see one bye week.  Is that a new thing?  Are all teams doing that as well?  Also, of the undrafted free agents from ND’s team, who do you think will have the greatest NFL impact in 1 – 3 years?  Thanks again for the greatest chit chat on the planet, ND football. Go Irish!

Eric Hansen: Hi Andy. Thanks for the hype!  Let’s do the bye week part of this first. Almost every FBS team will have only one bye week this season, and that will be true in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The next season it will be prevalent to have two will be 2030. There are some exceptions. Teams that play in week 0, including USC, can have two bye weeks, because they have a 14-week window to play 12 games. The calendar determines which years there is a 14-week window and which there is a 13-week window. … To your NFL question, for me that would be Aamil Wagner.

Matt from Austin: Hi Eric. Been awhile. I hope this finds you and your family well. I know that you are a Heisman voter. I wanted to get your perspective on the Pavia situation. His post ceremony comments were awful. Did you feel disrespected/angry? How significant were those comments regarding him not being drafted, in your opinion? Have you ever witnessed a similar transgression? To switch pages, what two or three players impressed you the most in the Spring game? Thank you E. Matt

Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. You are excused/forgiven. Doing great here. Thanks for asking. As far as Diego Pavia and his comments, I don’t think that was a good look for him, but as a voter, I wasn’t angry. It takes more than that to hurt my feelings. As far as how it might have affected the draft. If he was the model citizen, there was a lot about his game that didn’t translate to the NFL. Just based alone on size (5-10), lack of arm strength and style, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler didn’t project Diego Pavia as a Top 300 draft prospect. And there were only 271 players drafted. Now, if he was a guy with the wholesome rep of Riley Leonard, for instance, then that could have convinced teams to roll the dice with Pavia. But the fact his Heisman outburst was kind of on brand for Pavia did encourage teams to want to take that chance.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois: Good afternoon Eric how did Devin Fitzgerald look during the blue and gold game i saw his touchdown but wasn’t able to watch the game also how did cooper Flanagan look GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. Devin Fitzgerald had a really good day and a really good spring. He caught 3 passes for 54 yards and a TD in the game. His challenge is all of the other players who are boundary receivers … Quincy Porter, Micah Gilbert, Cam Williams and Jerome Bettis Jr., but he certainly positioned himself well to compete further in August rather than move to the back burner. None of the tight ends caught a pass in the Blue-Gold Game, but they blocked well in the run game, and Cooper Flanagan had an outstanding spring ahead of the Blue-Gold Game. I’m very impressed with him.

RK from Minnesota: Knowing Carr as well as you do, could you see him coming back?  Does he love the college game that much?

Eric Hansen: RK. I think CJ Carr is grounded enough to make that decision after this one plays out. And I do think he loves the college game and Notre Dame. NIL money is very good in college, but if you are a first-round pick, you go to the NFL. And if he plays to his own and ND’s expectations, he will be a first-round pick in the 2027 Draft.

Smitty from Tempe, Ariz.: Eric – thanks for these chats, always appreciate your balanced insight.  With some of the forthcoming recruiting commitments, it looks possible that ND may start stacking big time recruiting classes year over year, as compared to Kelly’s teams.  How would you rank, or assign a percentage for how/why recruiting has improved, the following factors:

1. Freeman / coaches recruiting ability
2. Team culture Freeman has built
3. ND’s ability to offer more then just football
4. NIL and paying players

Eric Hansen: Hi Smitty, and thanks for the compliment. I am going to put these in order rather than giving them a percentage. I like that option better. It syncs up with how my brain is wired and how caffeinated I am at the moment. All of these are important, but for me it starts with 1. Team culture Marcus Freeman built. Everything else flows from that. And everything on the list ties into it.  2. Notre Dame’s ability to play in the big boy sandbox when it comes to rev share and NIL. The Irish don’t need to be the biggest spenders — given everything else they offer, but they do have to be competitive in this space. 3. Freeman’s and the other coaches’ recruiting ability. Building genuine relationships and having authenticity goes a long way. 4. That Notre Dame has a lot to offer beyond football. The parents love that now. The kids who don’t yet appreciate it, will in time. … And I’ll add another really major element — evaluation. That helped Indiana win a national title and it will help Notre Dame compete for one in 2026.

Tony (2581) from Lexington, KY while on the road for the upcoming baseball weekend at Notre Dame — Howdy, Eric !! One again, I am asking you to put on your seer’s cap ! Do you think that KVA, Kedren Young, Quincy Porter, Jaden Greathouse, and Charles Jagusah will play for the Irish on September 6th at Lambeau Field? Will you be at the game? Loretta and I will be there with two of the kids and their spouses. so if you will be there, we hope that you will be able to stop by our tailgate (near Lambeau) before the game ! Go Irish ! ☘🏈☘

Eric Hansen: Hi Tony, my brain froze when you implied there might be free food involved. It’s an affliction that’s fairly universal for sports writers. And the only prescription might be more cowbell … OK, to your actual questions. I say yes to all five, but on a confidence scale, I would rate their availability 1. Quincy Porter, 2. Kedren Young, 3. Jaden Greathouse, 4. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and 5. Charles Jagusah.  …Yes, I will be there. Yes, I would be happy to say hello but I can’t have a Corona before the game.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you had a great time at the spring game and that your week is going well. Who  are  a couple of players that exceeded your expectations this past weekend during the spring game? we all know CJ Car is going to be great, but he did get off to a rough start in the game. What are the three most important things he needs to work on this summer to improve his game? After seeing the spring game, which true freshman do  think will be able to contribute in the fall? Were you surprised that Gabriel Rubio got drafted and that Aamil Wagner did not? As always, thanks for all the great insights  and for hosting the chats. Please keep them going as much as possible during the offseason.

Eric Hansen: Ciao Marie. The week is going well. Thank you for asking. Two players who exceeded my expectations in the Blue-Gold Game were cornerback Jayden Sanders and RB Aneyas Williams for different reasons. Sanders had been working at nickel for most of the spring and really hadn’t jumped out in terms of someone you noticed, But on Saturday, he was asked to play in the boundary, with Leonard Moore a late scratch. And he got tested early and often, and I thought made some good plays.

Aneyas surprised me, because he defied both his recovery timeline and doctor’s orders to play. Now, Notre Dame was thudding and not tackling him, but still, he had been expected to miss all contact drills this spring following elbow surgery. And not only did he play in the Blue-Gold Game, but also the Jersey scrimmage the weekend before. .. What does CJ Carr need to work on this summer? He knows better than anybody, and the beauty is he already is likely getting a head start on those things.

For me, it’s more about lifting the players around him and elevating the team as a whole rather than individual stuff for him. Things like timing and chemistry with receivers, watching film with the running backs, taking the O-linemen out to dinner. … The slow start in the BGG is the most mirage-like thing ever in a game built to be one mirage after another. … as far as freshmen go, there are several who really helped themselves already, like Rodney Dunham, for instance, at DE and Noah Grubbs at QB. But August is going to be a better gauge for that, because a lot of growth will happen this summer.

I think, for example, WR Kaydon Finley, had a quiet spring, but I love the way he’s wired and I think he’s an elite talent who’s very resilient. And once he stops drinking from a firehose, I think he’s going to show those traits more prominently. Yes, I was surprised that Aamil Wagner did not get drafted. No, not surprised Gabe Rubio did get drafted. He has NFL size, and he has played well when he’s healthy. And yes, we’ll do the chats maybe twice a month, but definitely NOT next week.

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. Thanks for having these chats throughout the year. One of the highlights of my week. With the inception of NIL and players getting paid to pay do you find the kids are approachable and genuine as 10 years ago? Have a great off season.

Eric Hansen: Hi Jack, and thank you. I have not seen a shift away from players being approachable and genuine, but I can’t speak to whether that’s something happening beyond Notre Dame. Some schools have a different culture that might lend itself to players becoming more distant. But one of the things I love about my job is the outstanding people that Notre Dame attracts, and getting a chance to know them and hear and tell their stories.

Scott from Greenville, S.C.: Eric my Friend!!! I hope you are doing fantastic! Spring is here, the B&G game is over, and now we wait for recruit commitments and the new season. I have  to say, I’ve been an ND football fan since the 60s and seen some really promising years end with championships and at the same time, some end in head-scratching defeats. But, I haven’t been this excited about an ND team since Lou and the late 80s, early 90s teams. I never felt confident with Kelly’s teams but he did coach some good teams after 2011. He just couldn’t get them over the wall. But this team seems really special. A very talented QB, our best WR group in years, possibly the best secondary in college, excellent and seasoned LBs, some of the best depth and talent along both lines, and a strong RB room. But I think the real strength may be the coaching staff. That said, what makes you think ND can win it all, and what are the challenges that may keep ND from adding another title? Hope to see you at a game this year! Be safe!

Eric Hansen: Scott!!! Would love to meet you ahead of a game. If we have our pregame radio show at The Linebacker again next year, it’d be the perfect spot. To your question, and I love that you basically answered it yourself, at least the roster part. But let me start statistically. There are five metrics that track with teams that play for and win titles — rush offense, rush defense, total defense, team pass efficiency and turnover margin. The 2025 Irish team checked every box and did so at a higher level than any Notre Dame team of the post-Lou Holtz Era. There are those inside the program that feel that 2025 team would have won the title had the Irish gotten into the playoff field.

The 2026 roster is better and deeper. And you could argue the coaching staff is as good or better with more continuity among schemes and coordinators. Throw another layer on, the support from the administration is the best I’ve ever seen, and I’m old. Like there were no laptops when my career started. So what could go wrong? Losing QB1 for a stretch would be a big challenge. Key injuries at other positions, especially if there were a run of them at say defensive end or nickel. Bur this team is really deep just about everywhere … and hungry. So, go ahead and dream big, then buckle up.

Ash the Cash, South Bend: It seemed like, in the spring game, that Mike Denbrock was committed to trying to get the ball to Micah Gilbert, almost to the point of forcing the issue. Has he been identified as a part that needs to contribute for Notre Dame to be successful? Or was that more of a sink or swim moment?

Eric Hansen: Hi Ash. None of the above. CJ Carr saw an opportunity to throw into the boundary without having to deal with All-American Leonard Moore, an 11th-hour scratch for the Blue-Gold Game. Micah Gilbert is one of many receivers battling for a spot in the receiver rotation behind givens Mylan Graham, Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse and Quincy Porter. And he’s remained in contention to do so throughout the spring. But the expectation is the starter at that boundary position will be Porter, who missed the spring coming back from a minor knee surgery in January.

Skip – Houston: Looking three years ahead, do you see sanity being brought to transferability and NIL?  Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Gosh, Skip, it’s hard to look three weeks ahead and see anything but fog on that front. This is going to play out in Congress sooner or later. That’s when we’ll get clarity and a SHOT at sanity, but not guaranteed sanity.

Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric!!!!!!!!!!!  I have seen many college QB’s not reach their pre season hype for varying reasons. Is there any way short of a Natty that CJ Carr can exceed the expectation put on him for this season? Second question, it seems all ND position groups have received great hype. Which position group other than QB will exceed the expectation?  Which will fall short of expectations?

Eric Hansen: Len!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it really you? This is the first question I can remember that you kept to one screen … Well done! And I don’t mind the length, really, because you’re usually giving me very good context … to your question(s). I think you nailed the first question. The team’s success will be how he is measured. And I think he’s good with that. As far as the position groups, I am going to answer this in terms of general expectations and not my own, because mine are different. I think the running backs exceed. I can’t think of one I think will fall short, which is why I think this is a Final Four team, at least in April.

Denny from Flint, TX: Hi Eric, I just finished Marc Edward’s book of his extraordinary accomplishments. He was a very good player in the Holtz era that i remember well and saw play at Texas in an exciting win of top ten teams  to start the 1996 season. This leads to my question. Do you have any info on his son, Xander Edwards? Seems to be a great player but hardly mentioned these days? I thought he would be a good legacy fit.

Eric Hansen: Hi Danny, for those who don’t follow recruiting as closely as you do, let me fill them in and then I will directly answer your question. Xander Edwards is a 6-2, 220-pound running back for The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla. He is a four-star prospect and the No. 108 player overall in the 2028 class, per The Rivals Industry rankings. So you might not hear a ton about him just because he’s not in the current 2027 cycle. My colleague, Mike Singer, did a story on Xander after his most recent visit, this past Saturday. The bottom line is Notre Dame is still evaluating him. As a college prospect, he may project better at another position, but would he be open to that? So he could end up at ND, but he does not yet have an offer. I think that decision will be made one way or another by this summer.

Patrick from Los Angeles: Following the conclusion of spring practice and the Blue-Gold game what aspects of the team are you most bullish about, and what areas, if any, are you in wait and see mode. In your career covering Notre Dame football where does the talent level if this season’s squad rank? Thank you for your expert wisdom.

Eric Hansen: Oh Patrick, you buttered me up good at the end there. I love it! It works! Where were you when my kids were teenagers? I would have loved to give them a screenshot of the term expert wisdom and my name in the same paragraph! OK, time to try to live up to that … I am bullish about a lot, but I will top my list with CJ Carr and the safeties. Best talent and best coaching around it since the peak Holtz years, so we are talking 1988-93. Concerns? It would be great to have Kenny Minchey as QB2 again, and as I mentioned earlier, a run at injuries at a particular position. I think ND has some good options at nickel, but they need to kind of jell in August.

Joe from Baltimore: Hi Eric. After seeing that Indiana received 4-5 rings for their playoff run, did ND get rings for their major bowl rings? Or is that only something the team that wins it all does? Love what you do, and keep up the great work 💪🏻☘️

Eric Hansen: Joe, I am going to let you down and I am sorry. I would have to ask around to get that answer. I have not seen any players wearing them, but remember I talk to them after games and practices, not during ring-displaying times.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hey Eric, I hope you are well and have plans to relax, if possible, over the summer.  We hear a lot about the summer workouts and how they are important leading into fall camp.  What exactly is worked on during these workouts!!!????? What do the coaches and players hope to accomplish during this time???? I understand the possibility of working on QB/Rec timing and of also more bonding, but what else is hoped to be gained??? With the return of Cooper Flanagan and the improvement of James Flanigan plus the arrival of Ian Premer, is Ty Washington on the outside lookiing in???  If so, why was he brought back??? Thank you for these fun and informational Chats.  Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for the next one. Have fun my friend and as always, Go Irish!!!!!!

Ooops….Part 2 of my question:  is film study with the coaches and review/evaluation of their Spring performance a big part of the “summer workouts”????? Thanks again. Oh, what is your favorite summer picnic menu??? Mine is burgers with homemade potato salad and spicy baked beans and of course a couple of VERY cold beers!!!!! Kind of a tailgate warmup. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen: Tom, what is this word “relax” of which you speak. I need to look that up in the dictionary … if dictionaries actually exist … actually going to get some time fishing next week. … Tom, It would take me a long time to answer all the aspects of the summer workouts and all that is entailed. I plan to do a story on that in about a month, so how about if I send you the link when I do that. I would be leaving out too much good detail to work it into the chat format. What I can tell you in very general terms. Individuals emerge in spring practice. Teams and leaders emerge in the summer. So it is very important. But let me answer your other questions … 

As far as the tight end room, Ty Washington is still here, because 1) he is competing to be in that top group of tight ends. 2) You need proven depth in case he isn’t in the top group. He is going to have to battle Ian Premer and Jack Larsen to join Cooper Flanagan and James Flanigan. I think Preston Fryzel is a longer-term project, but one with really good potential down the road. ,,, Film study, with and without coaches, is a big summer staple … Favorite summer picnic menu? Here’s what I usually make when having people over. Beer brats, burgers (with all the fixins, including bacon), and mac ‘n’ cheese. BUT, I met a new friend at the Mike Denbrock charity launch party on Saturday night, and I hope he sees this. We are going to eat giant turkey legs and drink a beer. Now, THAT’S a picnic.

Smitty from Tempe, Ariz.: Eric – I’m rolling the dice and submitting a 2nd question to the chat… I heard a recent stat about the lack of success for college QBs who only had 1 starting season in college have in the NFL.  It appears that “reclassifying” and graduating HS a year early is becoming more and more a thing for recruits.  (I would do if I had an NIL payday waiting for me!)  How do you think it will impact the QBs development if they’re foregoing a year of starting in HS to be the #3 or #4 QB on ND’s depth chart?

Eric Hansen: Smitty, this is a great question but not one I’ve done the research on. But Notre Dame wouldn’t ask a kid to reclassify if they thought he’d be No. 4 (which could happen anyway). You do it because you think he can eventually be your No. 1 — if he earns it. Not as a freshman, but down the road. And so, learning from CJ Carr, I would think, would be a better developmental year for a multi-year high school starter than yet another year of high school. Especially if that reclassified player is 18 when he enrolls and not 17.

Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Mr. Hansen, Aamil Wagner wasn’t drafted. I’m glad he signed an UDFA deal with the Titans. Huge miscalculation on his part or he saw the talent on the O-line coming up and thought he might lose his starting spot?

Eric Hansen: I don’t think it’s either. He was really torn about whether another year in college would be best for his long-term development. He ultimately felt, as a two-year starter, he was ready. And there’s a lot of undrafted free agents who go on to play in Pro Bowls and have Super Bowl rings. But he didn’t leave because he was afraid he was going to get beaten out for a job. Not captain Aamil Wagner. If he had been. he’d have been better off transferring. I wouldn’t want to draft a kid who’s afraid to compete for a job. How would he compete at the NFL level?? But again, not Aamil Wagner’s issue. That young man is high character and highly competitive.

Eric Hansen: That’s going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions and the extra exclamation points!!!!!! Remember no chat next week unless you come join me at the lake fishing. We will do a chat or two in May and I’ll let you know on my Twitter/X account when that’s coming up and on our message board at blueandgold.com.