If no one is there to cover spring football, did spring football actually happen? Notre Dame welcomed a total of 58,615 fans inside Notre Dame Stadium during fall football games when Indiana Covid positivity rates and deaths were at their peak through the height of the pandemic but is now deciding not to allow a handful of beat reporters to socially distance themselves in order to view a few spring practices.
Notre Dame had been tight lipped about the situation and waited until the last minute to announce that spring ball is set to begin this Saturday, March 27th with the Blue-Gold Game rumored to be commencing on Saturday, May 1st. Of course, we can probably expect the media to be allowed in for the spring game when that event is broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Make it make sense.
We will present a spring football preview anyway, even though all we’ll have to talk about are leaks to reporters for the next several months:
Most Intriguing Players
QB Tyler Buchner
Let’s get it out of the way now. Truthfully, Buchner could be in each of our sections today being a highly-touted true freshman who is here for spring practice. Let’s just set aside Buchner winning the quarterback job (I wouldn’t tell anyone to give up hope but pulling it off in spring with a veteran grad transfer would be outrageous) and focus on some immediate concerns and more achievable goals:
1) I’m interested to see or hear if there’s any inkling of Buchner providing some “wow” moments. Inconsistency, struggles, and bad decisions are to be expected. But, if he has the ceiling we think he does than some of that is going to be sprinkled in even during his first set of practices.
2) Buchner is likely getting 3rd team reps for all or most of spring (assuming Clark’s knee injury is serious) but all things being equal he may have a massive advantage in that the receivers are young, talented, and go 10 deep. We could talk about the uncertainty with the offensive line but even the 3rd unit could feature Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler, 2 of the most highly rated linemen of the Kelly era. Either way, Buchner + the wideouts (and tight ends too, all 5 are on campus and will be practicing) feels like a big mismatch against this unproven secondary.
3) Will Buchner’s apparent mechanical issues be a thing of the past? I am prepared to not get a straight answer, especially now that media can’t view any workouts. Typically, the media will downplay these issues–especially for a young player–and if there are any concerns they’ll begin using coded language (see the example of Brandon Wimbush during fall camp 2018) so if the beat guys are berating readers about how mechanics aren’t an issue, the coaches know what they’re doing, he just needs more experience, and there’s nothing to worry about then I’m probably going to worry even more. Without any video evidence, if there’s talk of accuracy and confidence issues, we may have problems but I expect any poor reviews to stay close to the vest this spring.
WR Jordan Johnson
Johnson is the 2nd highest rated recruit on the entire roster right now. Only tight end Michael Mayer was rated higher (same 2020 class) and he was a freshman All-American so now you can understand why fans are so frustrated that they basically got nothing out of the St. Louis receiver last year.
From the little that has dripped out from 2020, talent didn’t seem to be an issue for Johnson. If he’s locked in and focused he’s potentially a difference maker and possibly the focus of the offense even this spring. If he makes that jump it could be an enormously happy storyline coming out these set of practices.
LB Marist Liufau
The rising redshirt sophomore’s numbers from 2020 won’t wow anyone without context: 22 tackles, 10 solo stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks. He finished 10th on the team in tackles and 4th among the linebackers which feels about right considering he didn’t receive consistent playing time throughout the season.
It’s probably fair to say that Liufau is currently the most promising of the 2019 linebackers. Figuring out his position moving forward under Freeman will be one of the big topics of spring but in general the increased role of Liufau could be one of the areas that elevates the entire linebackers as a whole. I’m excited to see his growth in the coming weeks.
Most to Prove
CB Tariq Bracy
If you go by experience, Bracy is a no-brainer to start at corner in spring. Others, think that he doesn’t fit at field corner and that with his loss of snaps and zapped confidence last year he’ll be stuck behind rising sophomore starter Clarence Lewis at boundary corner.
It seems pretty obvious that new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is going to be bringing an extra level of intensity and toughness on that side of the ball, with the corners being area number one to focus on in 2021. Does Bracy step up and offer a veteran option or will he continue to sink after last year’s disappointment?
LB Shayne Simon
I don’t think there’s a single Notre Dame fan who has penciled in Simon as a starter which is crazy to think about given how much he played last year. I like to imagine that Freeman has already sat him down, gone over some film, and asked him, “How in the world did you only finish with 14 tackles for the entire 2020 season?”
I have a feeling Simon is going to be a sink or swim type of veteran with a new coordinator. Simon started a lot of games but didn’t finish many of them. Clearly, Lea liked something about him in practice. Either Simon clicks immediately with Freeman and has a really strong 2021 or we never hear from him again.
WR Braden Lenzy
First, get healthy. Secondly, stay healthy. This has to be a priority for Lenzy who is coming off a rocky 2020 after a promising 2019. Like the other 2 players mentioned above, Lenzy has the stature on the team and enough experience to come in and grab a starting job, heck it’s probably expected for him more so than Bracy, and especially Simon.
Can Lenzy recapture his 2019 promise?
This doesn’t feel quite like a “do or die” spring for Lenzy as he’s versatile enough to be featured in the offense even if he’s not one of the top 3 receivers. However, his speed and game-breaking ability is one of the areas that the offense needs badly this year.
Darkhorse Good Youngsters
CB Ramon Henderson
I believe I featured Henderson as one of the underrated freshman who could make an impact in 2020 but it didn’t come to fruition. I’ve always thought his body-type was more of a safety and mentioned several times in the lead up to last fall he should move to the back end. However, he was listed only at 189 pounds as a freshman.
There are so many young defensive backs you could choose but I’ve been enamored with Henderson since he signed with the Irish. In the Freeman defense perhaps he’s one of the players that grabs a larger role as an extra defensive back in the 3-man front?
OL Andrew Kristofic
Of course, we have seen Josh Lugg feature at both guard and tackle throughout his career and it seems as though the 5th-year senior will kick back out to right tackle in 2021, at least to start things off. I’m not sure there’s anyone else on the roster who I’ve heard has the talent and ability to see significant snaps at guard or tackle besides Kristofic.
It seems most believe Quinn Carroll is destined to play guard while Tosh Baker is definitely a tackle. We still know so little about these players and spring ball should be a major eye-opener for everyone. I’m not predicting Kristofic is going to be a starter just that his flexibility could be a key component to being in the race with expected positional shuffling and different combinations tried out this off-season.
DL Rylie Mills
It was kind of shocking how much Mills played this past year, especially with a team that wasn’t lacking for depth along the defensive line. He didn’t make a ton of plays (7 tackles, 2 TFL) but just the fact that he was trusted to be out there in key moments against good teams speaks volumes to his progress early in his career.
Most are expecting an increased role for the defensive tackles who could swing out to be jumbo ends in the Freeman defense. I am betting Mills moves even further up the depth chart, potentially becoming the No. 2 strong-side end in a 3-man front. He should be a really good option in that role.
True Freshmen Ready for Impact
WR Lorenzo Styles
This program has to hit big time on 1 of Styles, Kevin Austin, or Jordan Johnson this year, it just has to do that. With Austin coming off injury and Johnson’s off-field issues to be determined you could make the case that for this spring we’ll see Styles jump out as The Future at wide receiver.
I’ve likened him to a plus version of TJ Jones so it’s very possible Styles is capable of a 30-catch season right out of the gate as a true freshman. He also has the body-type and agility to be the punt returner and I see little reason why a walk-on would continue in that role with Styles’ immense potential.
DB Philip Riley and/or DB Ryan Barnes
I’m just going to lump these guys together. Both were recruited as corners and both are in the conversation to be moved to safety (if it hasn’t happened already). They are here for spring and the defense needs help at corner and safety. I think at least one of these guys makes an impact.
3 Macro Program Questions
Can the Marcus Freeman Effect be Felt on the Field Immediately?
In our writer’s Slack room I was pondering what if Mackenzie Milton’s deep passing ability and decent-to-pretty-good Florida State receivers are a nightmare combination to open up against at night on the road as Freeman installs his aggressive defense?
Freeman looks to translate hype to the football field.Â
It looks to be a complete lock that Freeman is everything we expected and more as a recruiter as things off the field are trending in an incredibly positive direction. It wouldn’t be fair to question his ability as coach given his resume, it’s just that getting it done on the field can sometimes be a trickier situation that requires more patience.
Will the Offense Re-Load Enough to Avoid a Rebuild?
I guess this depends upon what your definition of a rebuild would be, right? Would a 9-3 regular season with a bowl win over a less talented team be considered a rebuild? I would say yes, most likely. It’s also possible, although far less likely, that there is a rebuilding job in 2021 but more so on defense and we’re generally happy and excited about the offense.
Most likely, there will be some troubles on offense this year. Decreasing those weaknesses may be the storyline of this off-season. Tommy Rees has his work cut out for him this spring.
Is it Possible 2021 is the Major Bowl Win Season?
Do we still care about the major bowl drought even with a couple recent playoff appearances? Admittedly, I’ve moved on a little bit from “oh my god we need to check this box” to wondering how different things would really be if the Irish went into the off-season on a real high with a shiny trophy that people actually care about?
I’m curious if this is the year they finally break the streak, though. That’s the mindset I’m going into spring with that maybe this group just overachieves enough based on pre-season expectations and wins the Orange Bowl or something. It’s been 9,946 days since this happened and I’d kind of like to experience that euphoria for an off-season again.
3 Micro Program Questions
Will an Unsettled Offensive Line be the Team’s Biggest Problem?
I’m torn on this because if the quarterback play is a little bit better than competent there should be plenty of weapons on offense unless the wideouts are a giant stink bomb. I also think it’s very possible to score a lot of points when you don’t have a couple All-Conference players on the offensive line. Notre Dame has recruited really well and should be fine.
On the other hand, Notre Dame lost a ton of talent with some really good players up front gone so it’s unclear what the plan is moving forward or where guys are lining up, made worse by the injured Jarrett Patterson.
How Different Will This Defense Look?
This is my favorite part of spring (if we can get some solid info, fingers crossed) as Freeman makes changes to the 4-year run of Mike Elko and Clark Lea defenses. How often will he use 3-man fronts? Will that be the base package? Which players are making substantial position switches? Can Freeman make the secondary a strength with the players on hand or will there be a begging for grad transfers soon?
I think in general fans like to cling to the belief that Freeman will work to the abilities of his players and all that accompanying coachspeak but as we get closer to actual practices I feel like people are coming to grips with the possibility things could be quite different schematically.
Will Injuries & No Media Frustrate Us Fans?
The last time we talked about injuries we didn’t know that safety Kyle Hamilton had a procedure done on his ankle after the 2020 season. Going into spring ball, here’s the list of injured players:
QB Brendon Clark – Knee
WR Kevin Austin – Foot
OL Jarrett Patterson – Foot
LB Paul Moala – Achilles
S Kyle Hamilton – Ankle
That’s a pretty small list, to be fair. However, pre-injury and pre-grad transfer market Clark would’ve been in the race to take over for Book so you’re looking at potentially 5 quality players and potential starters out for spring. Factor in the natural injuries that pop up in the week’s leading up to practice and it could put a damper on things. Hamilton especially–while you’d rest him liberally–feels like a big missed opportunity to get going in Freeman’s defense should he not be 100% healthy.
Still, the team will have 77 scholarships on campus for spring which is a ton of bodies. I know Notre Dame is determined beyond reason to hold these spring practices (hence the reported lock out of media) but I hope there’s something worthwhile for all of us to digest in the off-season and the team makes big strides even while dealing with some key injuries.
Early Enrolled Freshman Spec via Irish Sports Daily:
#11 QB Ronnie Powlus III – 6’2 5/8, 215
#12 QB Tyler Buchner – 6’1, 207
#15 CB Ryan Barnes – 6’1 7/8, 182
#20 S Justin Walters – 6’0 5/8, 178
#21 WR Lorenzo Styles Jr. – 6’1 1/8, 186
#25 CB Philip Riley – 5’11 ½, 198
#44 DE Devin Aupiu – 6’5 ¼, 220
#48 DE Will Schweitzer – 6’4, 215
#50 OL Rocco Spindler – 6’4 5/8, 315
#54 OL Blake Fisher – 6’6, 330
#72 OL Caleb Johnson – 6’5 5/8, 275
#80 TE Cane Berrong – 6’3 ½, 235
#88 TE Mitchell Evans – 6’5 1/8, 248
#97 DL Gabe Rubio – 6’5 ¼, 289
Do you think BK is using the pandemic as an excuse because he never actually wants reporters at practice? I imagine most coaches only begrudgingly let outsiders see them practice.
Yes.
Yes and no, lol. I think every coach, if he had his druthers, would never hold an open practice and never make himself, his assistants, or his players available for media sessions. Obviously there are program advantages to being visible, basically a chance to market yourself to recruits, but there are no football advantages. So in that sense I very much doubt that he’s disappointed or even all that resistant to shutting out the media.
On the other hand, I think we have to acknowledge how beyond critical this spring session is to the team. There are a ton of young and/or untested players who really needed last year’s spring session and didn’t get it. That had domino effects in the fall, where some guys who might’ve shown out in the spring couldn’t get increased reps in August, and other guys had to be thrown into battle without the benefit of that development. Rees didn’t get to install his offense in the spring. No doubt it had an impact on the season.
E mentioned Ryle Mills. He played a lot this year for a true freshman DL; would he have been more productive with those 14 extra practices under his belt? There were some early rumbles about Ramon Henderson looking better than they expected. Could he have taken the steps necessary in the spring to be part of the solution on the field in the fall? And of course there were tons of guys already on the team who needed those sessions.
Fast forward a year and this spring session is even more critical – both because there’s a bit of a development 8-ball thanks to last spring and because the team will need a whole bunch of guys to step into bigger roles. And let’s not forget the new DC installing his system, just as the new OC had to install his system last year. I think Kelly wants to be super duper conservative to bring the risk down as near to zero as possible – there’s probably no marginal decrease that isn’t worth it in his eyes. I’d bet that in fall camp, with more people vaccinated and things hopefully more under control, we’ll see more media availability.
https://twitter.com/NDFootball/status/1375162655544119302?s=20
No reporters allowed for the spring and the B-G Game is on Peacock!
“Let’s make it as hard as possible to follow Notre Dame football this spring.”
I’m bummed by the lack of reporters. I get safety first and all, but this feels like it doesn’t have safety in mind and is just easier for the football team to stay out of focus and present what they want to present via social media and Kelly updates. I get why that’s favorable for them, but disappointing for fans.
The Peacock thing is what it is. Everything is morphing to digital platforms. For me personally, it’s no big deal, I have no other choice but to have Comcast as a cable provider so I get Peacock for free (for now, anyways). That’s the good to go along with the bad that since I have Comcast I can’t get ACC Network since those two parties are still in a disagreement.
I wonder how long it will be before a ND football game is on Peacock. Probably pretty soon, being as Amazon is now exclusive for some NFL games in the cable package recently announced. Perhaps sooner still since NBC is shuttering the NBC Sports cable channel and moving sports content (soccer, NHL if they get the secondary package after they just lost the primary package to ESPN) to USA Network. Could get mighty crowded on USA.
As I am not super proficient on finding solutions for streaming issues, can anybody tell me if one can access Peacock (whatever that is) from overseas?
A quick google search failed me in attempting to answer this. The way I run it is through an app on my Smart TV. No clue the availability of these platforms in out-of-country markets, but I assume there is some option somehow.
Thanks, Hook. If Peacock has anything to do with NBC, probably not, as NBC won’t allow “foreign” IPs to stream (for the games, etc.)
Probably depends on advertising money; I can’t imagine companies would be flocking to drop ad dollars on Peacock broadcasts. I think putting the spring game there is probably more about filling out content on it than trialing a move of real games there.
That could be, but there’s evidence showing the other way too. NBC is already moving several high-profile English soccer games exclusively to Peacock. Similarly the Disney/ESPN family is not putting ND football games on the ACC Network really for advertising money, they’re doing it because they want to build a subscriber base for a more premium channel. Same concept but for the streaming.
I’m sure you’re right though that on Derby day in May with NHL season going on, sure dump this low impact college football spring game onto streaming and move onto the more important matters of the day. But big picture I’d bet sooner than later a ND football game is exclusive to Peacock.
It’s clear that Freeman is doing a good job recruiting, although I’m always “wait and see” about players who haven’t been on the field yet.
Clark Lea was a terrific coach, at the highest level. Freeman has very big shoes to fill in that respect, but folks seem to think he’s a step up from Clark. I’m waiting to see if that’s the case. I’m not so sure–Cincy opponents are a far cry from ND’s typical schedule, not to mention our frequency of playing Bama and Clemson lately. And in 2022 we open at OSU and play Clemson at home in the regular season.
I wish Freeman success and good fortune. We need it. I think the defense will have to carry the offense in 2021.
Both the offense and defense may benefit from FSU knowing as little as possible in Tallahassee in Sept. This season of great change especially.
On Buchner, I don’t care near as much what the ball looks like coming out of his hands as what it looks like as it nears his receivers. I would bet my house and yours that he’s a better passer by miles than Brandon Wimbush.
Foot injuries scare me. ND could very much use a healthy Patterson and Austin.
Lastly….No matter the the media access we will expect great things from our web site writers. God knows we pay enough to deserve it.
BTW, 77 here today…driving on the highway with the windows down was GREAT!!!.
Obviously we all want to see what Freeman can do this spring. But I really really want to see what Del Alexander can do. This has to be his last year at ND if the receiving production doesn’t improve drastically this year. There’s no way we’re making the jump to true national title contender with the production we’ve gotten from that group while he’s been around.