Story Poster
Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD
Notre Dame Football

Sunday Reflections

February 7, 2021
4,639

National Signing Day was boring for Notre Dame, yet it was an exciting week for the program as 15 new faces entered The Gug. 

I'd consider that a win as the Irish program lost quite a bit of talent following the Rose Bowl to graduation and the NFL Draft. 

14 early enrollees is a large number and quite a bit bigger than in past years, but does it lead to quicker playing time? 

Let's take a look. 

2019
Punter Jay Bramblett: Yes 
Offensive Lineman Quinn Carroll: No
Offensive Lineman Zeke Correll: No
Linebacker Jack Kiser: No
Offensive Lineman Andrew Kristofic: No
Defensive Lineman Jacob Lacey: No
Offensive Lineman John Olmstead: No
Defensive lineman NaNa Osafo-Mensah: No
Offensive Lineman Hunter Spears: No
Running Back Kyren Williams: No

2020
Defensive End Jordan Botelho: Kind of
Receiver Jay Brunelle: No
Defensive End Alexander Ehrensberger: No
Cornerback Ramon Henderson: No
Defensive Lineman Rylie Mills: Yes
Cornerback Caleb Offord: No
Quarterback Drew Pyne: Kind of
Receiver Xavier Watts: No

It's evident that early enrollment hasn't played a significant factor in freshmen seeing the field over the last two years. 

But Notre Dame is still getting freshmen on the field. 12 true freshmen have played key roles on offense, defense, or special teams over the last two seasons. That number could likely be a little higher if you counted those who played special teams (and a guy like Drew Pyne who took snaps), but I only counted those who were regulars. 

It's also worth noting the 2019 and 2020 teams had a wealth of experience returning. The 2021 Notre Dame roster doesn't exactly have that luxury, as it's likely some of the student-athletes who started college this week will be in the two-deep by showing up. 

There have also been plenty of early enrollees who make a difference in year two, like Kyren Williams. I'm not sure there are too many folks questioning his development path as he wasn't ready his freshman year to contribute. 

All that being said, I do think there will several of the 14 early enrollees make contributions this fall. There is too much talent and potential not to play them combined with the lack of experience across the entire roster. 

I'd love also love to see this trend continue for Notre Dame. Regardless of how many five-stars are in the class, the coaching staff needs to develop players once they get to campus and spring ball is a massive headstart. 

It might not matter as much for some kids, but it gave Alexander Ehrensberger a few months of what is expected despite not getting spring ball. A kid like Ramon Henderson wasn't expected to play year one, but it will undoubtedly prepare him for year two. 

Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler could start, but an extra six months with Matt Balis will pay off in 2022 more than 2021. 

It's the long game. The more, the better and Brian Polian credited the University for working with the football program to get the number higher. 

"As the number goes up, it's a credit to two places first to our administration for having faith in us and to make sure that these mid-year student-athletes transition well. 

"I think the numbers have gone up because I think through the last couple of years, we have proven that when we provide the right structure and support, these guys will succeed." 

Notre Dame needs to continue whatever its doing to make the transition smooth as this needs to be a trend where double-digits players are coming in early. 

- - - -

Saturday night was Notre Dame basketball in a nutshell. You saw the potential for this team to be a borderline Top 25 team, but then they showed you exactly why they aren’t as they blew a 15-point halftime lead. 

Mike Brey said Georgia Tech had better athletes and they got “out athleted” and it wasn’t the first time this season. 

You saw why Prentiss Hubb forces things sometimes as Cormac Ryan pumped faked and didn’t drive to the hole - and let time expire trying to pass the ball back to Hubb. 

It’s a program that doesn’t resemble any of Brey’s NCAA Tournament teams and a far cry from the Elite Eight teams. 

Notre Dame lacks a killer instinct and someone who wants the ball in crunch time outside of Hubb. Well, Juwan Durham will gladly take the rock, but the people Brey brought to South Bend to shoot the ball aren’t getting the job done. It’s the second time Cormac Ryan has made the wrong decision in the final seconds and it has cost the Irish. 

Now, there is good news as Blake Wesley and Paul Atkinson will improve the athleticism piece next season. JR Konieczny isn’t a great athlete, but he’s long and his game is similar to Steve Vasturia. Atkinson and Wesley won’t shy away from taking big shots. 

The 2022 recruiting class should be focused on adding athleticism. The 2018 class was highly ranked, but as most of you know, I had a concern because they weren’t the biggest group and lacked athleticism. 3.5 years into their career, the same concerns are there. Don’t get me wrong, Nate Laszewski, Dane Goodwin and Hubb have turned into good college basketball players, but not NCAA Tournament caliber. And yes, it’s not all on them as Brey failed on the recruiting trail after they arrived. 

Notre Dame needs to find a more polished Tony Sanders Jr. (or two). Big wings that can shoot are what kills Notre Dame on both ends of the floor. Florida State is a prime example of what length on the perimeter can do. The Noles push teams off the three-point line and get in passing lanes. They aren’t the best shooters in the world, but they can rise over defenders and attack the glass. 

College basketball is somewhat trending away from the one-and-done player. If you look at this year's Top 5 of Gonzaga, Baylor, Villanova, Michigan and Houston, those rosters aren't filled with one-and-done players. There is one freshman predicted to be drafted out of the five programs. There is substance to Brey's famous saying of getting old and staying old. You just need the right players and Notre Dame is far from that. 

- - - -

Jamie touched on this earlier in Six Thoughts on Thursday, but Marcus Freeman was super impressive in his first media session at Notre Dame. There is natural energy there, but he’s also got some Clark Lea in his calmness. It’s also refreshing to see Freeman embrace it as some coaches simply just don’t like talking to the media and that’s totally fair, but it was a great opportunity for Freeman to showcase his personality. 

It also makes spring ball even more disappointing from this angle. It’s unlikely we’ll get to see much (if any) of the spring due and that means we won’t get to see Freeman in his element. We won’t be able to see how he coaches or his schemes. 

Over the course of Lea’s first spring, we saw many different things and I’m sure some of that was Mike Elko starting from ground zero in terms of rebuilding the defense, but it was just completely different than in past years. 

It’s expected Kyle Hamilton and Jacob Lacey will be very limited this spring, so how does Freeman adjust to that? How does Chris O’Leary coach up his group if Hamilton isn’t able to practice much? Where does Howard Cross III fit into Freeman’s front? I hope it we’ll get some access so we can a feel for Freeman and his defense, but I’m sure it’s not exactly a pressing concern for Brian Kelly and his staff at this point. 

I also like the youth movement Notre Dame has on defense right now. Sure, it’s risky to hire O’Leary, who has never been a position coach, but it’s also how you develop and find rising stars in coaching. Lincoln Riley wasn’t at Notre Dame when he got started, but he was given a chance from a young age to show what he can do. 

And for those who do have concerns about his resume, I do think it’s valid, but do you know who coached the Rover position last year? Yes, the Rover positon that was held down by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the 2020 Butkus Award winner. It was O’Leary. 

It might be just me, but I’d be OK if that was on my resume. 

 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.