The others have covered the academic differences. I'd argue there have been more non-takable players than you'd think, but that doesn't make your program some sort of academic renegade. It makes them normal. ND simply has some challenging self-inflicted restrictions. That said, for the most part, CU's players tend to be very easy to like. They're certainly fun to watch and I'll root for them over the likes of Bama and OSU any day. Hell, I really like Dabo. He's a fun counter to the curmudgeon egolitarian Sabans and Urbans of the college football world. Now some of your fans on here make CU unlikable, but that can be said about any team. Except ND, of course. We're all perfect gentlemen.
I can see this and the foreign language requirements being deterrents. GT has the same issues regarding strict curriculum. As an alum, I take a lot of pride in how Dabo operates. He spends a lot of time and energy ensuring that each player has a pathway to a degree and opportunities outside of football.
I think the barriers to ND recruiting at a consistently top 3 level are much more cultural (of which geography is a significant component) than academic or anything else. Too many of the elite prospects will never be convinced to spend 4 years playing as an independent at a school full of rich white midwestern Catholics. All that said, I don't think it is completely out of the question that ND can recruit at a top 5 level annually. It's going to require ND having significantly more success on the west coast and head-to-head against Ohio State to get there though.
you wont see many people argueing that dabo is not at the very least at the just end of the spectrum of college coaches
Would never happen, but there’s nobody in the country I’d rather coach ND than Dabo right now. I think he would be a very good fit based on our University’s ideals.
It gets frustrating as fans at times. He doesn't process players. As long as you are fulfilling your obligations in the classroom and to the team, you have a spot on the team. That's why you won't see Clemson as a perennial top 5 recruiting team. We took 29 players in the 2019 class, 14 of which were 3 star recruits. Sure, we will have years like the 2020 class where we can take 20-22 guys and be a top class. Other years like 2017 where we only have room for 14 guys and rank outside the top 15. Puts a lot of pressure on the coaches to make the right decisions in recruiting and develop what you have. Sorry to derail the thread, I just had to take exception to being lumped in with Bama and others, we certainly are not like the others.
no worries, as you can see here there is nothing but admiration for what yall are doing. The thing yall can do what we cant in the recruiting department is getting truly elite players in significant numbers
I would never lump you guys in with the others. You seem to be doing this the way it should be done. The way we want to do it. There are some academic differences but they are minute. As said earlier I really think our issues are more regional than anything. It was easy to pull kids (white} to South Bend up until the rise of the South in CFB. It also is on the heels of an admin that pretty much hated the football team under Holtz. That is getting better, but we need to beat the likes of Celmson and Bama now to swing things back to the late 80's.
from Coach D on Xavier Spoiler When Omaha (Neb.) Burke wide receiver Xavier Watts first started thinking about making his college decision the plan was for him to wait until right before his senior season. But that timeline could change in the near future. When Watts visited Notre Dame in September he felt like it was where he wanted to be. When he visited unofficially in April the same thing happened, Watts knew Notre Dame was the place for him. When he visited South Bend again officially this past weekend he thought long and hard about committing to Notre Dame. Talking to sources close to his recruitment the plan was he would go home after his most recent visit, talk things over and likely make a decision. That appears to be what is happening, which makes it unlikely that Watts stays within his original timeline. According to sources I’ve spoken with, Watts is still considering both Notre Dame and Nebraska. Those sources make it clear that when Watts is on campus at Notre Dame he knows that is where he wants to be, which is why Notre Dame has been his leader for so long. But when he returns home to Nebraska there is something that keeps him from pulling the trigger. Why that is the case is unknown talking to various sources, but that is why thus far Watts has been unwilling to pull the trigger for the Irish. Despite the in-state pull, the latest intel is that unlike the April visit to Notre Dame, the vibe Watts got from his latest trip isn’t wearing off and the Irish remain strong on his mind. But Watts seems somewhat torn between the easy path of staying home and playing for Nebraska, which is what everyone other than his family expects/wants him to do, or taking the road less traveled and leaving the state and playing for Notre Dame. As of last night it appears that Watts is thinking more and more about actually deciding to take the harder path. Watts is a must-get for the staff, and he’s a player the staff really wants in the class. The feeling according to sources on the Notre Dame side of things is that Watts has a skillset the offense doesn’t have much of but wants a lot more of on its roster. He’s a prospect that sources I speak with believe could be a difference maker at Notre Dame, and pairing him with Jordan Johnson would give Notre Dame the elite WR haul it wants and needs in the 2020 class. All of the above was sourced information, but here is my personal opinion. If Watts makes his decision in the next two weeks I believe it will be for Notre Dame. If he carries it into the fall I believe it will become much harder for Notre Dame to land him. So closing the next couple weeks will be the key.
I still get anxiety when I see two jerseys with the same number. Pitt 2012 flashbacks and whatnot. Which is actually a fun topic for June... how does the rest of Kelly's tenure unfold if that penalty is called and ND doesn't go to the title game?
Good question Not sure he survives the 3-9. Alternate question, where is ND right now if Kansas St doesn't lose and they beat them instead of getting shanked by Bama?
My first reaction was that he is fired after 2014 if not 2016, but I could also buy an argument that ND going 11-1 and beating someone (Kansas St?) in a major bowl would have left ND in a better place than getting embarrassed by Bama. Perhaps it even would have taken enough wind out of Diaco's sails to keep him from getting the UConn job and thus BVG never sets foot in South Bend. To answer your question, I think ND would have won the 2012 national title and Brian Kelly would currently be coaching a different major program (USC/Texas/Florida/Michigan/Tennessee) after getting fired by the Eagles in the 2014-2015 timeframe.
I still hate Kansas State for fucking that up. We would have smacked them, instead we got the backslap from Bama.
The most optimistic ND-related opinion I have is that ND wins the title in 2015 with a competent defensive coordinator, so I'll take that trade.
Yep that's pretty much my spin on it. I'd prefer to ignore the fact that we would have had to go through Alabama to win the title, but with a good defense that team would have been a very strong 11-1 team that finished the season by blowing out Stanford, if not 12-0 with a win over Clemson too.
going on vacation with the family starting tomorrow so I won't be able to post Opening updates unfortunately Hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th!
Who approved this? PM your UN/passwords to someone along with a process doc to ensure no coverage lapse
So we got 5 OL or DL players at the pool today. I love ND football, but they're drinking from glass bottles in the pool, which is a big no no. Going to have to report them. Sorry guys. But here starts the summer is suspensions and bad news
Drew Pyne seems to be holding his own at Elite 11. Might get his 4th star back Dude is remarkably accurate on anything 15 yards and in. Def elite at that range Pretty mobile, strong. Lacks deep ball touch Who does that remind you of?
I can already see the ESPN headline "Notre Dame players caught drinking underage and breaking pool rules"
Coronas and shotgunning white claws Only guy I kinda knew was Quinn Carrol. The others I'm sure we're freshman or sophomore ol, I just didn't catch any other names
Spoiler State of the Program: Notre Dame has the pieces of a Playoff team, but so do some of its opponents By Pete Sampson 1h ago 5 It ended with Brian Kelly doubled over in angst, hands on knees as Notre Dame’s head coach stared holes into the AT&T Stadium turf. The Irish had just been blown out by soon-to-be national champion Clemson in the Cotton Bowl, out-classed when the game was close in the first half and out-classed when it wasn’t in the second. The total damage was a 30-3 drubbing that looked a lot like Notre Dame’s last brush with a national championship even if it felt different. That’s why it hurt Kelly, left to defend Notre Dame after it again looked a step slow against one of college football’s two elites. When Notre Dame was demolished by Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game six seasons earlier, the Irish were a deer sprinting across the interstate compared to the Crimson Tide’s tractor-trailer. And even if the Cotton Bowl seemed similar in spots, Kelly insisted it was more different. Kelly was defiant immediately after January’s game that Notre Dame was closer to Clemson than the scoreboard showed. That belief carried into the offseason as Kelly not only fixed his posture but began to again stick his chest out about Notre Dame. “It was an 80/20 game for us,” Kelly said of the Cotton Bowl the day before spring ball kicked off. “Eighty percent of the stuff we loved. It was about 20 percent of the things we wish we could have been better at. Their skill was outstanding. That’s the next challenge for us to take the next step.” Even if Kelly’s ratios are up for debate, where he sees the program needing to go next is not. That’s something Notre Dame can feel good about, that the systems are in place to get back to the College Football Playoff. In terms of coaching staff, strength training and recruiting, Notre Dame feels close to the peak for the Kelly era, part of the reason why the program is 22-4 the past two seasons. When the Irish picked up the pieces following the title game rout against the Tide, the program appeared to need more of a reboot. Notre Dame was plowed under by Clemson because it lacked a game-changing quarterback, dynamic receivers and defensive depth. A year later the Irish feel closer on the first two counts, even if the third remains a serious concern. Quarterback Ian Book is back, along with a wealth of talent at the skill positions, plus an offensive line that returns four starters. Defensively, second-year coordinator Clark Lea must replace a ton, most of it right up the spine of the defense. Even if the Irish don’t have a perfect roster returning, they have worked their way toward sustained success as long as Kelly remains on campus. Sure, there’s a randomness to winning a championship, never mind beating Clemson and/or Alabama. But there’s an intentionality that comes with competing to make the College Football Playoff, something Notre Dame seems to have grasped entering Kelly’s 10th season. “There’s a clear mission for what we want to accomplish and a standard for what we all follow,” Kelly said. “There’s only one thing we’re after here and that’s winning a championship. I just think there’s a clarity in what the mission is and how we go about it on a day-to-day basis.” Biggest on-field question Can a quarterback replace two linebackers? That’s not exactly the biggest question facing Notre Dame this season, but it’s something close to it. There’s no question the Irish defense will take a step back after watching first-round pick Jerry Tillery depart at defensive tackle, along with All-American cornerback Julian Love and reliable linebackers Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney. A defense that carried Notre Dame much of last season will likely need to be carried for stretches this fall, meaning the pressure is on Ian Book to do the lifting. “I really like the pieces that are coming together offensively,” Kelly said. “We can throw it and we can run it. The quarterback is really good and we have explosive playmakers. The offensive line is going to be a really good unit. All the pieces are there, and we have a lot of work to do.” The Irish rightfully have great expectations for Ian Book (left) this season. (Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Notre Dame averaged 31.4 points per game last season, the second-lowest scoring average by a Playoff team in the system’s five-year run. Of the 20 teams that have made the Playoff, seven finished the season averaging at least 40 points per game, including all three entrants last season: Clemson (44.3), Alabama (45.6) and Oklahoma (48.4). That’s exactly where Notre Dame needs to go, even if the Kelly-era high mark is the 34.2 points per during the 2015 and 2017 seasons. The Irish have never hit 40 points per game during the modern era. “I want to have great speed everywhere,” said offensive coordinator Chip Long. “I want to be huge up front. I want to be great at quarterback and tailback. We’re obviously gonna be pushing for that. I don’t know a timetable for that, but you can see a lot of our young guys coming on, which has been great to see.” Notre Dame returning to the Playoff hinges on too many factors to identify just one. However, if the Irish contend for the four-team field, there is no question Long and Book will have to be the biggest reasons why, likely because they elevated Notre Dame’s offense to new heights. Depth chart analysis Quarterback: There’s no question about the starter, a rare certainty under Brian Kelly during his decade in charge that has included training camp competitions and in-season switches. Senior Ian Book thrived despite the latter last season when he replaced Brandon Wimbush after three ineffective starts. Wimbush, who’s since departed on a graduate transfer for UCF, didn’t have the every-down accuracy to make Chip Long’s offensive playbook work. Turns out Book did during a revelatory season where his 68.15 completion percentage set the single-season school record. At one point during the season Book led the nation in completion percentage. The former Washington State commitment is not without his flaws, but Book has a high floor thanks to his accuracy and athleticism. If Book can improve in the vertical passing game, which also means having receivers who can do a better job getting vertical, the second-year starter will rank among college football’s Top 10 quarterbacks, maybe pushing into the Top 5. That’s all a lot to ask from a quarterback who didn’t look like he belonged against Clemson, but there’s optimism around Notre Dame that the Cotton Bowl (17-of-34 passing for 160 yards and one interception) will be fuel for Book’s offseason, maybe into a captaincy role. Sophomore Phil Jurkovec backs up Book but his role is tenuous after a poor Blue-Gold Game when he took 12 sacks and didn’t cut loose within the offense like the coaches wanted. It’s hard to believe that incoming freshman Brendon Clark could challenge Jurkovec for the backup job, but that’s exactly where things stand. Running back: Notre Dame has not recruited this position at an elite level during the past four years, which may show this season. Junior Jafar Armstrong, a former three-star commitment to Missouri, is the starter and has a rushing-receiving skill set that should be good for at least 1,200 yards from scrimmage if he stays healthy. For a player who battled a knee infection and high ankle sprain last season, setbacks severe enough that Armstrong was a non-factor in November and the Cotton Bowl, this is no small question. Still, the coaching staff is privately very high on the do-everything back who put up 73 carries for 383 yards and 7 TDs on the ground as a sophomore. Senior Tony Jones Jr. should be the No. 2 back as more of a power player with decent agility. He lacks straight-line speed and has been a bit player most of the last three years, even while catching the Playoff-clinching touchdown pass from Book at USC last November. Durability has been a concern. It’s not clear what sophomores Jahmir Smith and C’Bo Flemister, plus early enrollee Kyren Williams, will offer this fall. Look for one player from that group to grow into a role during the season. The staff sees Smith as a natural goal-line back, a supporting part with serious utility. Williams showed something around the goal line during the spring game too. Chris Finke has proven to be a versatile and highly effective player for the Irish. (Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports) Wide receivers/tight ends: Notre Dame needs more from these positions with Ian Book (and his accuracy) back for a second season. Even though Miles Boykin bolted with a season of eligibility remaining, there’s no reason that Notre Dame can’t get more from these spots, starting with senior Chase Claypool and fifth-year senior Chris Finke leading the way. They are, without question, the team’s two best receivers, combining for 99 catches, 1,210 yards and six TDs last season. Claypool changed roles this spring, shifting to the X where Boykin played last season. He’s a like-for-like replacement to Boykin, now a Baltimore Raven. Finke will again start in the slot after forcing his way into the lineup last season. He was Notre Dame’s best player during a rough first half at USC, keeping the Irish within touching distance before a strong second half. Look for junior Michael Young to be the third starter after flashing in spots the past two seasons. His 66-yard catch-and-run at Wake Forest in Book’s first start was Notre Dame’s longest pass play of the season. How the sophomore class steps forward (or doesn’t) will determine the success of the receiver spot with five candidates in play: Kevin Austin, Braden Lenzy, Lawrence Keys, Joe Wilkins and Micah Jones. Austin has been in the doghouse the past six months, a space he seems likely to keep through September. Lenzy and Keys can help with their speed, although both took redshirts last season. At tight end, juniors Cole Kmet and Brock Wright are a talented one-two punch, with Kmet a potential three-and-out talent despite limited experience. Wright had a strong spring as the No. 2 tight end after cutting weight. Sophomore Tommy Tremble could be an X-factor as a jumbo athlete, with classmate George Takacs rounding out the depth chart. Offensive line: Notre Dame took a step back in Jeff Quinn’s first season replacing Harry Hiestand coaching the line, although it’s hard to know if the staff change mattered more than losing Top-10 NFL draft picks Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. The season-ending injury to guard Alex Bars hurt, too. In the end, the Irish were just pretty good along the offensive line last season at a position where Notre Dame has to be elite to knock off Clemson or Alabama. The program didn’t hit that mark. There’s a good chance this line is better than last year if senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg improves from his first season starting. Junior Robert Hainseywill start at right tackle and graded out the best of all last year’s linemen. That leaves a talented interior of junior left guard Aaron Banks, sophomore center Jarrett Patterson and right guard Tommy Kraemer, who looked improved during spring practice. All five starters were at least four-star prospects, with Hainsey, Eichenberg and Kraemer all ranking in the Top 100. Depth is a concern with junior Josh Lugg likely backing up all five positions, although fifth-year senior Trevor Ruhland can at least help at the three interior spots if he returns to full health, which isn’t a sure thing after missing spring ball. Notre Dame added four early enrollees along the line last spring, with tackle/guard Quinn Carroll the most impressive out of the gate. In reality, the Irish are six deep along the line. Click here to enlarge Defensive line: Notre Dame is loaded at defensive end, to the point it barely makes sense. The Irish will count five seniors as the line’s top five defensive ends, all signed in the same recruiting class three years ago. Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem are All-American good, with both returning to play their way up next spring’s NFL Draft. Notre Dame has had just five players hit double-digit sacks since the NCAA started tracking that stat in 2000. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Okwara and Kareem both got there this season. They combined for 23.5 TFLs and 12.5 sacks last year. In reserve, Daelin Hayes will play plenty in a rotation and start in the third-down package. Next comes Ade Ogundeji, who sacked Trevor Lawrence in the Cotton Bowl, and Jamir Jones, who might redshirt as a fourth-year senior to grab a starting job a year from now after the roster turns over. With the new redshirt rule in place, the Irish could still play Jones in four games and extend his career. Sophomore Justin Ademilola could make sitting Jones palatable after a strong spring. At defensive tackle, juniors Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa Amosa will start, although neither is first-round pick Jerry Tillery. The Irish are short on the interior, one of this season’s more uncomfortable questions. Sophomore Jayson Ademilola, the twin brother of Justin, could be ready for a big step as a passing rushing threat from the interior. Early enrollee freshman Jacob Laceyhad a strong spring, and some believe he’s already the most talented interior defensive lineman on campus. It’s hard to see another freshman defensive lineman making an impact, but Lacey must. It’s unclear how ready sophomore Ja’mion Franklin will be in August after a ruptured quad last September that ended his season and limited him during spring ball. Khalid Kareem is part of a defensive line unit that ranks as one of the best in the FBS. (Jake Roth / USA TODAY Sports) Linebacker: Here’s the reality facing the linebacker position as defensive coordinator Clark Lea sees it, whether or not he likes the view. Notre Dame must replace 209 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 8 pass breakups between Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney at the two inside linebacker positions. The candidates to do that are unproven and under-trusted based on the number of position switches that have already been tried this year. For example, fifth-year senior Asmar Bilal played Rover last season, moved to Buck linebacker (weakside) at the start of spring ball and moved to Mike (middle) halfway through drills. That was less a vote of confidence than throwing stuff against the wall to see what might work. In other linebacker switches, sophomore Shayne Simon went from Rover to Buck to Mike during spring ball, as well, maybe challenging Bilal for a job. Sophomore Bo Bauercould get a look but doesn’t have the coverage ability Lea likely wants. Regardless, there’s not another Coney in this group, at least not yet. Sophomore Jack Lamb and junior Jordan Genmark Heath, who converted from safety a year ago, will compete for the Buck job through training camp. Lamb is the Platonic ideal of the position but has struggled to stay healthy. Genmark Heath’s first season at Buck linebacker was spent in the shadows, save some spot work at Northwestern when Drue Tranquill was limited. Both Lamb and Genmark Heath are good athletes. Neither are Tranquill, a two-time captain. Look for junior Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah and Paul Moala to factor at Rover, with the latter moving there during spring practice. Owusu Koramoahrates among the roster’s best athletes. Secondary: If Julian Love had returned for his senior season instead of turning pro, Notre Dame may have had the best secondary in the country with four senior starters returning with NFL ability. Instead, the Irish will have to settle for a high quality group instead of a spectacular one. Senior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. allowed just one touchdown pass all last season, giving that up in the final minutes at the season finale at USC. He is Notre Dame’s fastest player, regularly touching the 4.3 range in internal testing. But the Irish must develop and unproven commodity to pair with Pride, whether that’s sophomore Houston Griffith, the presumptive starter after converting from safety during spring ball, or oft-injured senior Shaun Crawford, sophomore TaRiq Bracy or junior Avery Davis, who’s on his third position in three years. Senior Donte Vaughn could be worth a look, too, although his Cotton Bowl disaster and offseason surgery make him an unknown despite his incredible size. Seniors Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott will start at safety and likely won’t come off the field. The Irish don’t want it to be that way after both logged more than 800 snaps last season. But they’re that good, and the defense needs them that badly. There is incredible hype surrounding incoming freshman Kyle Hamilton, who will battle sophomore Derrik Allen and D.J. Brown for reps as the third safety. The Irish will also add freshman Litchfield Ajavon this summer. One of those four reserves needs to be good enough to play. Special teams: Brian Polian has a massive rebuild awaiting him this fall, and there’s no way he can feel completely comfortable with the material on hand before kickoff at Louisville. The Irish must replace the program’s all-time leading scorer in kicker Justin Yoon and a captain at punter in Tyler Newsome. Those are massive personnel losses on par with some of this spring’s NFL Draft picks. Unlike defensive tackle, wide receiver and linebacker, there’s little clue about the players who are next. At kicker, it’s either junior Jonathan Doerer or incoming preferred walk-on Harrison Leonard. Doerer was recruited to follow Yoon but struggled with the basics of kicking off, which led to him getting benched midseason. If a kicker can’t handle the pressure of kicking off a tee, how will he handle the rush at Georgia or Michigan? The uncertainty might be enough to alter Kelly’s decision-making on fourth down in opponent territory. Early enrollee Jay Bramblett will take over for Newsome and punter. He appeared to handle the transition during spring practice, although his first attempt to start the season will be worth watching. The punt return job should stay with Chris Finke, although the kickoff return job could go to one of Notre Dame’s sophomore receivers Braden Lenzy or Lawrence Keys. How the Irish have recruited from 2016-19 According to the 247 Sports Composite, here is how Notre Dame ranked in recruiting nationally during the past four cycles. Click here to enlarge Brian Kelly is on record that Notre Dame probably won’t crack the nation’s Top 5 classes due to the program’s “distinctions” within college football, which basically means higher academic standards mixed with minimal roster turnover. In other words, the Irish have to cast a smaller net than most schools, a net Kelly has been more and more disciplined with over the years. But on top of that, Notre Dame doesn’t lose many transfers, which can be a bad thing for the overall talent level when bench players stick around for a top degree. That means not only does Notre Dame recruit from a smaller selection of prospects, but it’s also more likely to hit the 85-man limit before approaching the 25-prospect limit per cycle. The nation’s top-ranked classes usually mix quality and quantity. Notre Dame can only rely on the former. In terms of class balance, the Irish will be loaded on both lines in the senior and freshman classes this season, which is a nod to development and planning ahead. The Irish have five senior defensive ends who can all play, including former four-stars Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem being NFL good. Kareem is a former Alabama commitment. The offensive line is loaded with national prospects where four-star status is the minimum to compete for time. The skill positions have been more of a mixed bag, where former four-star Chase Claypool and former walk-on Chris Finke represent the roster’s top receivers. At safety, no-star Navy transfer Alohi Gilman and former three-star Jalen Elliott will start with former four-star cornerbacks Troy Pride Jr. and Houston Griffith, who’s the highest-rated of the group and has the most to prove. Bottom line, Notre Dame does best when it can develop talent over four years, including first-rounder Jerry Tillery, fourth-rounder Drue Tranquill and third-rounder Miles Boykin this spring. When players jump early, a la fourth-rounder Julian Love, that hole can be tough to fill. One area where Notre Dame can improve is at the top of the player rankings. The Irish hadn’t signed five-star prospect, at least on 247Sports, since senior offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer four years ago until it got safety Kyle Hamilton last cycle. Regardless, Notre Dame is not pulling elite individual talents anywhere close to other College Football Playoff contenders. Impact of coaching changes Notre Dame benefitted from the staff change that wasn’t because it led to a significant change that was. Because without offensive coordinator Chip Long staying put after a January conversation with Alabama head coach Nick Saban at a moment when the Crimson Tide was lacking spark, Notre Dame doesn’t replace running backs coach Autry Denson, who took the head coaching job at FCS Charleston Southern, with former Stanford and Carolina Panthers assistant Lance Taylor. Both Long and Taylor are Alabama natives and know each other well, even if they’ve never worked together. The Taylor change has already proven sharp on the recruiting trail, where Notre Dame swapped out its least effective recruiter with the guy who developed Christian McCaffrey and recruited Bryce Love. In May, Notre Dame landed four-star Chris Tyree of Virginia, the highest-rated running back prospect to commit to the Irish in Kelly’s 10-year run. Despite being Notre Dame’s all-time leading rusher and generally revered around the program, Denson struggled to marry recruiting fire with his teaching skill. The entire defensive staff returns for the first time in three seasons, with Clark Lea returning at defensive coordinator after an outstanding debut. Defensive line coach Mike Elston is Kelly’s longest-tenured assistant at 15 seasons. He’s an aspiring head coaching candidate and interviewed for the Bowling Green job last year. Safeties coach Terry Joseph should be more influential in his second season with Todd Lyght back for a fourth season coaching cornerbacks. Kelly has valued continuity during his Notre Dame tenure, which has been good and bad depending on the coaches being retained. With the current staff, the one assistant shift from Denson to Taylor, plus the retention of the other nine coaches, that continuity feels like a win. Schedule analysis Click here to enlarge It depends on how Notre Dame’s ceiling is measured. If the Irish want to return to the College Football Playoff, this is an unconquerable beast with games at Georgia, Michigan and Stanford. Brian Kelly has never won in Ann Arbor or Palo Alto in six total attempts, falling in sometimes cruel and unusual ways. No Notre Dame coach has ever won in Athens because, well, the Irish have never played there. So, good luck with that debut between the hedges. In short, these are not the kinds of trips that factor into unbeaten regular seasons. However, if Notre Dame’s outlook this season is adjusted slightly downward, if making a New Year’s Six bowl and winning one for the first time since the 1993 season is what the Irish are really shooting for, then this slate is very doable. If the Week 3 trip to Georgia is scratched as a loss, Notre Dame’s remaining first half is set up for a 5-1 start heading into the October idle week before Michigan, assuming USC continues to do USC things. And even if the Irish fall to the Wolverines, which visit Penn State the week before hosting Notre Dame, the remaining slate is set up for the Irish to head to California with no more than two losses. Win at Stanford, which was manhandled by Notre Dame in South Bend last year, and the Irish should be headed to the Orange, Sugar or Cotton bowls with a 10-2 record. As much as the narrative around college football now is “Playoff or bust,” there are few inside the Notre Dame program who wouldn’t take a 10-win regular season and major bowl win, which would mean a 33-win stretch over the past three seasons. This is all worth remembering when Notre Dame kicks off at Georgia on Sept. 21. One curious note: Eight Irish opponents get more than a week to prepare for Notre Dame. Only Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Stanford face Notre Dame after playing the previous Saturday, with their opponents Arkansas State, Old Dominion, Penn State and Cal, respectively. Final assessment Notre Dame will probably be labeled a failure if it doesn’t return to the College Football Playoff, which feels harsh considering the schedule and fact last year gave the Irish their first back-to-back, double-digit win seasons in a quarter century. Still, it will be a disappointment if Notre Dame isn’t good enough to be in contention for the Playoff when ESPN’s dog-and-pony rankings show debuts in October. It’s reasonable to expect Notre Dame to threaten to make the Playoff annually, even if it only closes that deal every few seasons. The Irish aren’t built like last season, when an elite defense let the program’s quarterback drama play out without a loss in accompaniment. Now Notre Dame will need Chip Long’s playbook to return the favor to Clark Lea, perhaps with a record-setting scoring output. The Irish lost too much from the front seven to expect a repeat of the defense that allowed three touchdowns in a game just twice all regular season, with one coming in a blowout win at Wake Forest. How Long evolves as an offensive coordinator with returning starter Ian Book running the offense will probably set the arc of this fall. Asking for an undefeated regular season is a bit much, but there’s no reason the Irish can’t win double-digit games again as Kelly’s hunt for sustained success finally feels on the mark.
if you look at the tone and other responses of dave mckinneys recent tweets there appears to have been some issues at BGI, he sounds quite pissed off
There was probably an issue because he was terrible at his job. Most bosses don’t get along with their employees who aren’t good at their job