Category: Notre Dame Football

NFL Combine Show’s Why Notre Dame Strength Coach Matt Balis is One of the Best in the Country

Notre Dame Director of Football Performance Matt Balis is one of the best in the country.

The NFL combine finished last weekend and what the eight former Notre Dame stars did was impressive as a whole. A lot of that credit has to go to Matt Balis, the Director of Football Performance AKA strength coach for the Blue and Gold. Balis is responsible for getting the players in optimal playing shape, and those skills translated to many performing extremely well for NFL personnel.

Charles Power, of 247Sports looked over some of the data after the combine and some strength coaches stood out to him. Balis was one of them, as he has made many players improve their athletic traits. Power had a very interesting stat to go along with the success Balis has had “noting the Fighting Irish are 33-6 since Balis arrived in South Bend.”

In Olympic style scoring, the Irish would have taken the crown as they finished inside the top three in 7 different events. Individually it was TE Cole Kmet that stood out as he was named to NFL.com’s All-Combine Offensive Team.

Kmet and WR Chase Claypool were two of the former Irish star’s that made noise during the workouts and that is a direct reflection of the work that Balis has put in with those players. It’s safe to say his methods are among the best in the country, giving Brian Kelly’s team a leg up against many opponents.

Notre Dame Suffers Rare Recruiting Loss to West Virginia

That streak ended Friday evening as West Virginia got a big win over Notre Dame. At least in terms of recruiting.

Perhaps the West Virginia Mountaineers football program was just due to get a victory over Notre Dame. Since the teams first met in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, the Fighting Irish have won all four contests the teams have played on the field.

That streak ended Friday evening as West Virginia got a big win over Notre Dame. At least in terms of recruiting.

Wyatt Milum, an offensive tackle rated as a top 25 player in the entire 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports announced Friday that’d he be taking his talents to West Virginia next year.

Notre Dame has a strong start in recruiting for 2021 but this one no-doubt stings. It’s one thing to lose out on prospects to Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson or LSU. It’s another when West Virginia wins the services of players you so badly want.

It may seem odd but it’s hard to knock a young man for staying home. I can relate as I always thought I wanted to go a huge school far from home…and then I wound up at a tiny one an hour away.

Either way the push for a second offensive tackle in this class now becomes a bigger concern. Landon Tengwell of Maryland and Nolan Rucci of Pennsylvania are just two of several possibilities there.

If there is a silver lining in this it’s that at least it happened now and not down the road when Notre Dame’s staff was thinking a commitment was certainly coming and time was instead wasted.

Either way, Jeff Quinn (OL Coach) will need to do his best Mariano Rivera impression soon and close another one of these tackles commitments out to join Avon, Indiana’s four star Blake Fisher.

The Athletic’s Top 25 CFB Coaches Throws Love to Brian Kelly

Win a huge game or heck, just go a year without getting blown out against a marquee opponent.

I’ve been more of a supporter of Brian Kelly than many on the internet. I know, shocking that that Twitter or any other social media outlet goes negative.

But when you compare Kelly’s run to where things were just a decade ago it’s worthy of praise while also being aware there is still room for improvement.

Win a huge game or heck, just go a year without getting blown out against a marquee opponent.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic released his 25 best coaches in college football Thursday morning and Brian Kelly checked in at number eight. Here’s what Feldman said about Kelly:

The 58-year-old has had a good long run at a place that often burns guys out after a few years. The Irish are 33-6 in his last three seasons. His teams have gotten blown out a bunch of times on big stages — Michigan beat Notre Dame by 31 last season, Clemson hammered them by 27 the year before and Miami crushed them by 33 the year before that — but overall he’s proven to be one of the best coaches in college football.

What does it mean?

Nothing but it is noteworthy when you see the likes of Jim Harbaugh and Paul Chryst 10 spots behind him.

What’s more important or meaningful to me is closing the gap to the truly elite. An uptick in recruiting would help that as would winning one of these marquee matchups instead of just playing a team like Georgia close.

Watch: Brian Kelly Meets with Media Following First Spring Practice

Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly meets with the media following the Irish’s first spring practice of 2020.

It’s official, the 2020 season has kicked off with the first spring practice, and Brian Kelly met with the media following the workout.

Kelly addressed many topics including the newest additions to his coaching staff in CB coach Mike Mickens and TE coach John McNulty, players who will be limited in spring as they nurse injuries, Kevin Austin’s potential, Ian Book’s leadership qualities and much more.

There is now a 12-day break between the next practice, which is scheduled on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, a fitting time for the Fighting Irish to get back on the field.

What to Watch For During Notre Dame’s Spring Practices

Notre Dame begins their preparation for the 2020 season today, these are a few things to watch for during the Irish’s spring practices.

The Fighting Irish return to the field today, as Brian Kelly start his team’s preparation for the 2020 season with high expectations. Notre Dame is viewed as one of a handful of teams that could compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff but that doesn’t mean the Irish do not have questions to be answered this spring. Here are a few things to watch over the next month finishing with the Blue-Gold game on April 24th.

Who will emerge as options on offense?

The Irish return everyone on the offensive line and QB Ian Book but they lose starters RB Tony Jones Jr, WR’s Chase Claypool and Chris Finke and TE Cole Kmet. Every single skill position on the offensive side of the ball will have competition to replace the departed starters and the spring should be telling as who will be in contention for playing time in the fall. In the backfield, Jahmir Smith and Jafar Armstrong will battle it out for the feature back role. By adding graduate transfer Ben Skowronek will soften the blow, but look for Braden Lenzy, Lawrence Keys and Michael Young to fight for playing time. Early enrollees Jay Brunelle and Xavier Watts didn’t leave high school early for nothing, they both will be looked at options out wide as well. The tight end group will feature Tommy Tremble and Brock Wright fighting in the spring for reps.

Where will the sacks come from on the defensive line

Julian Okwara, Jamir Jones and Khalid Kareem combined to account for 14 sacks last year and their production will have to be replaced by multiple players. Daelin Hayes, Isaiah Foskey, Ovie Oghoufo, Justin Ademilola and Adetokunbo Ogundeji return so there is some experience but its more about production then experience.  If Ogundeji continues his impressive play from late last year, all of his 4.5 sacks came in the last 3 games, then this might be a moot point.

Ian Book’s backup

The senior leader took the majority of snaps last year and with backup Phil Jurkovic transferring to Boston College, there is some concern if something happens to Book. At the current moment, rising sophomore Brendon Clark is the backup, but he has only attempted two career passes. Drew Pyne saw this lack of depth as an opportunity, as he enrolled early and will try to impress the coaching staff. Whoever ends up as the backup this year will have a leg up when it comes to the starting spot in 2021.

Which of the early enrollee’s will stand out

Three of the early enrollees have already been mentioned in Brunelle, Watts and Pyne, but there were five others that will participate in this spring: DB Caleb Offord, athlete Ramon Henderson, DE’s Alex Ehrensberger and Rylie Mill and LB Jordan Botelho. At least a few of these freshman will turn heads this spring and potential set themselves up to see playing time this season.

These are just a few of many things to watch for this spring when the Irish hit the field. What are you most interested in seeing?

Breaking: OG Crippen Decommits from Notre Dame’s ’21 Recruiting Class

Florida OG Greg Crippen decommits from Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class.

Brian Kelly had gotten off to a great start to the 2021 recruiting cycle, up to today he had 8 total commits. However, with developing news that offensive guard Greg Crippen decommitting, the class now sits at one less player.

Crippen is a high thought of prospect, as evidenced by his offer list of Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, USC and others, will not take any interview requests now. He had committed to the Irish almost a year ago, on March 27th, had a change of heart in that time frame.

The decommitment leaves the class with just one other offensive lineman, in-state tackle Blake Fisher, but with plenty of time until the early signing period, Crippen’s decision won’t hurt the Irish as much. The Florida star will focus on his development, with recruiting taking a back seat, but don’t expect a reunion between Notre Dame and Crippen

Incoming Notre Dame OL Recruit Carmody Suspended for Action on Court

Notre Dame incoming freshman OL Michael Carmody suspended for actions during basketball game.

It was not what Michael Carmody envisioned prior to facing off against a player he had the distinct size advantage, but regardless what transpired for the incoming Notre Dame Football player will leave a bitter mark on his basketball career.

Carmody’s Mars team faced off against Laurel Highlands, with his individual matchup against Rodney Gallagher, one where he had an 8-inch height advantage while weighing over 140-pounds more, consistently complained about the officiating according to Kevin Gorman of Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review. When the game concluded, Carmody immediately rushed the official to complain about a no-call then kicked the ball in the direction of Highlands’ celebration at midcourt.

It is clear that Carmody kicked the ball, Gorman, who was on hand saw Carmody’s father Rob, the coach, immediately reprimand his son for his behavior. The actions resulted in a two game suspension, and although Carmody appealed it today and issued an apology, it is unknown if the suspension will be reduced.

Regardless of how the WPIAL board and administration ultimately handle the situation, it is a terrible look for Carmody. In just a few months, he will be arriving in South Bend and think about how a reaction like this would look like on a Saturday in Notre Dame Stadium. A potential 15-yard personal foul penalty or an ejection could conceivable happen if Carmody loses his cool again. Carmody will have to keep his emotions under wraps better going forward because this surely won’t be the last time he faces off against an opponent that gets under his skin.

Watch: Miles Boykin on Love for Notre Dame and Irish Naysyaers

Years later he has somewhat of an appreciation for those Notre Dame “haters” out there

Miles Boykin turned into a star player at Notre Dame as he was a large part of their offense that wound up 12-0 in the 2018 regular season and to date, been on Notre Dame’s only ever team to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Boykin was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens a year ago and was part of the 14-2 Ravens who finished the regular season with the best record in the NFL. Boykin sat down with Campus Lore and shared what he loves most about the University of Notre Dame.

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You may recall during his time at Notre Dame it was revealed that the young man who grew up in Chicago’s south suburbs didn’t think very highly of Notre Dame until making a visit. Years later he has somewhat of an appreciation for those Notre Dame “haters” out there.

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Boykin finished his rookie year with 13 receptions for just under 200 yards while scoring three touchdowns.

Rivals Predicts Who Will Step Up for Notre Dame at TE

Rivals Mike Ferrell predicts who will be Notre Dame’s starting TE after Cole Kmet declared early to the NFL.

It seemed as if Cole Kmet was set to return to South Bend, but the allure of playing at the highest level, while being paid was too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. Kmet’s decision was a tough one, but the Irish churn out tight ends at a high rate and Rivals Mike Farrell predicts who will take over the vacant starting spot.

There are three names that will be bantered around who could replace Kmet, rising junior Tommy Tremble, soon to be senior Brock Wright and incoming freshman Michael Mayer. Farrell believes that it will be Tremble being able to “hold him (Mayer) off in 2020, but Mayer is too talented to keep off the field for very long.”

As the lone 5-star prospect in Brian Kelly’s 2020 recruiting class, Mayer has very high expectations when he arrives on campus this fall. It will be interesting to see how Kelly handles his star freshman, but Farrell “likes Mayer to impact as a true freshman and he could be special as a pass-catcher and downfield threat.”

We will find out soon who will be viewed as the starter out of the spring between Tremble and Wright, as the Irish hit the field tomorrow to begin spring practice. Mayer’s arrival in the summer will be a welcome addition and if Ferrell is correct, you’ll see him early and often this season.

California ’21 DB McCutcheon Schedules Notre Dame Visit

California ’21 DB McCutcheon will unofficially visit Notre Dame in early April.

In a report from Rival’s Mike Singer, class of 2021 defensive back Dyson McCutcheon will visit South Bend on April 4th. According to Singer’s report McCutcheon is also looking to lock in an official visit at some point in the future.

It may be difficult for the Irish to get McCutcheon away from USC’s grips, as his father Daylon played there from ’95-’98 before playing for the Cleveland Browns from ’99-’06. The Trojans have offered the California star, along with Arizona, California, Wisconsin and others.

A two-way player in high school, McCutcheon projects to play on the defensive side of the ball, but clearly if he wanted to try and play offense, the Irish staff would try and find him snaps on that side of the ball. Singer says that new CB coach Mike Mickens hasn’t been in contact but that will surely change in the near future. The Irish have a real chance with McCutcheon, and getting him on campus multiple times prior to either signing period is a very encouraging sign.