Tag: 2020 notre dame

Brian Kelly supports Ian Book and Notre Dame Captains Desire to Play

Notre Dame’s SWAT captains released a statement Monday night that their head coach quickly got behind and supported. Read it all here.

Each day over the last four or five has brought news in regards to the 2020 college football season being played.

One day it was the MAC cancelling its season while yesterday it was the Big Ten shutting its doors, only to have them reopened a few hours later.

Notre Dame’s 2020 SWAT Team captains released a statement Monday night that essentially begged for a chance to play football this fall.  You can read the complete statement below:

The SWAT Team leaders are the captains for Notre Dame’s off-season workouts and members include: quarterback Ian Book, offensive linemen Liam Eichenberg, Robert Hainsey and Tommy Kraemer, defensive lineman Daelin Hayes, Kurt Hinish, Ade Ogundeji and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, tight end Brock Wright, linebacker Drew White and cornerback Shaun Crawford.

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly endorsed his players desire to play shortly after they released the statement Monday night.

It by no means guarantees anything in terms of games being played but it’s certainly nice to see a coach going to bat for his players wishes like this.

I don’t know if there will be college football this year as this morning Massachusetts has cancelled their season, which brings the total now to 27 of the 130 FBS teams.  However, at least the idea of college football in 2020 isn’t going away without a fight at this point.

WATCH: Notre Dame Updates, Re-releases ‘Here Come the Irish’

A song that has become part of Notre Dame football’s game day festivities got an face-lift over the weekend. Check it out right here!

If you are a fan of Notre Dame football or just admire the University in any way you’ve heard the song “Here Come the Irish” that was performed by Cathy Richardson of Jefferson Starship after being written by Jim Tullio and John Scully.

The song has taken on a life of it’s own since being written in 1997 and many have put together slideshows and their own videos with it’s audio accompaniment on the internet.

Over the weekend the University of Notre Dame’s athletic department released a new video to go along with the song you hear just before kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium and it’s worth your five minutes today.  Watch the video in the tweet below.

LET’S GO!

Another day, another Notre Dame player named to Watch List

Each day right college football is announcing which players are included on watch lists for various awards.  So far Notre Dame players to be mentioned for one or more awards are Kyle Hamilton, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Ian Book, Aaron Banks, Liam Eichenberg, Jarrett Patterson and Drew White.

I should have welcomed you to the season last week but I failed to.  I now feel like an usher at Notre Dame Stadium who doesn’t greet you with “Welcome to Notre Dame”.

It’s Watch List Season, friends.

Each day right college football is announcing which players are included on watch lists for various awards.  So far Notre Dame players to be mentioned for one or more awards are Kyle Hamilton, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Ian Book, Aaron Banks, Liam Eichenberg, Jarrett Patterson and Drew White.

Now add another name to the list as senior place-kicker Jonathan Doerer has been named to the 2020 Lou Garza Collegiate Place-kicker Award Watch List that goes to, get this, the nation’s best kicker.

Doerer has made 62 consecutive PATs, the sixth longest streak in program history.  His 45, 52 and 43 yard field goals against USC in 2019 helped earn him game ball honors in the 2019 win.

Doerer finished the 2019 season making 17 of 20 field goal attempts and finishing with 108 points, including 16 and 15 point performances against Boston College and Iowa State, respectively.

Many wondered how Notre Dame could replace the very accurate but lacking power, Justin Yoon in 2019.  Doerer thrived his first year as the full time kicker and should be seen as a bright spot for Notre Dame entering 2020.

About the Lou Garza Award…

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Notre Dame Player Preview: Cam Hart – Cornerback

It’s a year of great question for Notre Dame at corner, but Cam Hart offers something others lack: tremendous size. Learn more right here.

Hopefully everyone had a good weekend as we inch closer to college football getting started.  We may not know if that is going to come in the fall or the spring but we do know we’ve got a Notre Dame football team that needs breaking down.

Next up on our player profile feature is a redshirt freshman who played in three games his rookie year of 2019 but was forced out of action after sustaining a shoulder injury.

Today we’re look a bit more in-depth at Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart as he offers something the rest of the Irish corners can’t.

Stats and Information…

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Preview 2020: College Football News All-Independent Team

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the Independent season with the College Football News All-Independent Team and Top 30 players

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the Independent season with the College Football News All-Independent Team & Top 30 players. 

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews  

– 2020 CFN All-Independent Team
– 2020 CFN Top 30 Independent Players

2020 Preseason CFN Independent Offensive Player of the Year

OT Liam Eichenberg, Sr. Notre Dame

OKAY, fine … so the Fighting Irish offensive tackle probably won’t turn out to be the best offensive star among the independent teams – but if he isn’t, he won’t be far off.

A few Notre Dame options like QB Ian Book or RB Jafar Armstrong might be flashier options, and don’t sleep on what Liberty RB Joshua Mack could do with a bigger role. Eichenberg, though, might just be the first draft pick off the board among all the options.

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He’s soon going to be some NFL team’s starting left tackle.

The 6-6, 305-pounder might not be as big as some next-level types might like, but he’s great as a pass protector and he can move. He’ll also be one of the key parts to make a great-looking Irish offense go.

CFN in 60 Video: Notre Dame Preview
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2020 Preseason CFN Independent Defensive Player of the Year

LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Sr.

S Kyle Hamilton made a whole lot of huge plays last year and could easily be in this spot, and statistically, others – like New Mexico State’s Rashie Hodge and BYU DT Khyiris Tonga – make a whole lot of noise.

Owusu-Koramoah is the best of the Irish defensive bunch coming into the season.

While he’s only 6-1 and 216 pounds, he’s quickly rising up the draft charts as an undersized-but-fast outside linebacker who flash into the backfield. Part safety, part outside linebacker, he made 80 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and now he and Hamilton will spend the year wrecking a whole lot of gameplans.

2020 Independent Team Previews
Army | BYU | Liberty | New Mexico State
Notre Dame | UConn | UMass

NEXT: CFN 2020 Preseason All-Independent Team

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Notre Dame Player Preview: Avery Davis – RB/WR

Davis was recruited out of Cedar Hill, Texas as a quarterback but changed positions after the likes of Brandon Wimbush, Ian Book and Phil Jurkovec found themselves well ahead on the depth chart.  Davis might not have stats that jump off the page at you but some of his highlights certainly do.

vWe get a day closer to Notre Dame football returning and although we’re anything but certain as to what exact day that will be, we’re still excited for the idea of it.

Before the ball is kicked though we need to keep informing you on those that will suit up in blue and gold this fall (or next spring).

In this edition we look at a player who was recruited as a quarterback, has spent time as a corner and also at wide receiver and running back.  We’re talking about Notre Dame’s version of the Swiss Army Knife, Avery Davis.

Stats and Information…

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84 days until Notre Dame football returns!

We’re 12 weeks until Notre Dame football returns as they’ll face Navy in Annapolis. Continue the countdown today!

Just 12 weeks from now we’re slated for Notre Dame football to return as the Irish will take on Navy in Annapolis.  There is a chance that game is played on the Sunday instead so it could be 12 weeks or it might be 12 weeks and a day.

Whatever the case, we’re a day closer to Notre Dame football returning to action.

As we continue the countdown today we revisit a moment from the last football Notre Dame played.

84: Tony Jones, Jr.’s record run in the Camping World Bowl vs. Iowa State.

In the 37 previous bowl games Notre Dame had played in there had never been a longer run by an Irish player than what you just watched above.

Jones is onto the NFL as he signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent while Notre Dame looks for someone to jump out in their 2020 backfield.

84 days.  Or maybe 85. Either way…

Let’s go!

Related:  Way too early game-by-game predictions for 2020 Notre Dame football

92 Days Until Notre Dame Football (We Hope)

We’re hopefully 92 days until Notre Dame football returns to action. We count that down with Brian Kelly on today’s check-in.

In just over 13 weeks we will have the single greatest game on the planet back, college football.

Notre Dame is set to take on Navy on August 29th which is now just 92 days away. We continue our countdown to Notre Dame football returning today with a tip of the cap to Notre Dame’s current head coach, Brian Kelly.

92: The amount of games Brian Kelly has won at Notre Dame (even if he only gets credit for 72 of those due to NCAA sanctions that were handed down.

Those 92 wins are the fourth most in Notre Dame history with only some real legends in front of him in Knute Rockne (105), Lou Holtz (100) and Ara Parseghian (95).  A season anywhere near what the last two have brought would put Kelly in second all-time by December.

It hasn’t always been pretty and at times it’s been frustrating on various different levels but there is no arguing against where Brian Kelly has led this Notre Dame football program compared to where it was a decade ago.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikv3cQHLKGw&w=560&h=315]

 

Notre Dame’s Highest “Top Early Top 25” Ranking We’ve Seen

The Irish also come in one spot behind Florida who is fresh-off an Orange Bowl victory and 11-2 season.

We tend to react when national college voices weigh in on Notre Dame gets mentioned, whether it’s good or bad.

This week you’ve seen us post a few different “Too Early Top 25” rankings that various college football writers have offered.  We reacted to one by considering firing it into the sun while the other we dissected, we pretty much fell in line with.

Now we have one that has ranked Notre Dame higher than any we’ve seen this week.

From Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde:

9. Notre Dame

There are two attractive but difficult additions to the schedule: Clemson at home and Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Those are in addition to games at USC and Pittsburgh. But with Ian Book and most of the offensive line returning, Brian Kelly has some building blocks. There are a lot of good players to replace on defense. The recruiting consistency of the Fighting Irish will come into play there.

Notre Dame coming in at nine placed them a spot ahead of national champion LSU which may come as a shock to some.  The Irish also come in one spot behind Florida who is fresh-off an Orange Bowl victory and 11-2 season.

Three 2020 Notre Dame opponents show up on the list with Clemson being top-rated in the nation and Wisconsin checking in at 13 and USC at 16.  Simple logic leads you to understand why the November 7 showdown with Clemson could very easily be the biggest game at Notre Dame Stadium since The Game of the Century versus Florida State in 1993.

Notre Dame Top 10 in ESPN’s “Way Too Early Top 25 Poll”

Today ESPN released their same list and the Irish were shown significantly more respect by writer Mark Schlabach who has Notre Dame at number 10.

Welcome to one of the worst sports-days of the year.

College football concluded for the season last night and now we have to wait until the end of August to recap actual games and live and die with every first down, touchdown and coaches decision we agree with or hate.

With that however, the nation is putting out their “Way Too Early Top 25” polls for the 2020 season, before we even know who is staying in school and who all is entering the NFL Draft.

Yesterday we reacted to Brett McMurphy of Stadium who had Notre Dame ranked laughably low.

Today ESPN released their same list and the Irish were shown significantly more respect by writer Mark Schlabach who has Notre Dame at number 10.

Outlook: After suffering early losses at Georgia and Michigan, the Irish were never serious contenders for a CFP spot this past season. They still won 11 games and blasted Iowa State 33-9 in the Camping World Bowl. With quarterback Ian Book and all five starting offensive linemen returning, the Irish have a good nucleus coming back on offense. But they must replace leading receivers Claypool and Finke, leading rusher Jones and Kmet, who was a matchup nightmare. Northwestern graduate transfer Bennett Skowronek and incoming four-star receiver Jordan Johnson might be able to help right away. Brian Kelly is also looking for a new offensive coordinator after Chip Long was pushed out. It might be former quarterback Tom Rees, who called plays in the bowl game. The Irish will also have to replace all four starters in the secondary after Gilman decided to bypass his fourth season. Notre Dame plays Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and hosts Clemson, but it might be favored in its 10 other regular-season games.

That’s how Schlabach looks at Notre Dame in 2020.

For the record he has Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama and LSU as his top-four.

No. 1 Clemson and No. 14 Wisconsin are the only two Notre Dame opponents for 2020 who can be found in this particular top-25.