SOUTH BEND — Random Notre Dame football thoughts while navigating post-practice/pre-concert campus traffic following a 34-31 “victory” by the offense in the annual jersey scrimmage under a scoring system that nobody could follow …
∎Asked about one position group (linebackers) afterward, head coach Marcus Freeman admitted something that many of us would cop to on a day when there’s so much to see and seemingly not enough time to see it.
“My eyes,” Freeman said, “were all over.”
Second that.
∎ It’s not that CJ Carr can make all the throws or has such a pocket presence that makes him an elite college quarterback. It’s how he carries himself — like he has an answer for every single defensive question and an escape hatch out of every jam — that is most impressive.
∎ One quarterback’s step back may be another quarterback’s step forward. Redshirt freshman Blake Hebert had a right knee issue surface Friday and couldn’t go Saturday. True freshman Noah Grubbs was left with all the second- and third-team reps. With Teddy Jarrard set to arrive in June, Hebert might be odd QB out through no fault of his own. Still, someone must be.
∎ Nothing can keep running back Aneyas Williams from doing football stuff. Even in the red (no contact) jersey while nursing an elbow issue, Williams was there carrying on inside-zone run plays. He even fell hard to the turf once, a no-no for guys in red. Nobody wants to show what he can do more than Williams. Preseason camp cannot come soon enough.
∎ Speaking of the RBs, no, no, a thousand times no. Nolan James and Jonaz Walton are not Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but the kids might be all right. Both got a lot of work and showed that they can hold up. James does much of his work in the mosh pit of the middle. Walton can break a big one. A position that was a big question mark when practice started in March is less so as April ends.
∎ The red zone, though …
∎Ohio State transfer Mylen Graham makes much of what he does look easy, including, as Freeman said afterward, his adjustment to attending Notre Dame. He’s long and lanky and has the look of someone who can make a big play on any given play. Graham can be that wide receiver.
∎ If not Graham, then full-time football player Jordan Faison, who already has a like-one relationship with Carr. Need a completion? Need to move the sticks? Find Faison, who’s been solid since shelving lacrosse. It was Carr to Faison three times on one drive between the No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense. There may be nobody tougher pound-for-pound in the program than the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Faison.
∎ Yes, it was against guys who never will see the depth chart light of day, but freshman wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald impressed. He didn’t get a chance to do it against the starters, so he made sure to do it against the backups. You’ve got to start and show out somewhere. Fitzgerald did.
∎ That wide receiver room is deep — maybe too deep — but from the snippets of practice sessions we’ve seen, we’re rolling with Faison and Graham for sure. Maybe Micah Gilbert at No. 3. And Bubba Frazier. Fitzgerald would make it five deep. What of Jaden Greathouse? Better make sure that hamstring issue doesn’t linger/resurface in the fall, unless he wants to perennially take the same mental reps he was taking in the scrimmage.
∎ Will Black as the starting left tackle is still the proverbial work in progress. He was good on some snaps, not so good on others. Reps are his best friend until Labor Day Sunday night.
∎ Anthonie Knapp earning the starting left tackle job as a true freshman in 2024 was stunning. Anthonie Knapp doing it as a junior at left guard, is not. Just name him a captain now.
∎ Second string center might be a quiet concern, so hurry back, Ashton Craig.
∎ That’s as talented a defensive line as Notre Dame has had in seemingly forever, one where true freshman Rodney Dunham needs to find a way to play, even if it’s as a punt protector. He showed some stuff and should get a chance to do more of the same come August. Keep an eye on No. 44.
∎ Same goes with Luke Talich, the safety/magnet to the ball. Talich bisected a Grubbs pass to tight end Jack Larsen in the middle of the field and took the interception back 60 yards. Talich has cross-trained in spring at linebacker. Just another way to maximize potential.
∎ When Bryce Young gets in a stance on the edge, his lanky 6-6, 260-pound frame takes up nearly three full yards. That’s looooong. He was good here and there in the scrimmage, but this defense needs him to be good here and here.
∎ We came for football, but stayed for the fights, an area that has been common around this program through 12 spring practices. On Saturday, Jaylen Sneed and Cooper Flangan got heated. So did Logan Saldate and Adon Shuler. The energy and the sense of urgency seemingly have had a fall feel all spring. Nothing wrong with that.
∎ It’s zero surprise that most of the extra-curriculars this spring usually involve Shuler. He often chooses violence but has downplayed in developing the rep of someone always starting some (stuff) in practices. Not buying it.
∎ Nice to see a field goal guy who can make field goals (Where have you gone, Mitch Jeter?). Purdue transfer Spencer Porath capped Saturday’s session with a 40-yarder, which also capped a nine-for-nine day. Nice that Notre Dame might have a weapon in a spot last season that was a liability.
∎ Jasper Scaife passed the small-sample eye test as the No. 1 punter. His kicks nearly kissed the Irish Athletics Center roof. Maybe the bar was set too high for fellow Aussie James Rendell, who was good but not great in his two seasons. Scaife could be great before he’s good.
∎ Limited after offseason hip surgery, linebacker and likely team captain Drayk Bowen was dressed in full pads but did little. While the action was near the north end of the facility, Bowen often ran sideline to sideline gassers in the south end to stay busy. He was joined by Madden Faraimo, also limited this spring with a wrist issue.
∎ Ko’o Kia flashed at linebacker, but that comes with an asterisk. Once that main group gets completely healthy, there may not be enough reps to go around. That’s a good problem to have on this defense, and for this season.
∎ Would have been nice to be there on the opposite 20-yard line late in Saturday’s scrimmage to hear the conversation between former Irish quarterbacks Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard.
∎ Former Irish tight end and future NFL draft pick Eli Raridon helped coach up a position that needs coaching. Cooper Flanagan is the guy, but we’re still not sold that the spot is as solid as it needs to be to keep that Tight End U. tradition rolling.
∎ Didn’t expect to see as much of Sean Sevillano at nose tackle as we did. Maybe because we saw none of injured Jason Onye.
∎ Christian Gray at nickel makes a ton of sense, but only if there’s absolutely zero drop-off with whoever starts at his old corner spot. There was slippage Saturday, in part because Dallas Golden did not take part because of injury. Gray was good.
∎ Even in April, quarterbacks as good as Carr choose not to go anywhere close to the corner of All-American Leonard Moore. Better eyeball another option instead of throwing it toward No. 15. Bad stuff happens if that happens.
∎ Receiver types expected to work the middle where Tae Johnson and/or Adon Shuler lurk might need to consider a business decision and take the route the other way. Bad stuff happens where Johnson and Shuler roam.
∎ Observing a full practice from the balcony observation deck of the IAC > the ninth-floor press box of Notre Dame Stadium. Not even close. It should be a yearly occurrence.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: What we saw, heard, know from Notre Dame football spring scrimmage
Reporting by Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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