'11 OH DE Chase Hounshell (Signed Notre Dame LOI)

[Sherm Sticky]

He can jump out of a pool, if that eases your mind.

Lol yes I saw that, which had me wondering if he is all the way back from his injuries.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

he was running on the 3/4 deep prior to the shit storm

Didn't this kid take reps as a true frosh? Did they recruit that well since his class or did his injuries set him back that much? I feel it may be a little of both, but ND is so thin along the DL that I can't imagine a guy that got praise from BK and actual game reps as a frosh can't break into the two-deep. Hopefully, he provides some great depth for the DL. They need it.

 

[PANDFAN]

Didn't this kid take reps as a true frosh? Did they recruit that well since his class or did his injuries set him back that much? I feel it may be a little of both, but ND is so thin along the DL that I can't imagine a guy that got praise from BK and actual game reps as a frosh can't break into the two-deep. Hopefully, he provides some great depth for the DL. They need it.

yes he did, 2 SEASON ENDING surgeries....would put the elite of elite players behind...that is a lot of time to spend rehabbing and not playing while others are coming in, participating...not to mention just upper body strengthening that he really couldn't go ..he wasn't even cleared for full workouts until the very beginning of fall camp if i remember correctly

 

[Sherm Sticky]

yes he did, 2 SEASON ENDING surgeries....would put the elite of elite players behind...that is a lot of time to spend rehabbing and not playing while others are coming in, participating...not to mention just upper body strengthening that he really couldn't go ..he wasn't even cleared for full workouts until the very beginning of fall camp if i remember correctly

Exactly. two full years of barely any football and a ton of rehab set him back. It seems like he is now 100% for the first time in about 2 years.

 

[dublinirish]

he actually started vs stanford his freshman year after ethan johnson went down right?

 

[Old Man Mike]

Hounshell was thought of from the beginning as a really violent DLineman, destined [sans injuries] to be a formidable problem for ND opponents. So, something is there. Can the Mr.McNasty do his stuff with his current body? Let's hope so, but not being listed as a "two" seems to speak the answer to us about whether the body will let him go full out ax-murderer. Nothing in that denigrates the big fella, just makes us a little sadder that a really quality-potential player can't quite get there {yet}.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

yes he did, 2 SEASON ENDING surgeries....would put the elite of elite players behind...that is a lot of time to spend rehabbing and not playing while others are coming in, participating...not to mention just upper body strengthening that he really couldn't go ..he wasn't even cleared for full workouts until the very beginning of fall camp if i remember correctly

Wasn't aware of this. Makes more sense now. I thought he'd been cleared since spring. Somehow missed that.

 

[dublinirish]

with Hayes getting his redshirt taken off I guess Hounshell can't go at all? has he been practising all year/suiting up for games? I haven't noticed him.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

with Hayes getting his redshirt taken off I guess Hounshell can't go at all? has he been practising all year/suiting up for games? I haven't noticed him.

The kid has never been able to stay healthy long enough to contribute. Another career completely derailed by injury.

 

[dublinirish]

The kid has never been able to stay healthy long enough to contribute. Another career completely derailed by injury.

didn't he get hurt because of a fight or something?

 

[TheChosen1]

It's a "shame"

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Another victim of a shouder injury. Speaking of which, I don't think Collinsworth is healthy enough to justify starting him but BK & BVG put a lot of stock in his ability to call the defense. I think he could look just as bad as Tranquill tomorrow.

 

[dublinirish]

Another victim of a shouder injury. Speaking of which, I don't think Collinsworth is healthy enough to justify starting him but BK & BVG put a lot of stock in his ability to call the defense. I think he could look just as bad as Tranquill tomorrow.

if you rewatch him after his scoop and score he looked like he could barely lift his arm. He definitely needs to relived of goal line duties but he's probably ok on normal downs.

 

[irishog77]

I brought this up a year or two ago, but the injury Collinsworth and Hounshell had is something common for NFL players to finish a season up with, then have the surgery in the offseason, then return after that.

I've always been confused why these 2 have had to miss 3 entire seasons due to it.

 

[dublinirish]

I brought this up a year or two ago, but the injury Collinsworth and Hounshell had is something common for NFL players to finish a season up with, then have the surgery in the offseason, then return after that.

I've always been confused why these 2 have had to miss 3 entire seasons due to it.

probably hard for amateurs with academics to split focus on to rehab with the same intensity as a Pro no?

 

[Sherm Sticky]

with Hayes getting his redshirt taken off I guess Hounshell can't go at all? has he been practising all year/suiting up for games? I haven't noticed him.

Is Hayes playing tomorrow?

 

[anarin]

Is Hayes playing tomorrow?

That's the word

 

[dublinirish]

Is Hayes playing tomorrow?

yes BK said he will play 30 snaps and thus burn his RS.

 

[Irishnuke]

Is Hayes playing tomorrow?

Stupid move.

 

[TheChosen1]

Stupid move.

And your move for the defensive line would be....

 

[irishff1014]

Stupid move.

I like the move gets him good playing time for next year. It gives us 1 more person for depth. I would rather burn his red shirt then have another d-line man playing too much too tired and then injury himself.

 

[BoredIrish]

And your move for the defensive line would be....

When talking about all the players lost on D Line, everyone mentions Nix and Tuitt but no one seems to remember Kona. If Tuitt hadnt been suspended for a game, causing Kona to waste a redshirt year, it is a good bet that he would have been back this year as a 5th year.... and if Kona was here this year, we aren't having this conversation about Jay Hayes.

For the record... I agree. Dumb idea.

Shift Rochelle to DT. You get Cage back next week anyways.

The flip side of this argument though is that does anyone really regret burning Okwara's redshirt year now?

 

[TheTurningPoint]

I dont agree with it at this point in the year.

But the move is fair. They are getting Hayes 100 snaps by the end of the year and that will be in the range of Blankenship, Hill and Cage. Not the most ideal situation, but BK is at least going to give him the reps.

 

[mick2]

I agree with the move. You do whatever you have to do to win today. Tomorrow is a separate issue. If Hayes can help us win this Saturday and subsequently at USC you burn the redshirt.

 

[Crazy Balki]

When talking about all the players lost on D Line, everyone mentions Nix and Tuitt but no one seems to remember Kona. If Tuitt hadnt been suspended for a game, causing Kona to waste a redshirt year, it is a good bet that he would have been back this year as a 5th year.... and if Kona was here this year, we aren't having this conversation about Jay Hayes.

For the record... I agree. Dumb idea.

Shift Rochelle to DT. You get Cage back next week anyways.

The flip side of this argument though is that does anyone really regret burning Okwara's redshirt year now?

I may be wrong, but if that is the case, and Cage returns next week, I don't think Hayes will get nearly enough snaps to waste a year of eligibility. He'd essentially have to play a majority of the time for the remaining 3 games to burn his redshirt, which sounds like the idea, which also means that Cage and Day might be gone longer than expected.

 

[TheTurningPoint]

I may be wrong, but if that is the case, and Cage returns next week, I don't think Hayes will get nearly enough snaps to waste a year of eligibility. He'd essentially have to play a majority of the time for the remaining 3 games to burn his redshirt, which sounds like the idea, which also means that Cage and Day might be gone longer than expected.

If Hayes plays one play he will be not be eligible for a redshirt. That is why they are getting him to 100 plays in the next 3 games.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

If Hayes plays one play he will be not be eligible for a redshirt. That is why they are getting him to 100 plays in the next 3 games.

Is Utupo starting? If so who is Hayes backing up?


Sent via tapatalk

 

[BGIF]

I may be wrong, but if that is the case, and Cage returns next week, I don't think Hayes will get nearly enough snaps to waste a year of eligibility. He'd essentially have to play a majority of the time for the remaining 3 games to burn his redshirt, which sounds like the idea, which also means that Cage and Day might be gone longer than expected.

When Hayes steps on the field for one play he burns his redshirt year. Thus Kelly plans to get Hayes 30 snaps against UL, 40 against USC, and another 30 in a bowl. That would be the 100 snaps which would be comparable to the other freshman.

Obviously Hayes has to justify his continued presence on the field.


Kelly Plans to Play Jay Hayes - Irish Sports Daily

Hayes will not be just a small rotation player. Kelly said the plan for Hayes it to get him a lot of playing time right away. He expects Hayes to play at least 30 plays against Louisville and upping his reps to 40 reps next week against USC and then another 30-40 reps in the bowl game. Kelly believes that playing Hayes that much will justify burning his redshirt so late in the season.

“We want to get him to 100 reps,” Kelly explained. “I feel like if I can get him to 100 reps; Kolin Hill has 94, (Grant) Blankenship has 103, Cage has got 113 this year. If I can get him up to 100 reps and a couple of weeks of practice we’ll feel as though we did by him the right thing to get him enough reps and enough work to make it worthwhile.”

 

[BGIF]

Hounshell to TE

Hounshell to TE

Notre Dame defender leaves skeptics behind again - News-Sentinel.com

Chase Hounshell is moving from defensive line to tight end for his fifth season.
“Well, Chase knocked down my door, wouldn't leave me alone,” Kelly said. “He just kept coming back and saying 'Coach, I want to be part of this team. I have something to offer.'
“That hasn't been the case over the past couple years. I've had fifth year seniors that didn't want to be part of the team. So when we had guys that had opportunities to compete and be part of our football team, they chose to want to be one year starters somewhere else.
“When Chase said 'Coach, I'll do anything, I'll play any position you want me to play, I just want to be part of this football team,' we said, 'We don't really have a role for you on the defensive line, but we could use a big, physical, blocking tight end. Would you be interested in that role?' He said 'Coach, I'll do whatever you ask me to do.'
“We're going to give him a shot at the tight end position. Nothing has been decided. He's willing to go through spring and give it a shot and we'll see where it goes from there. He's been a great teammate, great in the locker room. The guys really enjoy having him. We like his team first mentality, so we're going to give him a chance to earn a roster spot playing tight end.”

 

[Big23Head]

College football: Lake Catholic grad Chase Hounshell cherishing final season at Notre Dame

Chase Hounshell doesn’t have a nickname from his teammates as he enters his fifth and final season of eligibility at Notre Dame, including his sixth year at the South Bend, Ind., campus.

“But my teammates are like, ‘Chase, what are you still doing here?’ I’m like, ‘Guys, I’m never leaving,’ ” said Hounshell with a laugh.

That’s because, from a football sense, Hounshell feels reborn. It might have taken a while, but the Lake Catholic graduate is cherishing every minute he has left for the Golden Domers.

It might only seem like Hounshell has been with the Fighting Irish football program forever. What he’s endured during that time — injury wise — and how he’s worked his way back might earn him some good luck from the football gods during the 2015 season.

Early on at Notre Dame, the luck of the Irish wasn’t on his side. Two injuries and three surgeries on his right shoulder derailed his time at ND as a defensive end.

“It almost felt like my (college) career was ending before it was even starting,” said Hounshell.

In 2011 as a redshirt freshman, he played in seven games and made four tackles. The following year, he played in the season opener before injuring his shoulder and was out the rest of the season. He missed all of the 2013 with another shoulder injury.

When the 2014 season ended, even with a year of eligibility remaining, continuing his career with Coach Brian Kelly’s program meant a reboot was in order. Meetings with Kelly and the team’s strength coach Paul Longo devised a plan: Hounshell would reinvent himself.

First, in the spring Hounshell earned a business degree in management consulting. Second, the admitted workout warrior in the gym shed 25 pounds in the offseason to get down to a lean, tight-end-like 250 pounds. He’s also 6-foo-4, making his frame ideal as a tight end. Third, he dove into the team’s mammoth offensive playbook to learn the ways of a tight end, a position he had not played since eighth grade.

At Lake Catholic, Hounshell was a left tackle and defensive end.

“It’s been such a long road for me, and not many people get a second chance, and I almost feel like this is my second chance,” he said. “It made sense to make the move.”

Hounshell said there are no limitations in his shoulder. On July 21, the team went through strength tests, and he bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times, one of the highest marks among Notre Dame players, who, according to Kelly, is well-liked by his teammates.

“He’s been a great teammate, great in the locker room,” Kelly told nbcsports.com before spring practice. “The guys really enjoy having him. We like his team-first mentality, so we’re going to give him a chance to earn a roster spot playing tight end.”

The tight-end position at Notre Dame is reportedly wide open with the likes of Durham Smythe, Tyler Luatua and Mike Heuerman. Throw Hounshell into that mix as well. The position change has been a relief.

“It’s definitely easier on my shoulder,” said Hounshell. “Pass rushing and going against a 320-pound offensive lineman was just a lot for my shoulder every single day. And losing all that weight, I don’t think my body wants me to be 275, 280. That’s just not the way I’m built.”

As for his receiving skills?

“My hands are pretty good. It’s more about my route running. I’ve got to get that down. More crisp, more clean. That’s the biggest thing, getting the plays down. The signals, the motions. All the audibles.”

Despite the challenges of learning a new position and an offensive scheme after years on defense, Hounshell is not complaining. It wasn’t too long ago when others were suggesting his football career might be over.

“After my third shoulder surgery, my doctor told me I had about a 40 percent chance of playing again, and that I should think about retirement and getting used to that,” said Hounshell. “I played football my whole life. There’s no way someone’s going to tell me I can’t do something.”

Another factor was his parents and brother and sister.

“I love seeing my mom and dad and my brother and sister in the stands, and the walk to (Notre Dame) Stadium,” he said. “There’s not a better feeling. They don’t know it, but they’re definitely one of the reasons why I decided to keep playing.”