2025 Spring Practice Thread

[Dale]

 

[Dale]

A notably sparse workout video. Early enrollees only. Jagusah maybe? Or that was Herron.

Intrigued how they handle this

 

[Sunshine]

Have to feel like the EE's and younger depth pieces are going to get almost all of the reps the first couple of weeks?

Obviously not the coaches fault because you have to do it now because of the calendar, but spring practice about 6 weeks after a 16 game season playing into late January is crazy. At that point, you basically have an NFL workload plus school. Guys need time to have their bodies recover from a 6 month season including fall camp.

 

[Giddyup]

Let’s get it started. Angeli can’t run. Another sack.

 

[SDIrishFan]

A notably sparse workout video. Early enrollees only. Jagusah maybe? Or that was Herron.

Intrigued how they handle this

It does seem this may be deliberately the EE's.

I'd imagine most of our front line guys are still spending a good chunk of time in the trainer's room, ha.

 

[Blazers46]

Many moons again they had a player brunch and autograph session… I know they don’t do that anymore but do they do anything anymore pregame?

 

[calvegas04]

About time the team got to work

 

[ColinKSU]

BUT THE OTHER TEAMS WILL SEE OUR PLAYERS

 

[NDohio]

About time the team got to work

Seriously - this off season has worn me down. I need some five second highlights to breakdown...

 

[stpeteirish]

If they go to 105 roster limit (which seems likely) they're going to have to take a hard look at the walk ons. We carried 120 this past fall (35 walk ons). If the new rule goes into effect this summer they are going to have to decide which guys are worth keeping and which are no longer on the team during the spring practice window.

 

[JamIrish]

If they go to 105 roster limit (which seems likely) they're going to have to take a hard look at the walk ons. We carried 120 this past fall (35 walk ons). If the new rule goes into effect this summer they are going to have to decide which guys are worth keeping and which are no longer on the team during the spring practice window.

I could see Southall, Kros/Monteforte, Onyuike, Rezac, and Buchner as a few guys they put on scholly. John Brice was saying (Basically, for every extra scholarship put towards football, they have to put equal scholarships towards women's sports or take from men's sports.) He was saying he expects ND to be around 95. I'm not exactly sure how that works or how ND intends to go about it though

 

[Domina Nostra]

What problem is the 105 man roster limit intended to solve?

It seems like with the new transfer rules, the 85-man roster was going to be less difficult for most schools to meet.

 

[stlnd01]

What problem is the 105 man roster limit intended to solve?

It seems like with the new transfer rules, the 85-man roster was going to be less difficult for most schools to meet.

Good question. I don't entirely understand this either. Do other schools have trouble fielding walk-ons or something? Is it some backdoor way to increase womens scholarships?

Adding 20 players to the bottom of the roster might help with depth on the margins with certain positions, but mostly it feels like it'll just allow the power programs to hoover up even more talent (at least for a year or two before guys transfer down to someplace they'll actually see the field). At a not insubstantial cost (especially for programs that don't have super-generous TV contracts and CFP revenue).

What am I missing?

 

[stpeteirish]

Not sure why anyone's worried about Title IX. It looks DOA with the political climate we're now in.

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

Not sure why anyone's worried about Title IX. It looks DOA with the political climate we're now in.

This is the same school that self reported violations and helped the NCAA investigate us. We might be a Catholic school, but it seems like everyone in administration has studied legalism. Until the law has been overturned, signed by the President, and confirmed through a SCOTUS case, ND will probably try to follow it.

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

What problem is the 105 man roster limit intended to solve?

It seems like with the new transfer rules, the 85-man roster was going to be less difficult for most schools to meet.

Good question. I don't entirely understand this either. Do other schools have trouble fielding walk-ons or something? Is it some backdoor way to increase womens scholarships?

Adding 20 players to the bottom of the roster might help with depth on the margins with certain positions, but mostly it feels like it'll just allow the power programs to hoover up even more talent (at least for a year or two before guys transfer down to someplace they'll actually see the field). At a not insubstantial cost (especially for programs that don't have super-generous TV contracts and CFP revenue).

What am I missing?

Its essentially the NCAA trying to cover their asses from future lawsuits about limiting scholarships. So instead of placing a limit on scholarships, aka how much a person can "make", they are just instituting roster limits so no school can have a massively disproportionate number of players. 105 was probably just a random number picked that was more than the current scholarship limit, but lower than the average roster size so there weren't a massive number of new scholarship players.

 

[BeatSC]

This is the spring practice thread right?

 

[GowerND11]

Its essentially the NCAA trying to cover their asses from future lawsuits about limiting scholarships. So instead of placing a limit on scholarships, aka how much a person can "make", they are just instituting roster limits so no school can have a massively disproportionate number of players. 105 was probably just a random number picked that was more than the current scholarship limit, but lower than the average roster size so there weren't a massive number of new scholarship players.

So 105 is a hard cap then? Like you can't have 15 more walk-ons after that?

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

So 105 is a hard cap then? Like you can't have 15 more walk-ons after that?

I haven't found an answer to this either. Can you just have some number of "practice players" who are hoping to earn their way into a roster spot in a future year?

 

[Blazers46]

I haven't found an answer to this either. Can you just have some number of "practice players" who are hoping to earn their way into a roster spot in a future year?

I’m sure there’s a work around… similar to “gray shirting” I think is what it was called. Just call them Student Employees.

 

[Old Man Mike]

It would be like what the girls basketball team calls the student-guys who practice vs them to simulate opponents' patterns without wasting the second-team girls' chance to participate against it too.

 

[Domina Nostra]

It would be like what the girls basketball team calls the student-guys who practice vs them to simulate opponents' patterns without wasting the second-team girls' chance to participate against it too.

They practice against the men because they are better competition.

 

[Irish du Nord]

They practice against the men because they are better competition.

That's what OMM is saying. Having extended rosters=better practice competition.

 

[dublinirish]

They practice against the men because they are better competition.

It’s actually a common practice in girls soccer also


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DomeFieldAdvantage]

I haven't found an answer to this either. Can you just have some number of "practice players" who are hoping to earn their way into a roster spot in a future year?

No, its a hard cap. There have been people proposing a practice squad program be allowed, but I haven't heard of there being any real movement on that front/

As for the workaround, I think we have to wait to see the actual rule. The current rules have so much minutiae because they needed to close so many loopholes. If the new rules start out pretty simple, there definitely can be room for workarounds early on.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

So where are all my CJ Carr to Cam and Gilbert highlights???

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Heard the II guys on latest podcast speculate that returning starters (especially those still banged up like Love) will likely be limited. Sounds like this is a new challenge for teams that go deep in the CFP. It will also likely fall on Landow’s lap to have the right solution to ensure enough rest & rehab + practice reps to be ready for fall.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Is there anyone who would be against ending the Spring Game? I would have no problem w/ turning into an event for fans but the risk of injury to players for a senseless scrimmage seems too risky in today’s structure. I know MF likes to use the Spring Game for out reach to underprivileged kids but I think they could find a different avenue for that as well that would give those kids similar if not better experience. Just my two cents, but I just never hear fans who are adamant that we keep the Spring Game so to me it’s like pre-season polls….who is actually in favor of this stuff?

 

[NDFAN2008]

Is there anyone who would be against ending the Spring Game? I would have no problem w/ turning into an event for fans but the risk of injury to players for a senseless scrimmage seems too risky in today’s structure. I know MF likes to use the Spring Game for out reach to underprivileged kids but I think they could find a different avenue for that as well that would give those kids similar if not better experience. Just my two cents, but I just never hear fans who are adamant that we keep the Spring Game so to me it’s like pre-season polls….who is actually in favor of this stuff?

No the spring game gives the fans something to do if anything they should make it a bigger event

 

[FWIrish4]

Is there anyone who would be against ending the Spring Game? I would have no problem w/ turning into an event for fans but the risk of injury to players for a senseless scrimmage seems too risky in today’s structure. I know MF likes to use the Spring Game for out reach to underprivileged kids but I think they could find a different avenue for that as well that would give those kids similar if not better experience. Just my two cents, but I just never hear fans who are adamant that we keep the Spring Game so to me it’s like pre-season polls….who is actually in favor of this stuff?

I hear your sentiment, but I provide you with a rebuttal. I think scaling down makes some sense, but there’s value to it for sure.

1) ND has and will continue to take care of their star contributors within context of the game. I’m not worried about Love tearing his ACL because he won’t play.

2) the game has value within context of position battles to an extent. It will not be the determining factor to make a decision, but it’s absolutely a data point. With a QB battle this spring, you have to see how these guys perform with a little bit of game atmosphere with live snaps. There’s not a ton of pressure, but there’s something to having to perform in ND stadium with some crowd and national tv cameras on vs. performing behind closed doors at practice.

3) it’s a free marketing event. You get the fanbase and community involved. As Freeman makes very clear when he speaks publicly, “another opportunity” to compete as a team.

4) in the era of player empowerment and NIL, you’re giving your young guys not only a chance to make some plays in ND stadium with cameras, but also get some hype around their name and upcoming season. Absolutely value there and probably the main objective moving forward to get these guys reps.

Just my 2 cents as a former college athlete that always thought our fall ball scrimmage World Series had value to it.