2014 Spring Practice Thread

[NDFANnSouthWest]

Any replays of the game? I missed it....

 

[Andy in Sactown]

"If there is trouble, I stay here to help you. For your father. For your father."

 

[zelezo vlk]

Re-watching the game now. Jaylon is gonna have a huge year IMO. I know that's not a stretch but he made same really nice plays, especially the one where he tracked Folston down on the run out wide in the 1st Q. Really excited to see him in August.

You're right. Forget Everett and MZ, Jaylon for new starting QB.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Luckylucci]

Re-watching the game now. Jaylon is gonna have a huge year IMO. I know that's not a stretch but he made same really nice plays, especially the one where he tracked Folston down on the run out wide in the 1st Q. Really excited to see him in August.

Honestly you can't take too much from these types of games but that play where Jaylon ran down tarean in the flat was a taste of what's to come. Very VERY few players can do that at OLB .

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

You guys are daytime fu*king soaps..

 

[TDHeysus]

Zaire represented himself very well, no doubt; he generated headlines throughout the internets, and melted down a few threads across a few Irish message boards. His impact in the spring game was significant.

I think Golson is still the starter but if Zaire gets into a game (thru injury/or golson being pulled) its possible he could steal the show.

Competition at key positions is what every program needs to get better; I think its safe to say that Zaire has responded to the competition, now Golson needs to respond


if its possible to do it in one practice(showing), I think Jaylon Smith has confirmed his elite athlete status....and now he is playing at 235? geez, dude is a beast.

 

[TheTurningPoint]

Couple of Things..

1. Zaire played well, but also look at the personnel on the field when he is on the field. What NDinLA is stating about Golson/Zaire getting different looks on defense is true from what I have been told. Golson got more complex presnap stuff from the defense, and part of that is bc he was with the more inexperienced line so it was a challenge for him to be on the ball. Golson obviously didnt have the stats Zaire did, but he didnt show anything that said he wasnt the starter. Both kids were early to run at times, but thats the nature of "if a defender is within 4 yards" the play is dead.

As far as checkdowns...couldnt you make a case that Zaire wasnt seeing things down the field well enough and checked down? I saw at least 3 plays where he had an open guy and just never saw him. Golson is the starter and Malik will be very adequate backup. There was a massive drop off at QB last year, and there will not be a massive gap this year.

2. Its somewhat funny to read Golson couldnt take the job from Rees. The Michigan game he got benched for 2INTs in what, 3 drives? Purdue was his first start at home. Kelly had a experienced QB to lean on the first two games of the year, and used that to his strength, but there is a reason he made it clear there wasnt a QB battle. As we all saw this year, Golson would have been the difference in every loss this year bc he can make throws very few in the nation can make on a consistent basis. As good as the defense was in 2012, Golson had a huge part in even making the National Title game. Remember Pitt where he bailed out himself and defense? Or the Oklahoma game, where he hit Brown for 50 that changed the momentum of the entire game? The kid is a winner and taking ND to a Natty appearance says a lot about a kid and his ability to handle everything on his plate. Sure, he made a poor decision last year, but that doesnt take away that fact that he is a difference maker on Saturday.

3. The defense overall was very vanilla. They didnt show much, and like I said earlier they did play around presnap with both QBs but more with Golson. You will see a different defense come fall.

4. The offense was very vanilla as well. They got some good looks and put kids in positions to make plays to keep the game entertaining for the fans, but you will see a very entertaining offense in the fall.

5. Overall, Im sure the staff will be happy with the film from yesterday. A lot of good things, and a lot of things to shore up. They showed they got kids that can make plays, depth is improving, but getting some kids in June will only add to some positions.

6. 2014 will be exciting to see. Whether they go 12-0 or 9-3 they will be playing exciting football on both sides of the ball. What needs to happen now, is making sure you find your leaders and get build on that through 7on7s and workouts. 2012 had great leadership. 2013 had zero leadership. 2014 has a ton of potential, but finding leadership is the difference between the playoffs and no playoffs.

 

[Irish#1]

In reading the last four pages, I'm guessing the only two people that played in the spring game were Golson and Zaire or was that Zaire and Golson?

 

[jspags10pg]

Any replays of the game? I missed it....

What he said^^^ I was looking for a stream all game since I couldnt do the NBCsports one without a login. All Ive found so far is the highlight video. Anybody know where to find the whole game? Or if we even can? Thanks in advance.

 

[CanadalovesND]

For all those that couldn't watch the game, or had to watch online but had to deal with that constant buffering bullshit like myself... look down. No commercials, and decent quality.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gnx3YM6I3x4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[koonja]

For all those that couldn't watch the game, or had to watch online but had to deal with that constant buffering bullshit like myself... look down

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gnx3YM6I3x4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

They will write songs in your name.

 

[jspags10pg]

For all those that couldn't watch the game, or had to watch online but had to deal with that constant buffering bullshit like myself... look down. No commercials, and decent quality.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gnx3YM6I3x4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You are a saint!

 

[phgreek]

Couple of Things..

1. Zaire played well, but also look at the personnel on the field when he is on the field. What NDinLA is stating about Golson/Zaire getting different looks on defense is true from what I have been told. Golson got more complex presnap stuff from the defense, and part of that is bc he was with the more inexperienced line so it was a challenge for him to be on the ball. Golson obviously didnt have the stats Zaire did, but he didnt show anything that said he wasnt the starter. Both kids were early to run at times, but thats the nature of "if a defender is within 4 yards" the play is dead.

As far as checkdowns...couldnt you make a case that Zaire wasnt seeing things down the field well enough and checked down? I saw at least 3 plays where he had an open guy and just never saw him. Golson is the starter and Malik will be very adequate backup. There was a massive drop off at QB last year, and there will not be a massive gap this year.

2. Its somewhat funny to read Golson couldnt take the job from Rees. The Michigan game he got benched for 2INTs in what, 3 drives? Purdue was his first start at home. Kelly had a experienced QB to lean on the first two games of the year, and used that to his strength, but there is a reason he made it clear there wasnt a QB battle. As we all saw this year, Golson would have been the difference in every loss this year bc he can make throws very few in the nation can make on a consistent basis. As good as the defense was in 2012, Golson had a huge part in even making the National Title game. Remember Pitt where he bailed out himself and defense? Or the Oklahoma game, where he hit Brown for 50 that changed the momentum of the entire game? The kid is a winner and taking ND to a Natty appearance says a lot about a kid and his ability to handle everything on his plate. Sure, he made a poor decision last year, but that doesnt take away that fact that he is a difference maker on Saturday.

3. The defense overall was very vanilla. They didnt show much, and like I said earlier they did play around presnap with both QBs but more with Golson. You will see a different defense come fall.

4. The offense was very vanilla as well. They got some good looks and put kids in positions to make plays to keep the game entertaining for the fans, but you will see a very entertaining offense in the fall.

5. Overall, Im sure the staff will be happy with the film from yesterday. A lot of good things, and a lot of things to shore up. They showed they got kids that can make plays, depth is improving, but getting some kids in June will only add to some positions.

6. 2014 will be exciting to see. Whether they go 12-0 or 9-3 they will be playing exciting football on both sides of the ball. What needs to happen now, is making sure you find your leaders and get build on that through 7on7s and workouts. 2012 had great leadership. 2013 had zero leadership. 2014 has a ton of potential, but finding leadership is the difference between the playoffs and no playoffs.

Amen.

 

[gkIrish]

whoa whoa whoa. Nobody called anybody a jiveturkey. He called him a cocksucker, that's all.

 

[GBdomer]

For all those that couldn't watch the game, or had to watch online but had to deal with that constant buffering bullshit like myself... look down. No commercials, and decent quality.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gnx3YM6I3x4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

YG

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Awwwwww, that is reeeeeaaalllly cute! I had no idea you guys were so close...if I had known I would have never responded to him. Thanks for the heads up!

Anyway, your boy called me a jabroni and told me to take a lap, among other things. So I responded in kind. Sue me. It's noble of you to stick up for him, but tell him not to start shit for no reason.

And actually, you should be a better friend. Friends don't let friends post like morons. Friends don't let friends ignore what EVERY expert who seen both play multiple times, only because that friend saw a series where the QB audibled a few times lol. Friends don't let friends do what your friend has done this entire thread.

Now, this was definitely an asshole post, but in this case, it was on purpose. But somehow, my posts are not coming across the way I intend. I am definitely NOT angry...matter of fact I had a fantastic weekend. Truly. You're the 2nd person to say that I need a break lol, so I'm doing something wrong. I know I have strong opinions and I word them strongly, but angry? Nah. Life is REALLY good right now; I have nothing to be angry about; certainly not over something a guy who has no clue about football says about QB play. I enjoy the debate and discourse, but Koon stepped over the line for no reason. I was more incredulous that a guy who backed (who so many people can't stand) would turn and talk shit like that.

So with a baby on the way and my posting being majorly misconstrued (gotta be something I'm saying), I will definitely take a hiatus for awhile from posting (besides, I can't deal with any moron who takes a spring scrimmage over a year and several practices worth of football. It's inconceivable to me, so for my own health I'll peace out for a while lol). Ironman, Whiskey, ulukinateme, etc, I got some really good info from the ISD guys and a couple other friends Saturday morning, so when I get a minute sometime in the next couple weeks you'll get your PM. Out.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

13:50 dear Lord....

 

[PANDFAN]

Awwwwww, that is reeeeeaaalllly cute! I had no idea you guys were so close...if I had known I would have never responded to him. Thanks for the heads up!

Anyway, your boy called me a jabroni and told me to take a lap, among other things. So I responded in kind. Sue me. It's noble of you to stick up for him, but tell him not to start shit for no reason.

And actually, you should be a better friend. Friends don't let friends post like morons. Friends don't let friends ignore what EVERY expert who seen both play multiple times, only because that friend saw a series where the QB audibled a few times lol. Friends don't let friends do what your friend has done this entire thread.

Now, this was definitely an asshole post, but in this case, it was on purpose. But somehow, my posts are not coming across the way I intend. I am definitely NOT angry...matter of fact I had a fantastic weekend. Truly. You're the 2nd person to say that I need a break lol, so I'm doing something wrong. I know I have strong opinions and I word them strongly, but angry? Nah. Life is REALLY good right now; I have nothing to be angry about; certainly not over something a guy who has no clue about football says about QB play. I enjoy the debate and discourse, but Koon stepped over the line for no reason. I was more incredulous that a guy who backed (who so many people can't stand) would turn and talk shit like that.

So with a baby on the way and my posting being majorly misconstrued (gotta be something I'm saying), I will definitely take a hiatus for awhile from posting (besides, I can't deal with any moron who takes a spring scrimmage over a year and several practices worth of football. It's inconceivable to me, so for my own health I'll peace out for a while lol). Ironman, Whiskey, ulukinateme, etc, I got some really good info from the ISD guys and a couple other friends Saturday morning, so when I get a minute sometime in the next couple weeks you'll get your PM. Out.

 

[BeauBenken]

TO ALL THOSE POSTING:

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you've posted. If you are looking for reps, I can tell you I don't have them. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let this thread go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will ban you.

 

[PANDFAN]

Video: Seven Irish Players Talk After Spring Game

 

[ResLife Hero]

WR Hunter eyes larger role with Irish heading into 2014 - South Bend Tribune: Football

Mainly about Hunter, but also mentions a number of other players:

SOUTH BEND — He can smile now at the notion of being an afterthought, because for the first time in a long while, it no longer feels permanent.
Now the glimpses of promise are longer and closer together for Notre Dame sophomore-to-be Torii Hunter Jr. The interviews that start and end with questions about his baseball-playing father — Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter Sr. — and dismiss his own identity are less frequent. The pain in his left leg from a January 2013 fractured femur, that wouldn’t go away for so long, no longer dominates his days.
Possibilities do. Gleaming, uplifting, trajectory-shifting possibilities.
Even if they only translated to a modest two catches for 14 yards Saturday in the 85th-annual Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium.
“He is absolutely, physically very gifted and right in the mix with all those guys in terms of what we think he can do potentially down the road,” Notre Dame offensive coordinator/receiver coach Mike Denbrock said of the 6-foot, 190-pound Hunter and his place in a seven-deep receiver corps that in June adds two more bodies — spring-semester academic casualty DaVaris Daniels and incoming freshman Corey Holmes.
“Like a lot of young guys, the more he sees things (and) the more he does things, the better he’s going to be,” Denbrock continued. “He’s not where we need him to be yet, but you can see so many positive things that are going to happen there, moving forward. Obviously, we’re trying to move the process forward as quickly as we can.”
For ND fifth-year head football coach Brian Kelly, the Blue-Gold Game has never been about presenting a finished product or really the culmination of anything more than the 15th spring practice. It’s always been more of an awkwardly placed snapshot of his vision for August training camp and a springboard to the summer, where periodically dramatic individual growth takes place.
Former Irish quarterback Tommy Rees is probably the best poster child for those type of summer transformations.
When the spring of 2010 concluded, the early-enrolled freshman Rees was decidedly the third QB option behind ACL-surgery comeback story Dayne Crist and walk-on Nate Montana. And Kelly couldn’t get Rees’ QB classmates, Andrew Hendrix and Luke Massa, on campus fast enough.
In fact, he brought them in two weeks earlier than the other summer-arriving freshmen, just to get a head start at rearranging a depth chart that figured to settle with Rees fifth. Instead Rees surged over the summer, challenged Montana in August and overtook him for No. 2 by October.
By the end of the 2010 season, Rees was starting. With Crist injured again, Rees went 4-0 as the stand-in, then passed Crist on the depth chart the following September.
Hunter is one of a handful of Irish players obscured in the Blue-Gold Game Saturday by the convoluted format, limited opportunity, injuries, and/or scheme and position tweaks, but who could break through in August.
Linebacker — yes linebacker — James Onwualu is another. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore-to-be played running back at national prep power Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minn., was recruited to play wide receiver and spent his freshman season at that position.
This spring he shifted to safety, then morphed into a linebacker, where he collected four tackles on Saturday.
“My head was spinning pretty fast at the beginning of spring ball,” Onwualu said of all the changes. “But now I’m starting to kind of settle in and see where I can go with this.
“It’s tough in some aspects, but then you think about it as: I believe in myself as being a fairly good athlete that can fit into a lot of different positions. So I take it as a compliment for the coaches to believe in me and my abilities. I truly believe they’re trying to find the perfect fit for me.”
Recovering senior-to-be Ben Councell — a drop linebacker in the old defensive scheme the last time he had a fully healthy ACL in his left knee — could be energized by new responsibilities on his plate when healthy.
Romeo Okwara and Joe Schmidt are two players ripe for summer ascendance for different reasons.
Okwara, now a 6-4, 258-pound wall of muscle at defensive end/rush linebacker, spent his first two seasons at ND as a Band-Aid. He migrated from cat linebacker to drop linebacker and even to nose guard to provide position insurance when a particular spot ran too thin of bodies.
The constant shifting tag-teamed with his own youth to encumber Okwara’s overall growth. The junior-to-be is 18 years old. He turns 20 two months and some change before his senior season commences. By comparison, former Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen turned 20 on the eve of the fourth game of his true freshman season.
“I think we found a role for Romeo,” Kelly said Saturday after Okwara amassed a team-high 3½ tackles for loss, “one that I think we feel a lot more comfortable where he is. He's got to do a good job of taking care of his body and keeping up the weight and doing those things.”
Schmidt found himself at middle linebacker this spring, and was perceived by many from the outside looking in as a place-holder for either recovering former starter Jarrett Grace (broken leg) or the defensive jewel of the 2014 recruiting class, Nyles Morgan.
No one, though, absorbed new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s new scheme faster or more thoroughly this spring than the 6-foot-230-pound former walk-on and zero-star recruit who turned down scholarship offers from Air Force and Cincinnati to attempt an unlikely climb at ND.
“Joe Schmidt is the leader on our defense,” Kelly said Saturday. “Right now he can't come off the field. His knowledge base in terms of getting people lined up and having them execute what we do defensively, he's absolutely integral to what we're doing.
“We'll obviously have to do a lot defensively. Joe is not 255 pounds, and if the game is a downhill, iso game, we're going to have to be cognizant of what his shortcomings are.”
Hunter’s biggest shortcoming was bad luck. He suffered a broken leg 15 months ago during a practice for a high school all-star game that figured to be a non-issue by the following summer when he first arrived at ND.
Instead, it lingered deep into fall, and Hunter ended up redshirting. In December, during ND’s bowl practices, Hunter made a splash. But then he started sinking again in March, when quarterback Everett Golson was reintegrated with an offense that itself underwent a transformation.
“It definitely helps knowing the coaches still believe in you,” Hunter said of his up-and-down existence, “even though you had a bad practice where you thought you should have made more plays, done better. But the fact they didn’t give up on you is definitely motivating and uplifting looking to the future.”
Film study, Hunter says, will be a large part of his immediate future in trying to elevate his standing on the depth chart. The last time the Prosper, Texas, product took to video with such a serious bent was when Notre Dame first started recruiting him.
“To be quite honest, I didn’t watch Notre Dame at all growing up,” said Hunter, whose brothers Darius (Blinn Community College) and Money (Arkansas State) are also college football players.
“After I got the offer, I started looking out for (Notre Dame) more, trying to find games to watch. I kind of had them in the back of my mind, because I knew the type of school they were with the tradition and education and things like that. My dad was in my ear about it. He’s like, ‘They used to be pretty good,’ and then I watched Rudy.”
Yes, the movie Rudy was Hunter’s film study that played a role in him eventually landing at Notre Dame.
“I didn’t know what it looked like,” he said of Notre Dame. “I didn’t know any of the traditions at the school. So I had to watch Rudy, and saw Touchdown Jesus and the Play Like a Champion sign, all that stuff.”
He still has designs of adding baseball into his own ND football narrative, but won’t push it. Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston’s ability to do both at Florida State at a high level, and former Irish receiver Golden Tate’s successful two-sport adventure are his templates of encouragement.
The strongest connection to the sport currently for the high school standout outfielder and 36th-round draft choice last June of the Detroit Tigers is going to see his father play. And even those opportunities no longer come easy.
Torii Sr. used to move the family to Minnesota in the summertime when he was playing for the Twins and the boys were little and didn’t have their own sports obligations. And Torii Jr., got to travel from city to city with the team.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “It kind of creates this drive in you to go out and be able to do those kind of things.”
The younger Hunter said he’ll see his first game in person this season when the Tigers host the Angels this weekend. In the interim, the younger Hunter said his dad sends him motivational texts every day.
“It’s definitely tough not playing (baseball) this spring,” he said. “But I’m here on a football scholarship, so I just kind of have to honor that and what the coaches want to do with me. I agreed to come out here this spring and just give it my all, so I could show the coaches that I’m serious about football.”
He hopes to show the rest of the college football world even more next fall.

 

[NDWorld247]

I've sort of forgotten about Onwaulu's position switch as I haven't followed spring practice as closely as in the past. He's mentioned briefly in the article above, but what are we hearing about his move to LB? Should we expect him to see significant PT on defense in the fall or will he need more time to acclimate to the position and work through the depth chart?

 

[dublinirish]

I've sort of forgotten about Onwaulu's position switch as I haven't followed spring practice as closely as in the past. He's mentioned briefly in the article above, but what are we hearing about his move to LB? Should we expect him to see significant PT on defense in the fall or will he need more time to acclimate to the position and work through the depth chart?

he will be more of a sub package guy i would say. i doubt he cracks the two deep unless the base defense is a 4-2-5 or sth

 

[koonja]

I'll rewatch the game tonight and pay attention to the defense, but two guys who I've been skeptical of are Romeo and Rochell. Each of them seemed to be getting good push against the OL, which is a huge +.

Glad Onowala has such a good attitude about this. It'd be nice if he could RS, but he's probably too valuable at least on ST to do that.

Shummate, for the love of everything great, please lock down that 2nd safety spot. Our secondary would be nothing but elite if he can stay on the field with Max Payne.

Going to be critical of my boy here, but GB has to tuck that ball away when he's in the open field. He was doing the whole 'carry it between my wrist and forearm'. Granted, it's a hell of a forearm, but it will eventually lead to a fumble.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I had to chuckle when they kept talking about how vanilla the defense was, yet there seemed to always be someone in the backfield pressuring the QBs. I think this is going to be a very fun year for Irish football.

 

[connor_in]

TO ALL THOSE POSTING:

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you've posted. If you are looking for reps, I can tell you I don't have them. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let this thread go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will ban you.

 

[ulukinatme]

I had to chuckle when they kept talking about how vanilla the defense was, yet there seemed to always be someone in the backfield pressuring the QBs. I think this is going to be a very fun year for Irish football.

Yeah, they kept pointing out how BVG's defense in the fall will be very different than what we saw Saturday. I'm expecting Jaylon to wear a clown suit on the field this fall, Sheldon will be dual wielding machetes in each hand on the line, Max will be performing interpretive dance in the secondary, and Russell will be taking imaginary snaps from Romeo to further confuse the offense. The opposition will never see it coming.


Oh, and no italics.

 

[Rack Em]

Yeah, they kept pointing out how BVG's defense in the fall will be very different than what we saw Saturday. I'm expecting Jaylon to wear a clown suit on the field this fall, Sheldon will be dual wielding machetes in each hand on the line, Max will be performing interpretive dance in the secondary, and Russell will be taking imaginary snaps from Romeo to further confuse the offense. The opposition will never see it coming.


Oh, and no italics.

It's really crazy what an NFL pedigree can bring to the college game.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

It's really crazy what an NFL pedigree can bring to the college game.

Schematic advantages?

 

[IrishLion]

I still think BK and now BVG are simply hiding the hoard of Jaylon Smith clones.

Two of them beefed up to 250 and will be our DE's, flanking Day and Jones at DT.

Two others will remain the same and comprise the other two spots in the base 4-3 linebacking corps.

Two of them cut a bit of weight and will play corner and safety, opposite Russell and Max.

That's 7 Jaylons to go with a Sheldon Day, a Jarron Jones, a KVR, and a Max Redfield. Not to mention Okwara, Williams, Luke, Butler, Shumate, Collinsworth, Barratti, etc. for depth.

It's gonna be really great.