2016 Spring Practice Thread

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> spring practice schedule released<a href="https://t.co/LpiT86gpaa">https://t.co/LpiT86gpaa</a> <a href="https://t.co/DF1jrfrEsC">pic.twitter.com/DF1jrfrEsC</a></p>— Irish247 (@NotreDame247) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotreDame247/status/707219419391352832">March 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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March 16: 7:30-9:30 a.m.*
March 18: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
March 19: 10:55-12:55 p.m.
March 21: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
March 23: 7:30-9:30 a.m.*
March 30: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
April 1: 7:30-9:30 a.m.*
April 2: 10:55-12:55 p.m.
April 4: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
April 6: 7:30-9:30 a.m.*
April 8: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
April 9: 10:55-12:55 p.m.*
April 13: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
April 15: 7:30-9:30 a.m.*
April 16: Blue-Gold game: 12:30 p.m. ET (Notre Dame Stadium)

Pro Day: March 31

*Asterisk denotes portion/all of practice open to media for viewing

 

[ResLife Hero]

And some pre-camp articles to pass the week.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">VIDEO: Camp Kelly means spring football is almost*here <a href="https://t.co/THwZLJV3mR">https://t.co/THwZLJV3mR</a></p>— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDonNBC/status/705916693969698816">March 5, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Quarterback trio getting to work over spring*break <a href="https://t.co/i84IizvOKv">https://t.co/i84IizvOKv</a></p>— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDonNBC/status/706912516614463488">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[rtrn2glory]

good call. looking forward to some actual football related info.

this is the first time in awhile I'm actually fed up with recruiting, just want to watch the dudes we got perform, get better, and hopefully stay healthy!

 

[Irishcop]

Has anyone heard how Drue Tranquill is doing?

 

[BleedBlueGold]

ISD had a great podcast about spring practice yesterday. Basically went over each position group and gave their thoughts.

QB will obviously be interesting to follow, but how active will Malik be?
Lots of reps to go around with OL guys. They basically have a two-deep to work with. WR are a question mark. Is CRob up for the role of being a leader on the field (obviously he is off it). Will Tori play baseball? How is ESB's shoulder? How has Folston healed and will he be full go? TE has it's question marks. Hayes and Kareem will see time at DE. Mike Frank particularly worried about depth at DE this year (Rochelle/Trumbetti and that's it besides unproven guys and true frosh). LB is terrifying, esp for spring. Safety is terrifying for spring. How is Drue healing? No Coney or Martini. Basically have four LBs taking all the reps in spring. Pray for no injuries. Who moves to safety: Ashton White or Butler? Where does Brent end up?

Lots of great questions and talking points.

 

[dublinirish]

The spring game is going to be totally lame this year because there is so little depth. I'd imagine if you'd ask BK he'd rather not have one at all (as other schools have done)

 

[BleedBlueGold]

The spring game is going to be totally lame this year because there is so little depth. I'd imagine if you'd ask BK he'd rather not have one at all (as other schools have done)

Yeah, I'm sure the contact will be at a minimum.

With that said, there are plenty of openings in the starting lineup for guys to audition, so I'm sure competition will still be high among those who are able to participate.

 

[dublinirish]

Yeah, I'm sure the contact will be at a minimum.

With that said, there are plenty of openings in the starting lineup for guys to audition, so I'm sure competition will still be high among those who are able to participate.

what i never understood is that BK does not let the walk-on's go at it in the spring game and give them a proper half of football. It's practically their only chance to actually play in a game while at ND and it just seems cruel to have them play with a running clock.

 

[beryirish]

Will everyone playing in the spring game wear red jerseys?

 

[Sherm Sticky]

ISD had a great podcast about spring practice yesterday. Basically went over each position group and gave their thoughts.

QB will obviously be interesting to follow, but how active will Malik be?
Lots of reps to go around with OL guys. They basically have a two-deep to work with. WR are a question mark. Is CRob up for the role of being a leader on the field (obviously he is off it). Will Tori play baseball? How is ESB's shoulder? How has Folston healed and will he be full go? TE has it's question marks. Hayes and Kareem will see time at DE. Mike Frank particularly worried about depth at DE this year (Rochelle/Trumbetti and that's it besides unproven guys and true frosh). LB is terrifying, esp for spring. Safety is terrifying for spring. How is Drue healing? No Coney or Martini. Basically have four LBs taking all the reps in spring. Pray for no injuries. Who moves to safety: Ashton White or Butler? Where does Brent end up?

Lots of great questions and talking points.

Remind me why Martini is out?

 

[IrishLax]

Team is going to be so bad this year.

 

[IrishLion]

Team is going to be so bad this year.

The defense has the potential to either be straight awful and the worst product yet, or show marginal improvement depending on health and the back end.

The offense has the potential to be even better than it was this past year, as long as someone can be half of what Fuller was.

 

[IrishLax]

The defense has the potential to either be straight awful and the worst product yet, or show marginal improvement depending on health and the back end.

The offense has the potential to be even better than it was this past year, as long as someone can be half of what Fuller was.

I'm legitimately worried about the OL. I have full faith in Bars, Nelson, and McGlinchey being effective players but the next two in are unknown quantities. You're replacing two elite players in Stanley and Martin, one of whom called the protections. If the OL takes a step back, it will sabotage the whole offense.

The QB competition also has potential to sabotage the offense in a completely different way.

I think the defense is going to be an abomination unless BVG completely changes what he does on standard down & distance and we stay perfectly healthy... the odds of either of those happening seem slim to none.

The schedule, on paper, seems super easy so I guess 9 wins is still possible.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Remind me why Martini is out?

I think he broke his hand or something. I'm not sure why he'd be out still, as Mike just listed him on the podcast as not being a participant w/o details. I haven't found any confirmation though so maybe he'll be available. I really don't know. Sorry.

Edit: It's possible I misunderstood Mike and perhaps he listed Greer as one of the LBs we'll see a lot of in the spring.

Team is going to be so bad this year.

I'm definitely not getting my hopes up. I think the offense will be fine as long as the OL gel. The defense terrifies me. I don't trust BVG and there are so many holes to fill at literally every level of the D. I think we'll see a lot of inconsistent play from this team. There's clearly talent and sometimes that talent is good for some tremendous play. But because they're young, it'll be good for some head scratchers as well.

 

[koonja]

Clemson made it to the title and competed, losing 9 starers on defense and like 100 OL and their star WR.

Elite recruiting and great coaching make it possible. Although I think they're better coached and significantly better recruits.

But still. Stay healthy and I think we could be better than last year. Lots of talent.

 

[GreyWorm]

Remind me why Martini is out?

Wrist surgery. I believe ISD reported he would be limited.

 

[dublinirish]

I think the defense is going to be an abomination unless BVG completely changes what he does on standard down & distance and we stay perfectly healthy... the odds of either of those happening seem slim to none.

we don't have the DL to rush four and get pressure and keep everything in the back end simple.
On the flip side, we don't have the LB's/Safety's to run a complex defense.
it's going to be a long season.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I think we're selling this DL and Keith Gilmore way short. A lot of these guys are entering their 3rd season and are ready to make that huge jump. I'm especially glad to hear Blankenship and Hayes have been hitting the offseason with a renewed vigor. I also think Trumbetti is ready to make the jump to a stellar DE for us. He has the tools and the experience now. If Hayes is hitting the offseason hard, and Tillery regains focus, we should be more than fine at 3T.

We need to be careful at LB this spring if Martini and Coney are out. I'd say Perry is almost certain to start out at SAM off the bat. I also like what we've heard about Bilal and Barajas, so they'll likely make the most of their reps. Morgan has the most to gain this spring. He'll carry most of the reps and he needs them. BVG and Elston really don't have an excuse for him to not be ready to start at MIKE this year.

CB is fine, but I'll agree with Mike on the safety position. I'm concerned, very concerned. I just don't know who will step up and be, at the very least, a solid option for us. I have a feeling that's probably all we need is solid from the backend, as I think our front 9 will be far better than most on here anticipate. But as we've seen, poor safety play can absolutely wreck a good defense. We complain about surrendering big-plays in our high-risk, high-reward defense and safety is easily the most susceptible to giving up said big plays.

 

[dublinirish]

I think we're selling this DL and Keith Gilmore way short. A lot of these guys are entering their 3rd season and are ready to make that huge jump. I'm especially glad to hear Blankenship and Hayes have been hitting the offseason with a renewed vigor. I also think Trumbetti is ready to make the jump to a stellar DE for us. He has the tools and the experience now. If Hayes is hitting the offseason hard, and Tillery regains focus, we should be more than fine at 3T.

We need to be careful at LB this spring if Martini and Coney are out. I'd say Perry is almost certain to start out at SAM off the bat. I also like what we've heard about Bilal and Barajas, so they'll likely make the most of their reps. Morgan has the most to gain this spring. He'll carry most of the reps and he needs them. BVG and Elston really don't have an excuse for him to not be ready to start at MIKE this year.

CB is fine, but I'll agree with Mike on the safety position. I'm concerned, very concerned. I just don't know who will step up and be, at the very least, a solid option for us. I have a feeling that's probably all we need is solid from the backend, as I think our front 9 will be far better than most on here anticipate. But as we've seen, poor safety play can absolutely wreck a good defense. We complain about surrendering big-plays in our high-risk, high-reward defense and safety is easily the most susceptible to giving up said big plays.

Relying alot on unproven talent though. I've never been high on Trumbetti, the kid tries his best and hustles but is undersized and lacks the length to truly be a pass rushing threat. It's the potential of the likes of Bonner, Jay Hayes and Kareem that we are truly relying on. It's a big worry for me.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Relying alot on unproven talent though. I've never been high on Trumbetti, the kid tries his best and hustles but is undersized and lacks the length to truly be a pass rushing threat. It's the potential of the likes of Bonner, Jay Hayes and Kareem that we are truly relying on. It's a big worry for me.

Is Trumbetti really that undersized though? I get that he's no Joey Bosa, a 6'6 275 pound rock-solid athlete, but those are rare among WDE. Trumbetti is about 6'3-6'4 range and 260. That's pretty standard for WDE.

I get that relying on potential unproven talent is scary thinking, but it's a reality that most, hell, damn near every team has to face. You know what I'm happy to not have to rely on though? Unproven underclassmen. For the most part, the guys mentioned as players stepping up in the trenches are juniors like Trumbetti, Hayes, Cage, Bonner and Blankenship. Guys that have been in the system and have physically and mentally developed to the level where they're expected to be major contributors. There's still a few underclassmen sprinkled in there like Tillery, Kareem and possibly Okwara or D Hayes, but for the most part, our 2-deep up front is comprised of upperclassmen.

I'm saving most of my concern and skepticism for the safety spot, where we may very well have to rely on some underclassmen to step up immediately and be major players for us.

 

[Irish#1]

Trumbetti was a guy I thought would have a big impact last year. Not sure why he didn't get more playing time last year as he showed signs of being a great player in the limited reps he got as a freshman. His size is fine for a college DE. I'm curious t see how he pans out this year.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Trumbetti was a guy I thought would have a big impact last year. Not sure why he didn't get more playing time last year as he showed signs of being a great player in the limited reps he got as a freshman. His size is fine for a college DE. I'm curious t see how he pans out this year.

I think people are really underestimating the impact his injury last spring had.

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[Crazy Balki]

I think people are really underestimating the impact his injury last spring had.

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Exactly this. It didn't help his case that Okwara took a huge step forward and build a considerable gap between them.

 

[dublinirish]

Is Trumbetti really that undersized though? I get that he's no Joey Bosa, a 6'6 275 pound rock-solid athlete, but those are rare among WDE. Trumbetti is about 6'3-6'4 range and 260. That's pretty standard for WDE.

His size is fine for a college DE. I'm curious t see how he pans out this year.

He has T-Rex Arms. Also his frame is probably maxed out right now, not sure if he broad enough to carry more. he gets swallowed up by tackles and is no threat to stunt inside.

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Notre Dame Spring Football 2016: New Dawn on the Offensive Line <a href="https://t.co/qkNp3Zwjmv">https://t.co/qkNp3Zwjmv</a> <a href="https://t.co/VSD6EtylvP">pic.twitter.com/VSD6EtylvP</a></p>— One Foot Down (@OneFootDown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneFootDown/status/707906373628108800">March 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Also:
Notre Dame Spring Football 2016: Time to See the Youngsters - One Foot Down
Notre Dame Spring Football 2016: Seeking a True No. 1 Tight End - One Foot Down
Notre Dame Spring Football 2016: Managing a One-Two Punch at Running Back - One Foot Down
Notre Dame Spring Football 2016: Trying to Avoid Problems at Quarterback - One Foot Down

 

[woolybug25]

Relying alot on unproven talent though. I've never been high on Trumbetti, the kid tries his best and hustles but is undersized and lacks the length to truly be a pass rushing threat. It's the potential of the likes of Bonner, Jay Hayes and Kareem that we are truly relying on. It's a big worry for me.

Trumbetti is going into his true Junior year. He had 5.5 TFL as a true freshman, but battled injury all last season. It's beyond me how one would be excited to see Jay Hayes, who hasn't touched the field and was passed by multiple players, than a dude that has actually shown that he has what it takes at his position. Don't let one injury season sour you on a guy that could end up being an awesome player for us. Trumbetti has massive potential.

Trumbetti was a guy I thought would have a big impact last year. Not sure why he didn't get more playing time last year as he showed signs of being a great player in the limited reps he got as a freshman. His size is fine for a college DE. I'm curious t see how he pans out this year.

Yeah. Injuries killed him last season. I think that he is going to break out this season.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I heard that Hayes and Blankenship have dialed it up. Anybody else hear that?

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[koonja]

I heard that Hayes and Blankenship have dialed it up. Anybody else hear that?

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No but that'd be sweet. I don't remember Trumbetti being seriously injured last year. He just couldn't get reps from Romeo even though IMO he should have. We all thought he was going to break out last year and clearly he didn't.

 

[GowerND11]

Trumbetti is going into his true Junior year. He had 5.5 TFL as a true freshman, but battled injury all last season. It's beyond me how one would be excited to see Jay Hayes, who hasn't touched the field and was passed by multiple players, than a dude that has actually shown that he has what it takes at his position. Don't let one injury season sour you on a guy that could end up being an awesome player for us. Trumbetti has massive potential.



Yeah. Injuries killed him last season. I think that he is going to break out this season.

Wasn't Hayes purposefully held out because they wanted to redshirt him? He was supposed to in '14, but with all the injuries they threw him in in the last two games, and then he got hurt in the USC game.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I heard that Hayes and Blankenship have dialed it up. Anybody else hear that?

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Yes. That was buzzing through ISD a while back, but it seems like Hayes and Blankenship have a renewed vigor. Hopefully that translates in the spring and fall.