Duke DL R J Oben has committed to ND. He's a good pickup. Jack Kiser has also announced that he is returning next year, which is good news for the LB room. Talk that we might be in the market for an OL (Tackle I assume) as well as a 3rd WR. Still some that think that Gerard Parker will not return as the OCoord but that he will leave after Nat'l Signing Day/Bowl game. Me...I don't believe it for a minute. No way the WR's and QB transfers are coming, esp Riley Leonard, if they aren't assured that Parker will be the OCoord. Only way they would is if Freeman tells them there will be a new OCoord and tells them who that guy is so they know what the offense they are signing up to play.
Drew Pyne returning to ND! But it's to finish his degree and then qualify as a Graduate transfer so he can play next year without sitting out. Kid is working the system! Glad to see him come back for his degree. Buchner back as well and will get his ND degree. More guys coming in the Portal to replace those that left. Freeman seems to be working the Portal to strengthen the roster next year.
Cam Hart to the NFL. I wonder how man NFL bound players are opting out of the bowls? I can name a couple who are not and will play in their teams meaningless bowl. Bo Nix is staying to play one more game. I play golf with a LSU alum and he claims that Jayden Daniels and his 1st team AA WR. Malik Nabers will also play in the meaningless bowl game for LSU
Irish pick up their kicker for 2024 when So.Carolina kicker Mitch Jeter committed to ND. He had an excellent career at South Carolina. The 5-foot-10, 194-pounder has been a model of consistency over the last two seasons for the Gamecocks as he’s hit 85.7 percent of his field goals. In fact, Jeter went a perfect 11-of-11 on field goals in 2022 and followed that up by finishing 12-of-14 in 2023. Yes, that’s 23-of-25 and Jeter has yet to miss a field goal under 49 yards in his collegiate career as his only two misses have come from over 50 yards. The North Carolina native also became the first player in South Carolina program history to hit two field goals over 50 yards in the same game in 2022. Jeter has also been very consistent on extra points as he hit 77-of-80 for the Gamecocks.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C01ubRtOn7s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Joe Alt Notre Dames 35th Unanimous All - American. Also add Xavier Watts as the 36th.
Comment from a ISD writer on the portal. In less than 10 days since the transfer portal opened, Notre Dame’s staff has done a heck of a job addressing roster needs with commitments from five players. All five have the potential to be starters and I couldn’t have said that about the dozen scholarship players who have entered the transfer portal who played for Notre Dame last season. They still might add a couple more potential starters from the portal, but we’ll have to wait and see. Even if it ended with just these five, this would be the most transfers Notre Dame has had in their two-deep...maybe ever?
Terry, We are looking at the future of stocking your roster each year. No more loyalty from existing players. I see nothing but more problems for every coach trying to restock each and every year. Some will be successful but many will not. This my sound harsh, but I am quickly losing my enthusiasm for college football.
It doesn't sound harsh to me, Don. It's reality. This has a gone from an amateur game played by student-athletes to a professional game played by mercenaries.
He was a great player for us, good luck to him. Kyren Williams is doing well this year in the NFL. His career was much like Audric's. Not much as a freshman but then took off as a Soph and Jr. He won't be a 1st round draft pick probably 3rd round as RB's just don't in general have that much demand. That said there are several RB's coming up who have a lot of potential. Love likely to be the starter next year and has a ton of talent and more speed than Audric. But will he have the OL that Estime played behind?
One note on Cam Hart, besides thanks for the memories, he's a 5th year senior who was eligible for a 6th year due to Covid. I'll be glad when we are finally through the Covid exceptions, I'm tired of 24=25 year old men playing, even though the Irish have taken advantage.
Rick Mirer has a winery in Napa, Mirror wines. I've bought some from him, nice product. Now Joe Montana is selling Whiskey.
Between Nelson and Murphy (Texas) who are both 5 star recruits, it shows how the QB position is being affected by the Portal. I have to think that if Joe Montana played with todays rules he'd have never finished at Notre Dame, he'd have transferred before he got the chance to become the player he became.
I agree. You could go through past ND rosters and find many great 4-year players who were low on the depth chart their first couple of years like Montana was. Probably the same at other programs.