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While Brian Kelly wasn’t scheduled to meet with the media until after the Easter break, he spoke after practice Wednesday morning to confirm some rather big news. As already reported, Kelly confirmed a broken collarbone for Amir Carlisle and a shoulder injury for Chase Hounshell. As reported here, the shoulder injury was a serious one,…
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The second highly touted member of the 2012 recruiting class is leaving the Fighting Irish football team. Wide receiver Davonte Neal, who spent his freshman season as the team’s primary punt returner and was expected to play a significant role in the Irish offense in 2013, is leaving school. Jason Sapp of Blue and Gold…
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With hundreds of media members and NFL scouts in attendance, Manti Te’o and the rest of his graduating teammates worked out at Notre Dame’s official Pro Day Tuesday afternoon. As the passing weeks continue to separate Te’o the All-American linebacker from the tabloid sensation, the former Irish star needed to do his job and separate…
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Obviously, today’s news about running back Amir Carlisle and defensive end Chase Hounshell suffering significant injuries was a tough reminder that spring practice also carries with it some risk. But the Irish are hardly alone. Michigan lost its best defensive playmaker, linebacker Jake Ryan to a torn ACL last week, putting his 2013 season in…
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Tough injury news to report out of spring practice. The Irish look to have suffered two injuries after Saturday’s first practice in pads. Multiple sources tell me that defensive end Chase Hounshell has suffered another shoulder injury. One source indicates that it’s another torn labrum for Hounshell, a really tough break for the rising junior…
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The first Junior Day of the 2014 recruiting cycle netted its first new pledge, as New Jersey defensive end Andrew Trumbetti gave his commitment to head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco today. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder had offers from Florida, Clemson, Miami, Penn State, Stanford and several others. As Brian Kelly noted on…
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You could forgive some Irish fans if they’ve forgotten that Brian Kelly came to South Bend with the reputation of being a quick strike, spread attack, offensive guru. (Okay. Most of you haven’t forgotten.) But if there’s been one thing the Irish haven’t been on offense in Kelly’s three seasons at Notre Dame, it’s up…
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We got our first behind-the-scenes look at spring practice, courtesy of UND.com’s FIDM team. And while it’s just a snippet of the usual spring goings on, fundamentals with a sprinkle of scrimmage footage here and there, that’s all you can ask for in March. As we’ve done in the past, here’s a rather excessive look…
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Departing Notre Dame seniors will have their Pro Day workouts on March 26. While that means media will travel en mass to see if Manti Te’o can improve his 40 time by one or two tenths of a second, it also gives twelve other former Irish football players a chance to workout in front of…
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Just a few minutes after talking about Gunner Kiel’s decision to leave the football program, head coach Brian Kelly deflected a question about the battle to back-up Everett Golson. It was an interesting look into the psyche of a head coach that’s spent four years building a roster that’s going to feel mighty crowded for…
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If Notre Dame’s under-performing special teams units make a vast improvement in 2013, Irish fans have an odd person to thank: Alabama coach Nick Saban. After all, it was Saban who laid the blue print for Kelly’s spring overhaul of his special teams, which has underwhelmed the past few seasons, especially in the return games.…
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It may be the ultimate coaching rhetoric, but you can’t help but think Brian Kelly was genuine in his praise for the offseason work done by his roster. As Kelly kicked off his press conference Tuesday, he spent more time ticking off weight training work than just about anything else — the product of two…
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We’ll have much more on Brian Kelly’s introductory press conference. But the first order of business is finalizing the fifth year seniors on the Irish roster for 2013. Let’s take a quick look at the veterans that were approved for a fifth year of study and an additional year of eligibility: Carlo Calabrese, ILB Dan…
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When Brian Kelly steps in front of the podium at the Guglielmino Athletic Complex Tuesday afternoon, he’ll be a man facing a drastically different set of expectations. Gone are the question marks about the coach from a sheer survival perspective. Last season’s 12-1 record, and the still-in-progress long term contract extension mean Jack Swarbrick has…
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After years where numbers dwindled, spring in the secondary will be a different picture. With a depth chart that rolls almost three deep, Kerry Cooks and Bob Elliott have their hands full as they continue to develop a position group that was the most surprising on the roster last season. But even with their solid…
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For an offensive line, nothing is tougher than breaking in a rookie quarterback. For the 2012 Irish, that meant finding an entirely new right side to work with Everett Golson, with Mike Golic playing guard and Christian Lombard taking over at right tackle. The fact that the Irish o-line played well is a credit to…
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No pressure, guys. For Troy Niklas, Alex Welch, Ben Koyack and Mike Heuerman, there’s got to be a little bit extra on their shoulders this spring, as they watch another Notre Dame All-American tight end prepare to go early in the NFL Draft. It’s beginning to become one of the sports’ most consistent position groups,…
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With the departure of Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood from the Irish backfield, Notre Dame’s running game will look drastically different in 2013. Gone is the impressive steadiness that Riddick brought to the Irish offense, the ability to run tough between the tackles while also being a weapon in the passing game. Also departing (early,…
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It’s been a good run for Notre Dame at wide receiver. For a school that many think struggles to bring in elite playmakers, there sure have been quite a few to make their way through South Bend lately. Starting with Chicago Cubs opening day starter Jeff Samardzija, continuing on to Biletnikoff Winner Golden Tate and…
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It’s been a long time since Notre Dame’s quarterback position has had the type of stability that it now enjoys. So while Brian Kelly likely touted the idea that every quarterback would be competing for the starting job, you can’t blame redshirt freshman Gunner Kiel for reading the writing on the wall. With Everett Golson…
