FULL REACTION: Notre Dame depth chart vs. Texas A&M released | True freshman OT, WR rotation, more

Tyler welcome to a game week we have made it Notre Dame Texas A&M coming up on Saturday Marcus Freeman met the media earlier today as we record this on Monday we now know the left side of the offensive line it's going to be Anthony lap at left tackle and you've got Sam Pendleton at left guard so nap Pendleton is your dual your reaction to the decision by the coaching staff yeah two weeks ago I would have said this is crazy and that's right when we first first saw them Trot out as starters that first day a couple weeks ago in Fall Camp when I saw Nat playing ahead of Tosh Baker who by the way Joe Rudolph called the answer to Notre Dame's left tackle situation after Charles jasaw got injured and then Sam Pendleton playing in place of really both Pat hugan and Roco spinler I think both of those guys had a chance obviously to start at left guard nope it's these two youngsters and I think it just says everything to what Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman Joe Rudolph of those guys think that they have in that pair and if you feel comfortable enough to go Trot them out there against Texas A&M in this environment against that team and in that defense because Marcus Freeman was asked about hey what about these uh Texas A&M pass rushers they're pretty good do you feel confident putting out a couple of guys who have never seen any Collegiate pass rusher because they haven't played any college football yet and I think Marcus Freeman said something pretty poignant there and he said hey we have a really good defensive line ourselves at Notre Dame and that's what these guys have seen for a whole month in Fall Camp so we're going to kind of go with the guys that we think are the best for us and we we'll see what happens so not too surprised at this point to answer your question Darren two weeks ago three weeks ago would have been pretty shocked but this is the way that this has been trending for a little bit now all right six career starts for this group heading to Texas A&M the depth chart at wide receiver there's a lot of ores all three wide receivers there's a combination of two players with an ore in the middle so that I think is your six-man rotation we've heard all about during I guess summertime and fall camp with faon and great house Collins and Mitchell and then I'm leaving out the boundary guys said you said Thomas so it's Collins and Thomas boundary and then field you have fison and Mitchell and then in the slot you have gron and Harrison Jaden Harrison but there's going to be a lot of moving parts guys are going to line up in different spots do you feel like it's going to be different this year that they're going to be able to consistently have some Playmakers coming from the wide receiving core it does feel a little bit different because last year out of necessity Darren we saw the same guys over and over and over because you didn't really have anyone else until you put Jordan fa on in the lineup and then I guess you had one extra guy that you thought that you didn't have before because he was a walk-on wasn't supposed to see the field at all once he did see the field you were like okay he has to see the field over and over and over again at this point I think it feels different because you're coming into it with a thought process of we are going to put six guys out there and it's going to be those six and they're going to rotate regularly I even go back a couple of seasons ago Darren when all we saw over and over was Braden linday and Jaden Thomas and Lorenzo Styles and you never saw anybody I guess capable enough that's what the Notre Dame coaching staff thought to come in and relieve those guys so you saw them over and over and over again and then last year like I said a few guys go down with injuries and you saw the same guys over and over and over again last year as well now at in this Texas A&M game you're going to see Jordan fison replace Chris Mitchell or vice versa there's an or next to their name so I'm not sure who's starting I think Faison's name is at the top of the depth chart but wouldn't shock me if Chris Mitchell ran out there first and then Jordan fison was the one that relieved him eventually be it in that first series if it goes long enough or the next series or later in the first quarter first quarter whatever it is I think you are going to see those six guys rotate and then it becomes a question of okay you have six guys who are rotating and feel comfortable in them but what are they doing are those six guys producing and say it's Jordan fison who produces and and Chris Mitchell isn't putting up the numbers or isn't making the catches I think they they they'll stick with Jordan fison and say hey Chris Mitchell until you're doing that he's gonna see the field over you or great house over Harrison whatever it is in the early going though Darren it's definitely going to be a feel itout process and right now they feel like they have six guys who can go out there and get the job done I think the media now covering Notre Dame is at a dis dis Advantage you only get two questions in a media session with Marcus Freeman so there had to be a lot of questions about offensive line today and some other parts of the football team but it's really interesting not one question on the running back group but I I think that tells you the Comfort level everybody has with this particular unit without audri esime anymore with love and price it seems like the Irish are not going to miss a beat with the running game in 2024 yeah it's kind of crazy how cyclical this is because at this time last year we saw what audri EST did in 2022 kind of playing in tandem with Logan Diggs and and Chris Tyree was kind of the the third guy behind them that year but you didn't know if he could go off for 1300 yards like he did and be the Bellow if you will and and take those carries every single game and and be a true number one now I think you're like you're sitting here thinking okay it's happened before audri EST kind of laid the foundation Jeremiah love it's your turn and and even if it wasn't Jeremiah Love Darren I feel like the coaches D MCA Marcus Freeman Mike Den Brock everyone that is involved with this Notre Dame offense I feel like they think jadarian price could be a number one running back and if Jabron Payne wasn't hurt maybe he's a number one running back I know he really kind of settled into that third down role and I think that was great for him and if he returns at some point this season that's that's what he'll be but I'm just saying Jabron Payne could probably be a number one somewhere else jadarian price could definitely be a number one somewhere else but he's playing in tandem with the guy in Jeremiah Love who everyone uh I'll just throw the punt out there everyone loves this guy's capability and what he can do and I think he's definitely an rb1 at Notre Dame and elsewhere so it's in a really good spot to go back to to your point I think these these Notre Dame running backs are make up probably collectively one of the best groups in the country at left tackle from my perception it feels like Tosh Baker a missed opportunity and Anthony nap took advantage of it at corner Christian Gray beat out Jaden Mickey I'm not sure Mickey did anything wrong but gray is just a rising Talent yeah he's just a different player and Marcus Freeman said it in his Monday press conference last year you were looking at a true freshman raw freaky Elite Talent who you could throw out there and he can make that one-handed pick like he did against Pittsburgh and you're saying okay that's just Talent going to work now a year later he's been in college football for 365 plus days he looks like a true number one corner and I put that out on social media Darren when Benjamin Morrison leaves this team dedly he probably will at the end of this season and go be a first round draft pick in the NFL in 2025 it it's nice if you're Notre Dame knowing that you have probably someone just like that in a number one corner and Christian Gray I would not be shocked if they just move him over to the boundary side say you are the new Benjamin Morrison and then Jaden Mickey probably slides in finally as a starter in his senior season it it it's exactly what Marcus Freeman said today yeah you lose chance Tucker a senior to an ACL injury for the year looks like he was going to be a depth guy you got plenty of talent and you got plenty of depth anyway because if Morrison can do it and gray and Mickey Carson Hobs probably can Leonard Moore can you heard his name come up in Fall Camp over and over again these Notre Dame Corners Darren they are just reloading and reloading it's not a rebuilding thing with these guys it's a very good group Tyler Kingston vama AA true freshman he showed up a couple of times on the Deb chart Notre Dame released today at Mike and also at the will what do you think his role is going to be oh he's gonna play and he's going to play a lot I think to start he is your backup mic and that's probably where you'll see him the most Drake bones going to be that starting Mike and and Kingston will come in and and honestly uh going back to what Max Bola said a couple weeks ago in Camp he said it's it's it's so cliche to say one a and one b and whatnot Daren so I like to kind of think of this in terms of rep distribution and it's like a 55 45 split probably if you're looking at who's going to take the hundred if it's a pie chart and you got 100% to divvy up it's probably Drake mowen getting 55% of that piie Kingston Vu also getting 45 and if what they see early on in the season makes it switch and and go the other way where Kingston Ville yuasa is playing 55% I would not be shocked he's that kind of talent he's coming in as a highly recruited linebacker I mean you know the other schools excuse me that one of this guy he could play not just at Notre Dame he could play at a lot of different places and he's going to play right well right away and like you said being in two different spots on the depth chart that's versatility Darren that that's a linebacker that you don't have to pigeon hole him into the mic you don't look at him and say yeah he's he's only a Mike linebacker like you would a say like Drew white was a guy at Notre Dame where you kind of knew that he was gonna play that one linebacker spot and and be it right there Kingston Ville yamasa heck man I I'd play him at the Rover even if he wanted to like I think he could play all three linebacker positions