Rapid Fire: Jaden Greathouse, Kris Mitchell, Riley Leonard On Elko, Marcus Freeman On Crowd Noise

Jesse are you ready for Rapid Fire let's take this thing home all right fill in the blank the number one question you have about Notre Dames wide receivers this season is blank is consistency I I think they need someone who's gonna consistently show up every game you know be the alpha in that room and be a guy that's nearing you know a thousand yards if not more um by the end of the season I just need from game one to Game 12 I need to know that there is a guy that is reliable right like on a big play Big down I know I can look for this guy and he's going to consistently get the job done that that's that's what I'm I'm looking forward for the most my biggest question going into this season is what's Chris Mitchell gonna be we know Chris Mitchell is fast we know he can play on the outside as you diagrammed in some of your whiteboard yesterday he's a guy who can help take the top off the defense but there have been plenty of guys who can do that so my question is is Chris Mitchell going to be more like Chris Brown you know speed guy from kind of more of a decoy is they gonna catch the ball yeah like is he gonna be a Chris Brown who is who is just racing downfield on streaks and and go routes to try to take the top off the defense and and open up the rest of the field or is he going to be more like will Fuller and have speed you know and more volume to go along with it so that's what I want to know just like what exactly is Chris Mitchell going to be I don't think that he's going to have a thousand yards like he did last year at Florida International but what's he like is he just G to be uh one or two catch a guy game but it's going to be like 1820 plus yards you know like what exactly what exactly is he going to bring to this offense on a because that's like some thing that was still an incomplete answer coming out of training camp from the opportunities that we got to see like he did some stuff but we didn't see him you know take off in a big way he's going to be part of that six-man rotation though but to what extent is he going to be a part of it speaking of which fill in the blank the Irish wide receiver with the best chance to get to a thousand yards this season is blank it pains me to say this uh because there is a huge Super Fan in the in the chat that is always reminding you who he's a super fan of um but it's Jaden GRE house um and I I knew it was Jayden GRE house um when they talked about him you know basically being able to play the slot being able to play the field being able to play the boundary because what that means to me is he's your most influential um important wide receiver because he can play all spots of the field I think he's able to they're going to be able to find ways to get him the ball um on different kind of you know alignments on the field he's going to be that guy who I would like to compare to CD lamb just a guy who can do just about anything at all the other all all of the wide receiver positions that's my answer as well I'm going with great house I think that all these other guys are all going to play a key part of this offense and like he's not going to be the sole focus of you know of the passing game but I think because because of his versatility and the size and not the Elite Speed but good speed that he has and just his ability to do a lot of different things I think that he's going to see a lot of balls coming his way and he's he's got the opportunity again like defensive backs have talked about him during camp and they've talked about his craftiness like he's he's got a little bit of that of that extra you know not just like raw talent but he's got some intangible there as well like knowing how to get open you know knowing how to use his body and do these different things so I think that uh I think that it's going to be him returns do not count in this we're only talking about what they do as a wide receiver so Joe just to kind of add to what you were saying great house is also in my opinion gonna have the highest usage rate amongst all the wide receivers he is going to have the most snaps played offensive snap snaps played out of all of the wide receivers he's going to be on the field the most in comparison to the rest of the wide receivers I agree I completely agree with that and I'm curious to see to what extent Faison is out there as well because he's another guy who is going to play some some multiple positions like those two I think based on everything that we've seen and heard those two are the guys who are going to be sort of the most flexible and interchangeable with their ability to play both in the slot and outside DK says if great house doesn't get a thousand yards I will never talk to Salty again oh my good question sty I don't know and I don't think that was asked of him yesterday in terms of his uh ticket request for this game because obviously he's from down there by Austin so here's what Riley said when he was asked about facing his former head coach Mike Elco this weekend this is from rly Leonard quote as the game builds up for me for whatever reason I become more and more emotionless because I become more confident I'm G to get there on Saturday and they're going to call a play and I'm going to have repped it shoot 10 15 times by now nerves come with lack of preparation and the more I prepare and practice and things like that my nerves just calm down end quote that is blank Jesse that is exactly what I want to hear from my starting quarterback right like I want a quarterback that literally says as the game goes on and the intensity heightens the pressure heightens you know game on the line my heart rate actually goes down because when you think of the greatest athletes out there like let's just probably talk about Steph Curry like you think his heart rate goes up when he's when he's pulling up and taking you know those big time shots like he did in the Olympics I think it's the opposite I think he gets calmer in the game slows down for him and that's why he's so successful and actually makes more of those shots right so if that's how Ry Leonard feels about himself I think that is again exactly what you want to hear out of your starting quarterback but I got to see it first right like it can't just all be talked you can you can have that confidence which again I appreciate and that's the kind of confidence I want you to have but I gotta see it I gotta see if he's actually if he's gonna walk the walk but it's the perfect answer to me because he was asked about facing Mike Elco and what he's basically saying is like that really you know like it's a storyline but it's not a huge Factor because once he takes the field it's about the preparation that he's done like he's not going to be thinking that much I don't think about Mike Elco standing over there on the sideline it's going to be about this is the play call we've repped this thing over and over I know this thing like the backside of my hand you know I know it inside and out and that's what it's about it's about preparation and like he said like things break down when you're not prepared but everything that we've seen about Riley Leonard says that he is going to be more than prepared in this game but you know like you said you got to see it but we do have a pretty good body of work from his time at Duke and he looked like a pretty well-prepared quarterback to me like he looked like like pretty much nerves of Steel when he was housing it against Clemson in the season opener last year he looked like he was right so Marcus Freeman said this about Saturday's Kyle Field environment and trying to take the crowd out of the game yeah I don't think there's anything intentional that we're going to try to do to take the crowd out um that will be determined probably based off our execution you know and and I think for us it's the preparation for a loud crowd that's more important than anything we didn't do a great job last year of of of playing clean and at Duke right we we had too many pre- snap penalties and so we've been very intentional on preparing in loud envir in a loud environment in practice so we eliminate the pre-nap penalties right we can't let the crowd um affect our operation and so uh I feel very confident we have a great plan for the the crowd Noise Okay so there's Marcus Freeman my question to you Jess is like this is something that neither of us has experienced is like playing in a setting like that how much do you think pumping in the crowd noise and playing loud music and practice actually helps prepare for these kind of big-time Road environments yeah I would say it it helps a good amount and in terms of what Marcus Freeman was talking about there I think what you do for those um what you're worried about is the false starts the you know the not being able to relay the play um not getting you know guys not being a ble to hear or see their their motion indicators right and so I think when you practice those things I think it's it helps a good amount with that because you you find a way to go silent count you find a way you know to negate the the false start penalties you find a way to you know hit your landmarks when you're when you're you're going in motion and so I I think that it does help a good amount is there anything that is going to you know like is the perfect solution no but I like I at least like the the willingness to be prepared and that's all you can do at the end of the day is try your best to be prepared and like like Marcus Freeman said execution getting out to a 140 point lead then you don't have to worry about any of that crowd noise because it they're going to be taken out of it right it the only time the crowd noise is at its at its best is when at at the beginning of the game when it's still z z when a big play happens or when your team is ahead because they're constantly going to keep the noise up but if n Dame can get out and get out early that stuff will take care of itself and that comes down to execution like he was talking about I mean that is an if you know like salty says getting up by 17 points in the first quarter will do it I mean that's absolutely right because I just go back to a few years back when Notre Dame went to Virginia Tech and all the talk all week long was about Enter Sandman and all that stuff and it's like oh they've got Metallica doing a video message for Enter Sandman and it was all cool with the lunch pail and all that different stuff but then five minutes into the game once Notre Dame punched him in the mouth Ander Sandman and the whole crowd was matter of fact the rest of the game now you've got to do that to effectively take the crowd out of the game you've got to make a big momentum play early and get up early for that to happen there's no guarantee that any of that's going to happen in terms of the actual preparation I think at the very least I mean obviously you have to do it to give your team at least some kind of feel of that even if you're on a practice field or or if it's inside the Irish athletic center where it's even a little bit louder you pump the music or the noise you know the crowd noise or whatever you've got to do it so that at least your team has experienced some of those communication difficulties in practice before they get there because it goes back to the stuff that Riley lonard was talking about you've repped it so at least if you've done some reps in that environment there's going to be some help but I just like you're going to get in as long as it's loud out there like in the in the Florida state Georgia Tech game came on a neutral field in Dublin last week you still saw the quarterbacks with the new headset Communications putting their hands over their ears you know because they couldn't hear the stuff coming in you know I don't know how much volume adjustment there is on those things like how loud you can crank those things you know like you know drr Center says helmet coms and that's you know like and it's not just the helmet com to the quarterback but then you know like what you were saying Jesse if you get into that third and long situation and you need to change of protection and the crowd is still going nuts out there like again at least you've practiced it you know in practice with the extra noise and stuff like that but there's nothing like that actual true environment when you're the the road team on offense out there and you're trying to slide a protection or or audible or whatever you know just make sure you've got the snap count right and the whole thing so to what extent they've been able to to work some of those Kinks out hopefully we don't know but I I just think no matter what kind of Road environment that you go into as long as as the game stays close that home crowd is always going to be a huge factor that you really can't predict so Played Like A Champion posted his 37 bold and optimistic predictions for the season on the new Champions Lounge here is his number three prediction Jack k will lead the team in Solo tackles and there will be at least a 20 tackle gap between him and the next linebacker do you buy or sell that I sell that I think Drake Bowen is going to find a way to be the leading tackler on this defense um your middle linebackers are the guys that are you're going to rely on the most I think really what it's going to come down to is how much time him and KVA are splitting because I know there's going to be some sort of you know rotation but you got to realize Kaiser is probably going to come out in a lot of nickel and dime situations when they go you know more speed and and coverage type linebackers on those third um and long situations so that means you know Kaiser k or sorry KVA Bowen Sneed Osberry are going to be on the field you know in replacement for Kaiser and so I'm gonna sell that and and I and if it is Kaiser I don't think he'll have a 20 Gap lead either so I'm I'm selling I think both aspects of this this is very very narrow I do think he's ultimately going to lead the team like I think he'll lead the team in tackles solo tack is another story the 20 Gap lead is is what I have to sell I do think he's going to be at the top of the tackle list but there is going to be that big rot the question is going to be how much does Kaiser rotate like we've talked about does Kaiser stay on the field the most like he was the linebacker who played the least last year but now he's the most experienced guy with a group of you know fairly raw linebackers so how much how many more SN snaps is he going to be out there so I I I buy him being the leader in tackles it's the 20 Gap lead that I've got to sell though DK before that question Jesse said that you've had a really good show and not sure if that you know you should even take another question because you're batting a thousand right I hope that was with you know sincerity and not sarcasm but I if it was in sincerity I appreciate it and I take back my golden take comment from earlier all right this next one fill in the blank the Notre Dame assistant coach who is most under the microscope this season is blank uh I think this is an easy run I I I think it's Joe Rudolph when you're running out there in offensive line um that is as young and inexperienced as what they have I think I I think that you would and correct me if I'm wrong I think it it it boils down to offensive and defensive line coaching um and and for me there's actually another one that I'd throw in this mix do you want me to go ahead and you know throw his name out there and yeah you know we can we can debate because coming into training camp it was unquestionably Mike Brown because of all the stuff that was going on with the wide receiver Rec La of recruiting and all the disgruntlement with wide receiver recruiting going into training camp and I remember saying at the time like like what we need right now is to just get to the season so that Mike Brown can show what he can do as an actual football coach and we're not just talking about recruiting but that's how that's how much it's changed in just a month it went yeah to me it went from Mike Brown like and before Mike Brown it was Al Washington but Al Washington's guys had a pretty good spring they've had a really good training camp as well you know again like the question with Washington is just like brown it's development versus recruiting let's not forget though Mike Elston like as much as everybody ended up loving Mike ston before he left Notre Dame to go to Michigan like he was getting a lot of raw three star you know High upside guys and stuff like that as well it's not like he was knocking it out of the park with a bunch of high four and five-star guys like Mike ellston was still about development as well you know as much again as much as people loved him so like it's gone in this offseason from Washington to Brown but I think you're right like as of right now and really through no fault of his own because Charles jagas saww got hurt but the microscope is on Joe Rudolph right now yeah I don't disagree did I take away your whole like thunder there no I think it's Joe Rudolph and again it's it's it's do I mean this game is either going to be won or lost by no Dame's offensive line if they look abysmal they're going to lose L if they can go out there and just get the job done they're going to win this game and again i' said it earlier in the show I when when all the rumors and and the questions about the offensive line and who's going to be starting and now they're going a true freshman at left tackle that in my eyes is when the line really started to switch the most uh in this game yeah absolutely absolutely Archer says with brown bar being in year one I think he has more slack than the line coaches I mean Joe Rudolph's only in year two though and it feels like people talk like last year was some kind of disappointment from the offensive line standpoint I don't know if it's just because there was all this expectation of Billy stra being a starter from day one drafted you know and maybe Joe but I'm talking about a year ago like maybe Joe Rudolph pulled the rug out from people last year because shra didn't start until later on but it was still a Joe Moore award semi-finalist offense of line last year you know again was it was everything perfectly clean last year no but you know again like to Archer's Point like he can say Brown gets some slack which which I do agree but you would have had a hard time convincing um a lot of people of that back at the you know end of June and and early July when things weren't going right from a recruiting standpoint at the receiver position I'm not saying that you know that's the way it should have been but would have had a hard time convincing some people so there's always talk of course about which coaches are on the hottest seats going into a season which college football coach do you think has the coldest seat going into this season this might this might shock you or maybe you're like wow this is a really intelligent answer but because of the the lineage and and who he's kind of you know succeeding to me it's got to be kayin dor you know I think he's going to get a lot of slack being at Alabama it's his first year after the Sabin era I think you can expect you know the talent yes is going to be there I still think Alabama is going to be a playoff team but I don't think that there's any expectation that he's going to win a National Championship in year one I just think he needs to kind of Be steady Yeti be nine and three 10-2 maybe 11- one and you'll look back on and say ah it was his first year first time in the SEC you know first time in the expanded playoff uh yeah in the expanded playoff so to me I I like saying Kaylin dor here um I think a couple honorable mentions are Steve sarkeesian because he did get Texas there last year so I think they're kind of finally off the hook like he can't have a horrible season but again I don't think he can I think he's off the hook in some regards for Texas being back right I mean he's yeah he's he's still got to prove that they're back two years in a row especially going to the SC C but I don't think that there's anything on the line for for S and then I think the easiest one or the most maybe fun one too is shiron Moore at Michigan uh there's a whole cheating scandal hard ball left I don't think that people expect Michigan got their National Championship I don't think people expect them to be you know at that level again I think they're a borderline playoff team because no matter what happens you can write it off too all these losses we lost a first round quarterback head coach stallions and the defense a lot of guys got drafted Blake korm is gone like I I just think there's lots of excuses that you can throw out there if Michigan ends up eight and four nine and three Cal whittingham's a good one Archer out there at Utah you know probably helps that you're in at Utah and there's not a ton of expectations but the guy's been the head coach since Urban Meyer left like think about that that's been what 20 years and now they get to play in the Big 12 you know yeah and my answer is Kirby Smart though like Brian says I mean yeah but I mean that guy come on he's he's just one championships of course he doesn't have the question is who's got the coldest seat I mean you know it's not to find a you know like a diamond in the rough under the radar cold seek guy I mean Kirby Smart is not going anywhere this year but I do think I mean you make a good point and I hadn't really thought about it that way because like saloy Joe says El excuse me Elco you can probably throw most of the first year head coaches into this mix like nothing's going to happen to them this year but I I when I was because that was kind of my thought process but again I think with Bama they're going to have enough talent to be like 10 and two probably be a playoff team but not actually win the whole thing and everyone's be like ah you know cayin dbor first year first year guy did did a good job then it win a National Championship all right let's see what he could do in year two yeah I mean Kirk ference that's always a good one as long as he's been around longest 10 year FBS head coach and sty says Dion just to say Dion look they win five games apparently that's successful and it doesn't matter who you have to answer questions to out there in Boulder anymore so that that reporter has won I like journalism accolades too which is absolutely wild yeah so I saw someone on Twitter X the other day say he got a sorry for the delay email eight months after the original email was set so my question to you what is the maximum acceptable time that can pass before you can still use the sorry for the delay response two weeks two weeks I think a month is very rude and inconsiderate um I I think two weeks is valid for something where you got to come up with more than sorry for the delay that's what I mean you know once a month goes by I need like a whole you know my dog died then my wife died and then I got a car accident there's there's a lot of things that need to happen if you're going to send me a sorry for the delay after eight months eight months yes I think a month is really ultimately pushing it and so again I I'm more so at like the two week Mark and don't even say sorry for the delay just say sorry I forgot probably at the end of the day yeah make up some excuse about you know but you're your email got lost in my spam or something you know like it it can't just be sorry for you know which those things do happen sometimes or eight months yeah eight months like how do you draw the line at how do you even find that email after it was funny because like I was listening to a podcast recently and all these people were talking about they have literally thousands of unread emails in their email inbox like I don't know how many you let yours build up to but I I clear mine a couple times a day like try to make sure that I'm on top of it I instant delete emails that I don't want out of all folders I right now in my email I'll tell you right now I only have like maybe 40 emails in my entire inbox right now total yeah my cut off I think is a week I think a week is it I think two weeks is too long like again like you got to come up with something better than sorry for the delay eight months I can't even imagine responding with that eight months down the line I'm not exactly sure sure like what it you know what kind of email it was but salty I think we're just going to have to agree with this salty ask if this is the greatest IB happy hour show ever just gonna say you know are we surprised I'm filling in for Vince on a Wednesday so just kidding Vince I love you wherever you are reading into something reading into something there Andre wants to know who's co-hosting with me tomorrow that's a mystery Andre as it turns out there's a there's a higher I'd say that there's a uh 90% chance that you're looking at just this tomorrow so uh get to those we in we out questions and I'll have a lot to talk about it tomorrow the expectation though is that Jesse whether he's on a lazy Dirty River on Friday or not is going to find a place to do countdown to kickoff with Vince whoa you're spoiling all my secrets so you're looking at a three possibly three plus Henry show on Friday maybe Scooby maybe I don't know Scooby's a little bit squir leer so is DK says he's available I don't you know I don't know what Brian would pay you for that DK Mrs sea should host I don't know if you want that Anthony like my daughter has lobbied me to try to host before so I Bailey would do better than Mom would I'll just end it at that and ba actually has uh Airtime from her Nurse B uh prediction days that's right many many moons ago when when Jesse and his sister Bailey were young pups we used to do a uh we called it Dr J and Nurse B it was NFL predictions every week I don't know if I've still got those those tapes somewhere tapes around here someplace or not I know I used sure do well you know things get thrown away often in that house so wouldn't be surprised that's very true we'll just end it with that great stuff tonight appreciate all the questions great whiteboard Jesse hit the like button before you leave because you know we do appreciate it and uh it is always much needed we are one day closer to Notre Dameon Texas A&M kicking off the 2024 season so thanks for being here hit the like button we'll talk to you tomorrow we'll have some Marcus Freeman content uh comments from his noon zoom and some we in we out as well on IB Nation Sports Talk