Although it can, and will be suggested, that spring football is a bit boring and full of non-answers- there is no denying that there is a certain excitement in the air for the opening practice for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
It really all starts with the opening press conference which Brian Kelly ran through on Tuesday.
In the press conference, Kelly took a lot of accountability for the disaster that was the 2016 season. He also talked in great detail about the changes he has made, and the path he took along the way as he made those decisions.
It was quite revealing. Pete Thamel from Sports Illustrated published a really in-depth piece on Kelly, his changes, and his new yoga routine. Brian Kelly is now a disciple of Yoga. Namaste y’all.
Here is as much video from Wednesday’s opening practice as I could find:
Thoughts and Observations
- There was a bit of noise from early observers about what place one player or another might be on the depth chart. Once Kelly spoke with the media after practice, he stated that they were just trying some things here and there. Day one.
- Kelly was pretty happy with the overall effort and excitement- which is normal for the first day of practice.
- You can definitely start to see the RPO influences from Chip Long. Read option sprint-outs with quick passes to the edge.
- Nyles Morgan lost some weight- and will probably be dominant this year with more motivation and a “C” on his chest which means more than “captain,” it means “command.”
- The defensive line is a work in progress. Basically, it’s a hot mess that’s working itself into a stew. The coaches are in the process of figuring out what parts works best in what spot. A job that is difficult right now, but it could get some clarity by the end of spring with performance and/or the addition of Scott Pagano.
- Brandon Wimbush looks as athletic as we can remember. He really gets to that edge well.
- McGlinchey increased his bench reps (225 pounds) from 16 to 24. That’s a pretty big increase. So, yeah... your left tackle being stronger is fairly dope.
Everything Else
Everything else is just a matter of opinion in one degree or another. I’m sure things will slowly, and painfully, show itself at some point. We are past day one. Yay!