Notre Dame Football Spring Practices: Jeremiyah Love Emerging As Weapon

welcome back to Lucky underdogs I'm Joe Deon filling in today and with me former Notre Dame football player Corey Holmes Corey we've got a good bit to get to on today's episode folks make sure if you're if you're tuning in make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don't miss out on any future episodes Cory we had a lot that happened this past week we had the pro day CJ was there we had uh you know some news regarding Riley Leonard some news regarding Jeremiah Love we're going to get to that today but the the pro day we we had some exciting outcomes we had audri esime improving on his 40 time yeah you know that was that was the one thing I was really looking forward to see right because we know you know at the combine didn't look too well on the clock and I was hoping that he was going to improve his numbers and he did just that he ran what 458 so that was a big improvement from the 47 I'm not sure where in the 4 sevs he ran but wasn't you know wasn't what we were expecting because you know I I I thought he was a guy that showed like really good straight line speed on the field so you know my hope is that they they don't really you know consider what maybe he did at the combine see that he ran faster at the prod day and just look at the tape I mean come on like you know it's it me I'm I'm always a guy that's gonna go off the tape more so than than the numbers you know like if if you if if your tape you know stands out and is off the charts like audre estimate was I mean he has that on top of the numbers then like you know that's not something I'm worried about but um but yeah you know Joe Al was another guy that that we got a chance to to see you know he did position drills and whatnot and he's also a guy you know that we're looking forward to see but um but but uh he you know audric estimate I think that was the only thing that he he did right was it was it just the 40 yeah yeah so I mean that was kind of like one of the interesting takeaways from all this is because most of the guys who tested weren't any of the Premier players Joe Al didn't do any of the athletic testing it was mostly the onfield stuff that he chose to do and I mean he did so well with the combine that he almost he almost didn't really to go out there and do anything he's one of those guys where I almost kind of like Marvin Harrison Jr where I almost even wonder was it necessary for him to do any of the testing because you're talking about the film you put on the film for Joe alal he looks so freaking good that you can just yeah go off of that and know he's gonna be maybe a potential All Pro yeah yeah yeah no jaw a guy he's another guy I'm looking forward to to seeing he's goty honest he just checks all the boxes right like um he's a good run blocker right he's going to be great in pass protection now the only worry I have that I mean the dude the dude's massive right but that can also kind of you you know you know kind of be your demise you know in a sense that in the NFL we got these These are top tier rushers that got crazy Ben if you see somebody a guy like Von Miller he's what like a like a foot off of the ground coming around the edge so you know tler guys typically have issues with that but just knowing him and knowing the the program he's coming from I really don't think he should have any problems I mean hey you got guys like like uh mcglen you know one of my former teammates was about the same hype about a 69ine he's you know he's been in the year you know in the league for for for I don't even know how many years and having success so U I think Joe Al is gonna be he's gonna be like a day one starter we already know he's gonna be a day one starter but no I think he's gonna have a lot of production you know in year one so I'm I'm really looking forward to joal really looking for joal obviously ends up being the you know the poster boy for the draft class here for for Notre Dame I I do want to quickly go back to to estimate because he ends up being I think the biggest headline and of course you know Maris Lyal does some of the testing and you know guys like uh actually JD Bertrand didn't even run a 40 time which might be to to his to his benefit not putting his time on right right look good in the drills uh but estimate though you you brought up him getting that better time I was at the NFL combine covering it with believe and it was so strange seeing him run that 47 time that he did because you just brought up on tape when you watch him and you watch him in the games I think of that one run that he had against NC State like where he just completely separates from most Defenders it's it's crazy that he even tracked that slow like I don't even know how that is that is possible and part of me kind of Wonders the four five if if NFL teams are going to hang on that 47 I would kind of hope that's not the case because he's so talented you know sometimes it's nerves right like people don't understand too like how much technique goes into the 40 he could have popped up a little early like it's so much that goes into just those tents of a second right like you know that's really what it is and what it comes down to so I I want to hang that over his you know over his head if if I'm a NFL GM or NFL head coach or Scout however you want to put it um that dude he's still gonna be stiff stiff arming dudes on Sundays he's still going to be running past people running over people so if if I'm NFL team I want audri estimate on my team regardless of what he's running I mean come on we've seen we've seen running backs run slow I mean that's that's not a thing if anything running backs that run slow and have success in the NFL are probably in the majority like come on like there's not that many running backs that are running sub four FS let's be honest like you know we're seeing DBS and wide receivers do it but running backs I mean I'm I'm not expecting that anyway so if you ask me it it shouldn't it shouldn't be an issue um you know what was cool though with this with this Pro Day this year they they were letting guys and like that and D does this though but they let guys you know who graduated and and transferred out come back you know because I was a guy who had that was my experience I had transferred out I you know did did a year at Purdue did a year actually at Morgan State Morgan State was my last school so you know the exposure that obviously that you get at you know at at Morgan State doesn't really compare to Notre Dame so I you know myself reached out to the program and and they let me come back you know it was it it was cool and I really appreciate that you know appreciate them for that but it was funny they was just like cour did did you did you graduate from from Notre Dame you you should I'm like we have to check with some people would come back I'm like listen I graduated from Notre Dame man I got my degree I pr with you let me come on please let me come back but they let me come back um and it was a it was a great experience but like guys like Joe Wilkins he had transferred out Avery Davis you know those were guys that transferred out they allowed them to come back um it looks like Avery Davis uh tested pretty well too I got the numbers up here in front of me ran a 45 43 in the shuttle um 35 inch verse so now that was that was really good to see it was really good to see then you know some guys come back and then also you know guys like Audrey gesta May uh do well in in running that 40 again guys like joat looking good in in their drills and uh Sam Haron threw right didn't didn't he throw at Pro uh that is a great question I know that he didn't really do any of the do any of the testing but man he was at the combine that he had a little bit of a a rough go because he's one of those guys who's going to look really good on the field when everything's going on but like asking him to throw a deep ball next to Joe Milton's not exactly turn out very good right right right right right that's funny I mean that's just being real but but he's another guy just like you know what I mean like the the film really speak for itself if you ask me I wish you know Sam Hartman had had more opportunities maybe towards the Ender you know the lad of the year end of the year to really showcase his his abilities because I mean you can't say because I don't want to hear people say oh you know he didn't do it against the good schools because look back at at wake Force he was Balling on on all of his schools in the ACC so it's like don't tell me you know that that it was you know he he can't rise to the occasion I'm a big Sam Harman fan again you know we we didn't really get you know we didn't we didn't get the national championship out of out of you know out of him last year you know of course that's always the expectation that Notre Dame whatever he I think he was a great quarterback for us and uh I think he's gonna be good in the NFL I think if you're a guy if you're a guy that can just protect the football and just make good decisions I feel like you're you'll always have a spot in the NFL as a quarterback if you can protect the ball just make good decisions move the ball be efficient you can you got a spot on the team and who's that that's Sam Hartman you know so I think he'll be fine I'm I'm looking forward to seeing Sam Hartman at the next level I think he hit the nail on the head there with with Sam uh kind of blast thoughts on this before we jump to our next topic he he is exactly that kind of guy that you look for in a backup he kind of gives me like Case Keenum Vibes where Case Keenum was so productive was around college football for so long and I I think he I forget which passing record he owns but because he has all of those reps underneath his belt it helps his case for him to stick on a roster as a backup and you just want somebody who is gon to be know you know know how to handle certain situations is going to know the Playbook front to back he he comes from two extremely good academic institutions I don't think there's ever really a world and they this kind of tried to there was some steam that was falsely built up at the beginning of the year the argument that Sam Hartman could win the Heisman Sam Hartman could be a first round pick I don't think that's was ever really a realistic possibility because he doesn't have the physical tools but he checks every box to be a great backup and I think that he could be one of those guys that that sticks for a while yeah well you know you know who I think of when I think of Sam Hartman now of course you're you always want to go and be a starter day one that's that should be your mindset of course but uh you know a guy like Garden MCH Garden mitchu really was a backup and and we discovered Garden meu you know from the role that he had as a backup getting thrown into the into the fire and just taking advantage of his opportunity I think that could be you know like the path for Sam Hartman now gardam muu I he just got traded right where where did he just get traded to from the Colts uh he the sign with the Raiders was the ra you know so so and he's start yeah he's in comp that's right they they have him in competition with okono you know for a starting rle there I could easily see that being the case for Sam Hartman is he gonna be a starter day one no you know but can he be a backup to your point yes he can and in my opinion like I said I think he's somebody could be a guardner mry can he can Trav along that same path where you know he might you know start as a backup but once he gets that opportunity I got Sam Hartman taking advantage of it I I think Sam Hartman to be a guy that take advantage of the opportunity and might not even let it you know he might not get that that that starting roll back up you know depending on the situation of course depending on the franchise he goes to you don't really want it to be maybe like a quarterback getting hurt you know he fills in that is that is of course if you're rooting FR Sam Haron to be a starting quarterback one day but um yeah no man I I hope I hope he gets his shot I hope he get a shot man because he's a good quarterback you know it didn't end well Notre Dame I mean and I'm saying that because of course you know expect National Championship just because he fell short of national championship you know it's a failure but no I don't think it's a failure but um but but yeah now all in all Sam har you're a dog bro good luck to you at the next level I'm looking forward to it speaking of Notre Dame quarterback and Signal callers there was uh actually kind of got a lot of buzz in the college football World this story of Riley Leonard having to undergo surgery apparently in in mid January he underwent tight RPP uh surgery in order to stabilize an issue with his right ankle and then now he's getting another procedure that is going to uh sideline him for the next few weeks that is supposed to address a stress F stress fracture that was beginning to develop uh in his foot this issue of him his availability in the spring this is during practices it kind of seems like he's probably not going to be around for most of the rest of these practices just from like your thoughts on having gone through Spring ball especially as a receiver without having a quarterback especially a new guy guy that's supposed to be the starter that needs these reps how much do you think that this could maybe hurt the offense if he's not fully available yeah you know it sucks it sucks because you know and we said this in past episodes like it's that time to kind of gain that chemistry kind of gain that Rhythm as a as a quarterback and a wide receiver unit so um you know it it it's rough it's rough but do I think you you know it's it's it's like the end of the world no because I think there will be that time in the summer you know you you got seven on sevens that you're running during the summertime yeah there's no coaches out there but you know Riley Leonard kind of has a like the just you know he he kind of understands the Playbook at least at this point and even with his injury you know you could still take mental reps in practice um and they he did get an opportunity to to get maybe I think a few practices in with them you know if it wasn't maybe some seven on sevens right leading up to uh Spring ball so it it's not the end of the world it's not the end of the world but man it sucks yo because I I think I think CJ was kind of alluding to it last week I don't know if you remember he was just like man don't worry about it R is gonna be good for the fall so it's like I think that's just we what we need to you know turn our attention to and like you know look at the glass half full R Leonard is gonna be good you know for the fall I've read some reports too that you know the doctors fa feel his his ankle stronger than it was before so after this second procedure so I I I'm confident that that we'll be good by you know by the Fall yeah you know are we missing out on on reps gaining that chemistry in the spring yeah but like I said it's still the summertime people don't understand how important really the summer even is and I'm talking about the summer before Camp right like where you're actually just out there just just running routes with your quarterback yeah you're doing seven on seven against you know like the the the linebackers and the safeties and Corners so you still you're still getting good valuable reps there like you're still you're still gaining chemistry even in in in those times so they got plenty of opportunities really to be on the same page I'm not I'm not too worried about it yeah I'm in that same boat with you there as important as the Spring ball reps could be for initiating that early chemistry this isn't an injury it's not like he suffered a serious knee injury that's going to take an extended period of time for for him to recover from this is just figuring out and trying to fix that foot that ankle that situation and it kind of gets overlooked and forgotten about because the way that Duke fell out of the spotlight as quickly as they did last year as soon as he got hurt the injury that he suffered was pretty significant we saw it against Notre Dame how how banged up he was and he tries to come back against Florida State trying to play through something like that it's one of those injuries where you try to fight through it you're trying to be tough and you commend a guy like Riley Leonard for trying to do that but at the same time it's just gonna make it worse it's just gonna make kind doing yourself a disservice almost you know right you're just damaging damaging the heck out of it and I I I respect him for trying to go out there and Win Win ball games for Duke and they almost beat Florida State but this is just part of the process as long as I think like you're talking about he's back in the summer he's back in June and when they're throwing and they're lifting and getting ready for the year that's really the most important part and then eventually that lead up at training camp yeah yeah absolutely yeah and and again I think I think they'll be fine like I said he he's already he's already you know pretty pretty far along I guess in the recovery process like I said they they're saying that you know the ankle's gonna be looking stronger than ever so we we don't really have nothing to to to Really worry about there and then we're talking about Riley lonard dudes a competitor I mean to your point like they still almost beat you know a Florida state that dude when when he's healthy he's gonna be a problem yo when I say I was really rooting uh ronley Leonard on when he was at Duke like before before we even played him I was just like yo this quarterback at Duke this dude's nice this D's nice I'm actually a fan of his and and then when I found out he was coming to another the Dame I said oh man we're we're in good hands we're in good hands I I like because it's one thing to be able to throw the ball well um it's even one thing you know to be able to run the ball well but like when you just have like that dog mentality too on top of that y you're just gonna Galvanize your teammates and that's that's the type of guy rley Leonard is and that's what I'm looking forward to see just just how he affects the teammates and how he really just like the uh uh the attitude and the identity of the Notre Dame team that's that's what I'm looking forward to see I also want to add before we get to our thoughts on something related to Jeremiah love I think that this is going to be a fun opportunity for us to see who emerges as that second quarterback and I'm really excited for the opportunity to see what things look like during the Spring Game and that's always not exactly an indication of how things are turning because there's plenty of opportunities where I think it was like Charlie BR I forget which there was a Utah quarterback who like went 15 for 15 in a spring game and everyone lost their mind and then he got beat out and transferred but I wonder if a guy like Kenny minchie doesn't start to build some momentum and maybe establish himself as the second guy or if somebody like Steph jelly takes advantage of this opportunity to really showcase himself put together some really good film and then tries to enter the transfer portal there's just so much that can happen and also I mean CJ is going to get the opportunity to get reps who the true freshman comes in and is here early that probably he wouldn't have gotten if it wasn't for this injury to to Riley Leonard yeah yeah well look it's a great opportunity for all of these guys um you know QB one's out right now um and all the reps are Theirs to take advantage of so uh Stephen jelly you made a good point though I like Stephen jelly when he got when he got his his moments you know when samart like when you know when they're up big on teams and he got he got his moments I actually liked him so that's a good point that you made there looking forward to uh seeing him in the spring game but yeah it's it's uh you know you you learn how much depth you have in in this this time of the year in the spring games right like you you find out all right what guys you know in Game Time situations can you count on because that's really what the spring game is or you know the the guys at least should be approaching it like it's it's in an actual game you know that's always the mentality in in those type of those type of environments but um but yeah no good good opportunity for all of these quarterbacks and we're really going to see you know where we are you know with the guys in in that in that quarterback back room so uh yeah no great opportunity for for these uh for these guys now the last headline that really caught my attention coming out of Spring ball is Jeremiah Love who was the uh freshman running back last year that had some pretty big performances in a couple of games and was starting to emerge as this spark plug within Notre Dame's offense it's being reported that they're trying to find as many ways as possible to get this kid the football he should be possibly not the full-time replacement but one of The Replacements for the the carries that audri ese got they're working him in as a slot receiver and as a running back now I wish we had CJ here because one he really likes Jeremiah Love and he's talked very highly of him on this show and two a former receiver running back would have been interesting to get his perspective on it we'll have to catch up with him on it next time but I think this is pretty interesting that they're trying to work this this kid in as many ways as possible and it's just a another Testament to Mike denrock trying to get creative with with all these weapons that honestly last year were not very creatively implemented yeah yeah look listen you said CJ liked them Joe I like that man too that boy nice right so look before we got on you had sent me an article it was per Michael Chen of uh Fighting Irish wire headline says Notre Dame trying to get Jeremiah love the ball as much as possible music to my ears M say less that boy nice and we're talking about you know fora because I I say this all the time no Notre D put the put the names on the back of the Jersey please this is number 12 this is number 12 running back number 12 and like you said earlier like they gonna be working him in the slot yo get this get this dude the ball any way you can Jeremiah Love number 12 is gonna be a household name next year like like I'm I'm glad they're gonna be because what he showed me last year was that he's just he's just a playmaker because you know when you there was a lot of guys that were getting touched there was a lot of guys getting carries last year so it was really a situation where you just had to make the most of it when you're given the opportunity this dude showed me something every time he touched the ball right so now to read this headline Notre Dame is trying to get Jeremiah love the ball as much as possible I'm Co signing it I I love to see it I hope I hope this dude score like 20 touchdowns next year because I think he's that nice I'll be honest I think he's that nice so uh so yeah I'm looking forward to it yo say less say less I I think back to last year paying attention to LSU's offense we're we're obviously GNA keep drawing all these parallels to what Mike Den Brock did for LSU last year and I think early on uh Devin and CJ kind of talked about like oh could we get this Jaden Daniels type of a season out of Riley Leonard I I look at how Logan Diggs former Notre Dame running back former LSU running back now Old Miss running back his usage he B he's bounced around a lot his usage in the offense I think is uh gonna be very similar to the way that we're going to see Jeremiah Love starting to work in and Logan Diggs was a space eater he was one of those digs but maybe just a little bit taller and a lot faster that's Jeremiah love you know like that's a lot faster so and what I hope to see out of denrock this year now again I know we're tight end you but one tight end you know what I'm saying like I I think we're really gonna have the weapons this year give me a give me 11 person I need I need more 11 personnel and if and for y'all who don't know that's that's one tight end one running back three wide receivers right I want to see that this year because we just have we have the numbers let's spread them out and then let's let's also mention like Riley Leonard that he can run right so I think if if if we use if we use all of our all of our players the right way I'm tell like we can have we can have a squad that really is putting up numbers we can see those 20 touchdowns from a guy like Jeremiah love maybe it's not 20 maybe I'm gassing right but like we can we can get at least like 12 touchdowns from a running back who we're using in the back field using in the slot using them as you know kind of like a gadget guy he's he's a gadget guy and I think we need to take advantage of that but um we got all of these you know we got these trans CJ said you know last week that uh you know the transfer from from FIU forgetting his name right now but all respect to you but he was looking good like he was a fast Shifty guy I mean I saw his stats he got he he he went for a thousand yards f f you so it's Chris Mitchell by the way is his name Chris Chris Mitchell shout out Chris Mitchell he was a guy was going for a thousand yards you know at FIU so he knows how to make plays if we can just spread the FI out and I I know we got tight ends you know what I'm saying I'm not even worried about the tight end position we'll be able to spread the FED out use the tight end up the scene use the tight end on all of those option routs in the middle of the field use a guy like Jeremiah Love in the slot use him as a guy you know we're running option routs out out the back field we saw LSU do it why why can't we do it at Notre Dame right it should be fireworks I can't wait to see it folks thanks for tuning in that's going to be it for uh for us here at lucky underdogs Joe Deon Corey Holmes tune in next week we'll be back with more as we track things that are going on during Notre Dame spring practices