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Notre Dame kicked off spring training today in South Bend and had a really impressive first day out on the football field. We got to see this team for the full duration of practice and plays were being made all over the field. We will have to wait some time to see this group fully practice in pads, but what we saw today made me all the more anxious to watch this group throughout the offseason. 

After practice, we got to hear from all three of Notre Dame's returning coordinators including offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and special teams coordinator Marty Biagi. We also got to hear from some of the tight ends including rising sophomore James Flanigan amongst others. It was a solid first day of practice, but there's still work to be done before they take the field on September 6 against Wisconsin. 

You can watch the entire video here: 

Here are some of the main quotes from today's press conference: 

Chris Ash On Going Into Year Two

"At this point last year, I was still getting to know the players," Ash explained. "I was also working on getting to know the coaches as well. We didn't have a lot of time together before things got going. This year, obviously it's a little bit different for me but we still have a lot of new coaches. We have a lot of work to do to try and get on the same page and make sure we know each other. But, it's a different place for me right now just knowing the players and understanding their strength's and weaknesses." 

Mike Denbrock On Running Back Nolan James Jr

"I think it starts with his approach to the game,' Denbrock said about rising redshirt freshman running back Nolan James Jr. "He's mature beyond his years. His body is built like a prototypical running back. He's built kind of low to the ground. As he runs, he almost hovers near the ground, so he's hard to tackle. He's also a put-together dude; I mean, he can take the punishment and I think be a real strong inside runner for us."

Tight End James Flanigan On What Allowed Him To Breakout in 2025

"Trust and consistency," Flanigan explained. "When I came in, I was learning a new offense and when I was out there, I was swimming a little bit. I started to take everything day by day and staying consistent, especially with recognizing defenses. That's probably what has helped me the most. On run plays, I know what I'm supposed to do now if we see a different defensive look. In high school, I never really did that and I had to work on that for a bit. Eventually, it came on." 

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