Just got back from post-practice interviews with the Irish linebackers, DC Al Golden and grad asst/LBs coach Max Bullough. I spent most of my time with Jack Kiser. ... I'll have a full story on him later this weekend, but a couple of nuggets. ... He already got his undergraduate degree and master's in four years. Had no classes this summer and will take non-degree-seeking load in the fall, so he can focus more on football. If you read my story on my projected breakthrough players, you know I'm high on Kiser for this season. ... He's playing much more of an inside role this year, but has some outside roles in various packages. ... He's very excited about the schematic and philosophical tweaks Al Golden has made this offseason. ... He mentioned the reason he didn't play in the Blue-Gold Game April 22 was a broken toe suffered in a scrimmage the week before the BGG. Wasn't cleared until mid-June and initially had to wear a protective boot. Has been 100 percent since then. Said the extra time to focus on football this summer helped him put on the good weight he needed to be primarily an inside linebacker. ... Lots more content to come later this afternoon, including our Inside ND Sports Podcast. ... If you have any questions you'd like to hear us answer all the while mispronouncing your name (maybe), you might still be able to sneak one in.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden spoke to writers for 16 minutes following Friday's practice, the third of preseason camp. Here's a transcript of the conversation that's been lightly edited for clarity. Questions may be paraphrased.

AL GOLDEN

JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau and Jack Kiser: that’s as knowledgeable a LB trio as you can get, isn’t it?

“Sure is. It’s a blessing to work with them. I know Max [Bullough] feels the same way. Coach [Mike] Moon feels the same way. You can challenge them every day, not just in terms of the assignments and alignments but also to improve their technique. All of them have done that. Marist, we’ve been challenging him in zone coverage. Because we know he can rush the passer and we use him to do that a lot on third down. But just to be a better zone player, and he’s really responded. He’s gotten better. Just one example, but it’s a very mature group. When you’re not telling them where to align and what their assignment is, then you can really drill down. That’s the biggest difference. The NFL, you’re drilling down constantly because most of those guys come ready. They know if you don’t know the assignment, you’re gone.”

Have Liufau and Kiser flipped roles?

“No, they’re all interchangeable. They have different roles whether it’s base, nickel or third down. So they all have different roles based on that.”

But is Liufau playing more outside as opposed to last year?

“I don’t know if that’s true. Maybe because of where we are in the installs you’re seeing that.”

But they’re flexible enough to move them around?

“No doubt. I don’t even ask anymore. They’ll sometimes do it by themselves. I don’t worry. I want them to make sure they’re comfortable in it, that we can handle it. Now the younger guys, we kind of slot. We’ll slot them, so if the opportunity arises where we need them to start, they know exactly what to do and how to do it.”

Who is emerging among the young guys?

“There’s three groups. Clearly Zig [Nolan Ziegler] and [Jaylen] Sneed in the spring were like, ‘Let’s go.’ I know they’ve been dinged up a little bit. Those questions are for the head coach. It was good to get Sneed back out there today, because I was like, ‘Whoa, OK. Now he’s where he was in the spring.’ Those guys are right there. To us, it’s not like the starters. It’s who’s playing? Who’s going in the game? So those guys are going in the game. And then you have the freshmen that are fighting to be in that group. I’m pleased with them as well. Hopefully we’ll just keep improving and we’ll have three levels of depth.”

Where would you like to see Sneed settle in?

“He’s the rover in base. He’s natural at that. He’s the will in our 4-2 nickel. Then he has the ability to pressure or to line up on the edge on third down. That’s really what he does. We’re trying to get him going in those things, and really at the end of the year that’s what he did for us. It was awesome.”

What does the challenge from Freeman to get more reps for young reserves look like to you?

“Sometimes the guys are like, ‘Well how come I’m not out there?’ You always have to tell them the why. It’s a long season, and I talk to you guys all the time about vertical and horizontal depth. Vertical depth, yeah, we want to have two deep. But we also need horizontal depth. We need defensive linemen that can play a 3-technique or an end. We need linebackers that can play different spots. Thank goodness for guys like Harp [Thomas Harper] and C-Lew [Clarence Lewis] that can play nickel safety, nickel corner. We have to build depth, because you can’t take 100 guys on the road. That’s one thing. The other thing is just we are preparing for those moments. We don’t want it just to be Rylie [Mills] talking to Howard [Cross III] all the time. We need Rylie talking to Jason [Onye]. We need Howard talking to Gabe [Rubio]. I can go on down the line. We have to make sure that we’re really strong no matter who is in the game at a certain point in the game, if there’s an injury that has occurred or if you have an extended period of time where you had some attrition.”

What have you seen from the vyper candidates?

“I think you guys know how I feel about Fosk [Isaiah Foskey]. I love him, love his family. But I think the biggest thing is these guys have made us excited about them. That’s probably the best way to say it. You can dwell on the loss or you can turn your attention to, ‘OK, let’s see what these guys do.’ Jordan Botelho in the 260s now. When I first got here, I think he was transitioning from a 215-pound rover. You guys that have been around probably know better. 260s now. What Junior [Tuihalamaka] has done. You’ve got [Joshua] Burnham. And obviously we’re working some of the younger guys, Boubacar [Traore] and those guys. What they’re doing excites us. I know a guy that’s off the beaten path who’s made so much progress is Josh Burnham. Just physically and the commitment that he’s made. We’re excited about his progress.”

Burnham’s had a full year to transitioned, right?

“Yeah. You ever see him, though? That is a physically great-looking kid. And now he’s in the (2)50s and he’s still lean and can run. He can play some end. He can play some vyper. So that’s exciting.”

(more)

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Notre Dame offered 2025 defensive lineman Julian Marks on Sunday.

The Overland Parks (Ka.) St. Thomas Aquinas product caught up with Inside ND Sports earlier this weekend.

Marks is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals. Although he’s listed at strongside defensive end, the Irish like him at defensive tackle.

Notre Dame is offer No. 19 for Marks. He also has offers from a list of programs including Auburn, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma and TCU.

Marks is the No. 1 player in Kansas and No. 195 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

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Jack Kiser's inside job helps elevate expectations for Notre Dame's defense​

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Notre Dame men's basketball is expected to host 2024 power forward target Garrett Sundra on his official visit next week. Sundra is expected to arrive Monday evening and spend Tuesday and Wednesday on campus.

Sundra is down to Notre Dame, Butler, Miami (Fla.), Providence and Virginia Tech. He took an official visit to Butler last November and has also taken an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech.

The 6-foot-10, 200-pound power forward attends Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI and was upbeat in May when talking about the Irish, head coach Micah Shrewsberry and Catholic connection between his family and the university. He projects as a stretch four in Notre Dame's offense.

“Coach Shrews is a great coach and I enjoyed watching him throughout the season,” Sundra told Inside ND Sports previously. “I think everyone saw how good of a coaching staff Penn State had because of their success towards the end of the season.”

I sat down with Sundra's Nike EYBL grassroots basketball head coach, Bryan Hogg, earlier this week to learn more about his time coaching Sundra on Team Takeover.

"First and foremost they are getting a great kid who’s also a very good player and student," Hogg said. "They’re getting a team-first guy who also has the ability to open games up with his shooting and decision-making. A player that will continue to get better and better every year he’s on campus."

Hogg first met Sundra during his eighth-grade year. Sundra started playing for Hogg that next year at the 15U level and Hogg said he's one of the most coachable players he's ever come across.

"You could see the potential then," Hogg said, "He had nice size, a good feel for the game and a nice touch from the perimeter. You knew once he got to high school and hit the weight room he [could] be a Division I prospect ... he is the true definition of a team guy. Whatever he needs to do to impact winning he would do."

Sundra is not currently rated or ranked by Rivals.

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Notre Dame is hosting its final major recruiting weekend of the summer on Sunday with its Grill & Chill recruiting event. The Irish have commits, targets and prospects from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes on campus. Inside ND Sports was in attendance earlier on Sunday and saw as recruits filed into The Gug.

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Yahoo Sports made a great hire with Ross Dellenger, so I'm going to continue highlighting his work here for those interested in the college football landscape outside of Notre Dame.

His latest story is the breakdown of what's next for the Big 12 and Pac-12.

The Big 12’s raid — maybe not yet over — has the Pac-12 staggering. Leaders of the conference are planning to meet Thursday, sources tell Yahoo Sports — a discussion that will presumably center on an approach to the news of Colorado’s impending departure.

The Pac-12 needs to expedite its own expansion plans and present a television deal to remaining members in an effort to keep intact the conference and prevent a cascade of departures that could impact the entire landscape of college sports. Months ago, the conference identified at least two expansion targets — San Diego State and SMU — that now seem necessary to its own survival.

The Big 12’s threat continues to loom over the conference. Big 12 members are seeking at least one more Power Five program to pair with the addition of Colorado to reach the desired 14 members in 2024. The league added UCF, Cincinnati, BYU and Houston this year to get to 14 members before the Sooners and Longhorns leave for the SEC after this season.

Will the Pac-12 survive after this year? Where will the Big 12 go next?

Notre Dame is hosting its final major recruiting weekend of the summer on Sunday with its Grill & Chill recruiting event. The Irish have commits, targets and prospects from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes in town. Inside ND Sports was on sight as the recruits arrived minutes ago.

Starting with 2025 four-star target RB Justin Thurman

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Also items on players reacting to Balis' departure, freshman Cooper Flanagan's introduction to college football, and Holden Staes' lessons learned from Michael Mayer.

Got some

Notre Dame is hosting an impressive list of recruiting visitors in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes on Sunday for its Grill & Chill cookout event.

Inside ND Sports takes a closer look at the commits, targets and prospects expected on Notre Dame’s campus.

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Notre Dame 2026 wide receiver target Chris Henry Jr committed to Ohio State on Friday while on campus for the Buckeyes’ summer fest.

With Henry being a member of the 2026 recruiting class, there hadn’t been much traction in his recruitment since the Irish offered in January. He visited several schools this spring and summer but never reached Notre Dame for a visit.

Henry, an NFL legacy recruit and son of the late wide receiver Chris Henry, was an early priority for wide receiver coach Brian Hartline. According to his Rivals profile, the Cincinnati (Ohio) Withrow product had made four visits to Ohio State during his recruitment including Friday's trip.

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It’s worth noting Henry was one of only four wide receivers the Irish and wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey had offered in the 2026 class.

Below are the other three current targets.

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As a freshman, Henry caught 29 passes for 292 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Rivals has not given ratings or rankings to the 2026 class but Henry's offer list speaks for itself. The 6-foot-5, 174-pound recruit held 27 total offers including Cincinnati, Georgia, Michigan, Miami (Fla.), Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC and West Virginia.

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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman wished happy birthday to quarterback Sam Hartman and tight end Cooper Flanagan on Saturday.

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Notre Dame 2025 defensive line prospect Julian Marks is expected to visit the Irish for Sunday’s Grill & Chill recruiting cookout event. It will be his first experience on campus.

The four-star recruit attends Overland Parks (Ka.) St. Thomas Aquinas and is ranked as the No. 14 strongside defensive end and No. 195 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

Despite holding 18 offers including Auburn, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma and TCU. Marks does not currently hold an offer from Notre Dame.

“I’m pretty excited to see what Notre Dame holds and to meet and start a relationship with the staff,” Marks told Inside ND Sports. “I don’t really know much about Notre Dame to be honest. I know it’s a private Catholic school and we share the same [school] colors.”

Rivals lists Marks at 6-foot-6, 260-pounds but he told me Saturday he’s grown to 6-7, 270-pounds. We’ll wait and see if that’s accurate during his next official measurement session.

“I’m long, lengthy and athletic,’ Marks said. “I feel that separates me from a lot of people.”

Although he’s listed at defensive end, defensive line coach Al Washington views Marks more as an interior defensive tackle.

If Marks leaves Notre Dame this weekend with an offer, we’ll have a better understanding of his fit. His junior season will tell us alot about how much he’ll be on Washington’s radar in the next year. The Irish already have one 2025 defensive tackle committed in four-Star Davion Dixon.

Full story later this afternoon.

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@Charleston Bowles and national recruiting analyst Greg Smith weigh in on Notre Dame's defensive commitments in the 2024 class.

@John Garcia Jr. checked in with Notre Dame 2024 defensive tackle commit Sean Sevillano Jr.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International High product is expected to be at Notre Dame on Sunday.

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Sevillano is a three-star recruit according to Rivals. He is ranked as the No. 20 defensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting class.

The full visitors preview for Notre Dame’s Grill & Chill recruiting event will be out this afternoon.

Plus notes on the veteran linebacker trio and finding a role for Jaylen Sneed.

@Adam Gorney’s comparison for Notre Dame LB commit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is Frankie Luvu.


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Notre Dame graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau on what defensive graduate assistant Max Bullough adds to the linebacker room, relationship with Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand, defensive identity, mentoring Notre Dame's freshman linebackers and more.

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Why am I all of a sudden having to type in the characters I see then hit submit?!! I’m try to read the articles, look at the videos and it’s asking me to do this. Very annoying. And after I do it it asks me to do again and again!!

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With Notre Dame's recent addition of 2024 four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa in its 2024 recruiting class, the Irish are shifting their attention to the 2025 recruiting class at the position.

I spoke with Notre Dame four-star linebacker target Christian Jones on Friday afternoon. Jones, the No. 94 overall player in the 2025 class, attends Omaha (Neb.) Westside and is teammates with 2024 linebacker commit Teddy Rezac.

Although he hasn’t visited Notre Dame yet, Jones said he feels like a priority after receiving an offer in March.

“I’ve talked to [defensive coordinator] Coach [Al] Golden for a couple [of] months now,” Jones told Inside ND Sports. “Their message has been good and just how Notre Dame is very rich in tradition and how they have a lot of experience surrounding you.”

Jones said he talks a lot with Rezac about the Irish and has learned more about what to expect from the program and staff when he steps foot on campus for the first time. The two plan on visiting Notre Dame this fall but are unsure of which game they will attend.

Rivals list Jones at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds and has him as the No. 5 outside linebacker in the class. He won linebacker MVP at Rivals' NextGen Five-Star Pro Day this summer.

Jones holds 15 total offers including Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin. Besides Notre Dame, Jones said he’s also setting up visits to Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin this fall.

"It would be brotherhood, academics and who’s going to help me elevate my game and me as a man," Jones said when discussing his most important recruitment factors.

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Notre Dame practiced earlier than previously scheduled Friday morning to avoid the heat. Instead, the Irish were greeted by thunderstorm alarm clock and rain showers during practice. That kept ND inside the Irish Athletics Center for the first five periods of practice media members were able to watch.

On the availability front, WR Deion Colzie returned to practice today. We reported that he missed yesterday's practice with a migraine. LB Jaylen Sneed was also at practice today, though he wasn't wearing a helmet during warmups and drills. Freshman WR KK Smith (shoulder) remained the only injured player working out on the sideline.

ND spent the first period of practice working on field goals. South Florida transfer Spencer Shrader kicked for the No. 1 unit with Michael Vinson long snapping and QB Dylan Devezin holding. Backup kicker Zac Yoakam kicked from the hold of punter Bryce McFerson and the snaps of Rino Monteforte.

Both kickers were attempting field goals of different distances at the same time, so I struggled to keep track of all their results.

I caught the first two attempts from Yoakam, which he made from 32 and 52 yards. I know he also missed his fifth attempt, but I didn't see the yardage.

After watching Yoakam's first two, I switched my attention to Shrader. He missed from 30 and 52 yards and made from 26, 32, 43 and 49. Leg strength didn't appear to be an issue as his 52-yarder went wide left.

Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Bob Morton (2002-06) discusses his experiences in preseason camp, the importance of what's established in camp, how the Irish can respond to the loss of director of football performance Matt Balis, how strength coaches impacted his career, how to survive the heat during, when an offensive line needs to know its starting five, how you identify early contributors at the position and more.

Then @Eric Hansen and I answer questions from Twitter and The Insider Lounge (30:21).

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Notre Dame sophomore tight end Holden Staes talks offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Gerad Parker, comfort in Notre Dame's offense, quarterback Sam Hartman, the tight end group's feelings after Michael Mayer's departure and season expectations during his media availability on Thursday.

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