ESPN.com presents Notre Dame Football http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football 60 en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 08:25:29 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 ESPN 150 offensive tackle Alex Bars (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy) has a brother, Blake, at Michigan. He has another brother, Brad, at Penn State. But he has decided to follow in his father Joe's footsteps, committing to Notre Dame on Friday. Bars ranks as the Irish’s 10th commitment. Joe Bars played linebacker for the Irish. “It was pretty great,” Bars said of telling his father the news. “I really appreciated him not pressuring me to go to his alma mater.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15432/bars-is-no-10-for-irish Fri, 17 May 2013 16:45:08 EDT 15432 (Knicks) Stayin' Alive. CBSSports.com's Rob Rang has Stephon Tuitt at No. 5 and Louis Nix at No. 16 on his early 2014 NFL draft big board. SBNation's Bill Connelly looks at 10 things to know about the Irish in 2013. IrishIllustrated.com's Pete Sampson looks at Eddie Vanderdoes' training as he readies for Notre Dame. (Subscription required) The Irish are facing big losses on offense, Dan Murphy writes on BlueandGold.com (Subscription required) The (Fort Wayne) Journal-Gazette's Ben Smith says the Notre Dame-Michigan "game of chicken" is all about money.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15420/irish-lunch-links-403 Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:46 EDT 15420 A Notre Dame player won the Lott IMPACT Trophy last season. Can the Irish repeat? Stephon Tuitt was one of 42 players to make the initial watch list for the award, which Manti Te'o won in 2012. The award goes to the defensive player who has made the biggest impact on and off the field, with the acronym standing for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Tuitt, a junior, is one of eight defensive linemen on the list.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15418/tuitt-named-to-lott-watch-list Fri, 17 May 2013 09:45:43 EDT 15418 Michigan coach Brady Hoke joked that he nearly didn't call ESPN's "Mike & Mike" on Thursday. The reason: he "didn't want to chicken out." Hoke went on to discuss his comment Monday that Notre Dame was "chickening out" of its annual series against Michigan after the 2014 season. He told hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic that he perhaps could have used a different word, but he remains disappointed not to see the two historical powers meet every year.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15414/podcast-michigans-brady-hoke-discusses-notre-dame-comments Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:29 EDT 15414 AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Notre Dame's bowl opportunities this fall appear pretty clear cut: It's BCS or bust. If Notre Dame does not qualify for a BCS bowl and there are 70 bowl eligible teams to fill all 35 bowls, the Fighting Irish could be left without a bowl. "We don't have something set," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told ESPN at the ACC's spring meetings. Notre Dame can qualify for a BCS bowl by winning at least nine games and finishing in the top 14 of the final BCS poll.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15408/notre-dame-fighting-irish-need-bcs-berth-in-2013 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:34 EDT 15408 Man, Memphis. MSU AD Mark Hollis says that he wants Notre Dame on the Spartans' schedules but doesn't need it, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press. The Sporting News' Matt Hayes says that the Irish chose a shot at the College Football Playoff over their Michigan rivalry. The AP's Tim Dahlberg says that Notre Dame isn't chicken, it's just greedy. USF coach Willie Taggart is very excited about the maturation of Aaron Lynch, Bruce Feldman writes on CBSSports.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15404/irish-lunch-links-402 Thu, 16 May 2013 12:15:09 EDT 15404 Brian Kelly sees Notre Dame's 2012 renaissance campaign as validation the football program can succeed at the highest level on the field and in the classroom. Speaking Tuesday in Chicago at an IMG luncheon featuring connected sponsors and ad executives, Kelly said he saw last fall as a season of "faith restored," according to quotes provided by Notre Dame. The luncheon apparently lacked the bravado of a certain opposing coach's in Grand Rapids, Mich.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15400/kelly-2012-a-season-of-faith-restored Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:34 EDT 15400 Here's what's happening ... Notre Dame is up to No. 8 in ESPN's latest Class of 2014 recruiting rankings. Five-star defensive back Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic), the No. 2 prospect in the country, will announce his college choice live on ESPNU on May 26, with LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford as the finalists, our Tom VanHaaren writes. Expectations are back at Long Beach Poly, which boasts Class of 2015 receiver/defensive back Iman "Biggie" Marshall (Long Beach, Calif.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15391/irish-recruiting-roundup-60 Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:17 EDT 15391 Dayne Crist has another new home, for now. The former Notre Dame and Kansas quarterback was added to the Baltimore Ravens' roster Wednesday, just days after attending the Kansas City Chiefs' rookie minicamp. Crist had been invited to the Chiefs' camp without a contract on a trial basis. The Ravens had cut former Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Nathan Stanley after their rookie minicamp. Crist, the MVP of this year's NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, will get to join former Notre Dame recruiting class of 2008 brethren Kapron Lewis-Moore, who was drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round with the 200th overall pick.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15396/baltimore-ravens-add-quarterback-dayne-crist Wed, 15 May 2013 16:15:28 EDT 15396 Keep the Midwest sun coming .. CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd has Notre Dame at No. 11 in his post-spring Top 25. Aaron Lynch goes ninth, Louis Nix goes 11th and Stephon Tuitt goes 24th in 247sports.com's 2014 mock draft. IrishIllustrated.com's Tim Prister looks at odds and ends regarding Notre Dame's 2013 opponents. (Subscription required) BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi looks at the Irish's history of home success. ]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/notre-dame-football/post/_/id/15381/irish-lunch-links-401 Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:34 EDT 15381