Dynamic incoming freshman safety Brandyn Hillman exits Notre Dame before enrolling Reports: Marty Biagi leaves Mississippi to become Notre Dame’s special teams coordinator New offensive line coach Joe Rudolph officially hired at Notre Dame Where Notre Dame Was & Is: Linebackers, led by a trio of veterans and little change Reports: Notre Dame special teams coordinator Brian Mason jumping to the Indianapolis Colts
The latest commitment from the 2023 Notre Dame class is the first of 24 players to leave the Irish program. In the most literal sense, a three-star defender of rivals.
Hillman announced his retirement on Instagram on Sunday night.
“For personal reasons, I requested and received permission to be released from my NLI at the University of Notre Dame,” he wrote. “I want to thank the coach [Marcus] Freeman and Notre Dame staff for their interest.
“I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family as I explore options for where to go to school this fall.”
Hillman went from no FBS offers in September of his senior season to a commitment at Notre Dame in the first week of December. His profile skyrocketed in large part due to his appearances in the spring and early summer in the recruiting camps. Hillman’s physical ability was quite evident, especially since he played both sides of the ball in high school.
Irish Defense Coordinator Al Golden expected Hillman to join his safety depth table, although a future at Rover was also a possibility.
“Obviously he could play safe,” Golden said when Hillman signed his national letter of intent in December. “It’s big enough to be an all-terrain vehicle, if you will. What does he not like?
“He is the captain of the team. Any time you can get a quarterback, you are essentially taking on a player that his high school coach has already deemed good enough to give him the car keys. If this high school coach and his career and success depend so much on this quarterback, so when you make this guy your leader and make the face of your program, it says a lot about him.
“When you look at the kid’s competitive nature, his makeup and just his family background, I’m really in awe of him.”
Instead, Hillman will go elsewhere. His Instagram story — a social media feature that disappears after 24 hours — suggests he already received new offers on Sunday from Michigan, LSU, and Wisconsin, among several other programs.
The Virginia native also heard from both Virginia and Virginia Tech.
In situations like this, the first instinct is to assume that some sort of family concern has caused the player to reconsider their location. This is just a guess and has become less and less accurate as college football rosters change in the modern era.
Inside Irish
Without Hillman, Notre Dame has six guards on the roster, led by DJ Brown in his sixth year and a rising senior. Xavier Watts (No. 2 and 26 above respectively).
If the operating depth table rundown is accurate, the Irish currently have 92 players expected to be on scholarships this fall. The NCAA allows a maximum of 85, so expect a decent turnover after spring training, which starts March 22.
RELATED READING: Notre Dame is bringing in dazzling recruit athlete Brandin Hillman, and there are only two weeks left until signing day.
Notre Dame Receives Letter: Brandin Hillman, Athlete Who Could Be on Defense
Less than a week after Notre Dame lost its special team coordinator to the Indianapolis Colts, the Irish have already found a replacement. Brian Masonreportedly going to hire Marty Biaggi from Mississippi, where he held the same role.
Irish illustrated first announced Biaggi’s proposed hiring on Thursday afternoon. AthleticMatt Fortuna of Matt Fortuna reported a clear possibility over the weekend as the process is still in its early stages.
As soon as Mason took the job with the Colts, first reported on Saturday morning after reports of his interview went viral on Friday, Biaggi’s name began to circulate widely. He spent the 2016 season at Notre Dame as a special teams analyst, and while there may be understandable Irish distaste for any connection to that 4-8 faceplant, Notre Dame ranked first in the country in most special teams categories that season. .
An average of 9.1 yards per punt return ranked 44th, while 23.08 yards per kickback came in 27th. Four of those kickbacks were longer than 20 yards, tied for 16th in the nation, and five kickbacks. were longer than 30 yards, ranking 50th in the nation. Finally, the Irishman has blocked two strikes, a far cry from seven last year, but is still ranked 44th in the country in 2016.
Biaggi then coached special teams in North Texas for three years before spending two seasons in a role with Purdue and the 2022 season in Mississippi. There are many statistics about Biaggi’s success during these six seasons. as pointed out Irish sports newspaperJamie UeyamaBiaggi has never had a kicker with a field goal percentage under 77.8 while averaging 84.9 percent over six seasons—the most notable moment in his career as a coordinator is in itself illustrative of his innovative approach.
In the 2018 season, North Texas pulled off a simple punt return trick to score an early touchdown in a 44–17 game in Arkansas. Biaggi used the general assumptions and slight weakness of the Razorbacks to push his punt returner for a touchdown after he had done so much. No a signal for a fair catch.
September 15, 2018: North Texas with an unbeaten TD punt return fake against Arkansas. pic.twitter.com/mbdpWPC99p
— This Day in Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) September 15, 2020
RELATED READING: How North Texas and its fire department stunned Arkansas with the stunt of the year
In three seasons in North Texas, Min Green scored six special teams touchdowns and blocked nine punts and four kicks.
That wide-ranging explosiveness and Biaggi’s experience as a Marshall player and playkicker from 2004 to 2007 makes Biaggi a more comprehensive special teams coordinator than most.
Inside Irish
With Biaggi’s announced hiring, the South Bend assistant coach’s carousel should be completed for this offseason. Of the three coaches added to the staff, only one was previously associated with Freeman.
Late last week there were reports that the Irish could lose safety coach Chris O’Leary and/or receiving coach. Chancey Stacky in the NFL, but both reaffirmed their commitment to Notre Dame in 2023 over the weekend, according to reports.
RELATED READING: Jerad Parker’s Official Notre Dame Promotion Ends Drama Week
New offensive line coach Joe Rudolph officially hired at Notre Dame
Notre Dame announces the hiring of QB coach Gino Guidugli, former Cincinnati offensive coordinator.
Reports: Notre Dame task force coordinator Brian Mason jumps into the Indianapolis Colts.
Notre Dame has officially announced the hiring of a Virginia Tech offensive line coach. Joe Rudolph for the same role in South Bend. Rudolph also has experience as offensive coordinator in Wisconsin and Pittsburgh under former Badgers head coach Paul Churst. The Tuesday morning announcement comes after Rudolf’s hiring was first reported on February 27.
“We are delighted to add offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to our staff,” said Ireland’s head coach. Marcus Freeman says in the statement. “He has a proven track record of developing elite college football players, many of whom have also gone on to great success in the NFL. We hope Joe will have the same impact on our program.”
Rudolf replaces Harry Hystand at Notre Dame after Hestan retired after Tommy Rhysdeparture to Alabama. It has a long history…
Source: irish.nbcsports.com
