Notre Dame football: Early takeaways from 2021 spring practice

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Head coach Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players run on the field during player introductions before the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31-14. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

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The Notre Dame Football program is fully entrenched in their spring practices, and here are some early takeaways from the action so far.

Learning anything about Notre Dame football has been very difficult this Spring. There are still COVID-19 protocols in place, which means reporters and fans have very limited access to see the team. Instead, we’re reliant on small video samples and interviews from the likes of Brian Kelly, where you’re liable to hear the coach speak.

In other words, this is a difficult process. Still, it’s worth trying to get a gauge on where the Irish team is at this Spring. After all, Spring is when you lay the foundation for the next season. Plenty of teams blamed issues last season on a lack of practice now, after all.

This is also our first chance to see how the defense looks under new coordinator Marcus Freeman and how Jack Coan and Tyler Buchner look in Notre Dame Football uniforms, all of that is new to everyone. So are four of the five offensive linemen, who will be brand new to the starting lineup. Then, there are the lingering questions from last season to answer.

Let’s take a look at what we can figure out for now from Spring practice, with a few early observations.

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