On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame losing defensive backs coach Mike Mickens and the outlook of the 2026 roster.Topics include: • Mickens jumping to the NFL's Baltimore Ravens • ND's best player at every position in 2026   • The player with the most to prove at every position   • The player who could raise the ceiling at every position   • Top performers from 2025   • Notre Dame's 2026 schedule • The latest Irish recruiting buzzPlus, they answered questions live from viewers.  Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/">https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/</a>Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?Visit here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames">https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames</a>  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame losing defensive backs coach Mike Mickens and the outlook of the 2026 roster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Topics include:&lt;br /&gt;• Mickens jumping to the NFL's Baltimore Ravens&lt;br /&gt;• ND's best player at every position in 2026  &lt;br /&gt;• The player with the most to prove at every position  &lt;br /&gt;• The player who could raise the ceiling at every position  &lt;br /&gt;• Top performers from 2025  &lt;br /&gt;• Notre Dame's 2026 schedule&lt;br /&gt;• The latest Irish recruiting buzz&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, they answered questions live from viewers.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: &lt;a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/"&gt;https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visit here: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The composition of Notre Dame football’s 2026 roster has become pretty clear following the offseason transfer portal window. But now the Irish have another assistant coach opening following the departure of defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. In this live episode of Football Never Sleeps with Blue & Gold’s Eric Hansen and Tyler James, the guys size up up the loss of Mickens, what the Irish have on the 2026 roster and what the team could become. 

Football Never Sleeps: Sizing up the loss of Mike Mickens and Notre Dame’s 2026 roster

Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Jay Hayes (2014-17) discusses his return to ND as a regional director of athletics advancement, what his job entails, what attracted him to Notre Dame as a high schooler in New York City, stories of former defensive coordinators Brian VanGorder and Mike Elko, his experience as a graduate transfer at Georgia, learning a new defensive system as a transfer, his short-lived NFL experience, moving beyond his football career, head coach Marcus Freeman's leadership, the state of college football and more.Then Eric Hansen and Tyler James answer questions from X/Twitter and The Lou Somogyi Board (31:46).Blue & Gold subscription deal: New subscribers can sign up for just $1. Subscribe here: <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/">https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Jay Hayes (2014-17) discusses his return to ND as a regional director of athletics advancement, what his job entails, what attracted him to Notre Dame as a high schooler in New York City, stories of former defensive coordinators Brian VanGorder and Mike Elko, his experience as a graduate transfer at Georgia, learning a new defensive system as a transfer, his short-lived NFL experience, moving beyond his football career, head coach Marcus Freeman's leadership, the state of college football and more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then Eric Hansen and Tyler James answer questions from X/Twitter and The Lou Somogyi Board (31:46).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blue &amp; Gold subscription deal: New subscribers can sign up for just $1. Subscribe here: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/"&gt;https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Jay Hayes (2014-17) joins the Third & Gold Podcast to discuss his career and return to Notre Dame as a regional director of athletics advancement with Eric Hansen and Tyler James.

Third & Gold: Jay Hayes shares his college journey and why he returned to work at Notre Dame

On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame’s transfer portal class, what it means for the depth chart, and the evolving role of admissions in modern roster building.Topics include:• What to know about Notre Dame’s transfer portal signees • How the newcomers project on the depth chart • The most important lessons learned from this portal cycle • Evaluating the full roster heading into spring practice • Marcus Freeman’s appearance on College GameDay • College Football Playoff National Championship Game takeaways • The latest Notre Dame recruiting buzzPlus, they answered questions live from viewers.  Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/">https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/</a>Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?Visit here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames">https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame’s transfer portal class, what it means for the depth chart, and the evolving role of admissions in modern roster building.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Topics include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;• What to know about Notre Dame’s transfer portal signees&lt;br /&gt;• How the newcomers project on the depth chart&lt;br /&gt;• The most important lessons learned from this portal cycle&lt;br /&gt;• Evaluating the full roster heading into spring practice&lt;br /&gt;• Marcus Freeman’s appearance on College GameDay&lt;br /&gt;• College Football Playoff National Championship Game takeaways&lt;br /&gt;• The latest Notre Dame recruiting buzz&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, they answered questions live from viewers.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: &lt;a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/"&gt;https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visit here: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Notre Dame football closed the winter transfer portal window with a late surge — adding eight new players in a frenetic 15-day stretch and reshaping the Irish roster heading into spring practice.

On a special Tuesday night live edition of Football Never Sleeps, Blue & Gold’s Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame’s transfer portal class, what it means for the depth chart, and the evolving role of admissions in modern roster building.

Football Never Sleeps: Notre Dame surges in transfer portal. What comes next?

Mike Singer, Notre Dame football recruiting insider for Blue & Gold, discusses when he started to believe the Irish were putting together an impressive transfer portal haul, how ND's undergraduate transfer shift impacts the program, why covering transfer portal recruiting is different, expectations for DE Keon Keeley and WRs Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter, the recent hires to ND's personnel staff, Marcus Freeman's appearance on College GameDay and more.Then Eric Hansen and Tyler James answer questions from X/Twitter and The Lou Somogyi Board (36:52).Blue & Gold subscription deal: New subscribers can sign up for the first year of an annual subscription at 50% off! Subscribe here:<a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/">https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Mike Singer, Notre Dame football recruiting insider for Blue &amp; Gold, discusses when he started to believe the Irish were putting together an impressive transfer portal haul, how ND's undergraduate transfer shift impacts the program, why covering transfer portal recruiting is different, expectations for DE Keon Keeley and WRs Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter, the recent hires to ND's personnel staff, Marcus Freeman's appearance on College GameDay and more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then Eric Hansen and Tyler James answer questions from X/Twitter and The Lou Somogyi Board (36:52).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Blue &amp; Gold subscription deal: New subscribers can sign up for the first year of an annual subscription at 50% off! Subscribe here:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/"&gt;https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Mike Singer, Notre Dame football recruiting insider for Blue & Gold, joins the Third & Gold Podcast to discuss ND's 2026 transfer portal haul with Eric Hansen and Tyler James.

Third & Gold: Mike Singer on how Notre Dame's 2026 transfer portal class came together

On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame's first four transfer portal additions, what's left for the Irish and much more.  Topics include:• What we know about ND's transfer portal signees • Portal prospects still considering the Irish • What needs ND still needs to address • Grading ND's portal performance • The latest Irish recruiting buzzPlus, they answered questions live from viewers.  Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?Visit here: https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;On this week's edition of "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube, Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down Notre Dame's first four transfer portal additions, what's left for the Irish and much more.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Topics include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;• What we know about ND's transfer portal signees&lt;br /&gt;• Portal prospects still considering the Irish&lt;br /&gt;• What needs ND still needs to address&lt;br /&gt;• Grading ND's portal performance&lt;br /&gt;• The latest Irish recruiting buzz&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, they answered questions live from viewers.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will be live on Monday at 7 p.m. EST.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visit here: https://www.youtube.com/@HansenAndJames&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Notre Dame football made it to Monday without a public transfer portal commitment. Then four additions became official on Monday. On this live episode of Football Never Sleeps, Blue & Gold's Eric Hansen and Tyler James broke down the latest transfer portal developments for ND.

Football Never Sleeps: Time for Notre Dame's transfer portal payoff

First-rate coverage of Notre Dame football, recruiting and other Fighting Irish sports for Blue & Gold from Eric Hansen and Tyler James.

Notre Dame football with Eric Hansen & Tyler James

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