Everything Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi said during spring practice

Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi met with reporters Friday morning. Here’s everything he had to say.

On how the 105-man scholarship limit affects the special teams coordinator

It’s definitely gonna make — you know, responsibilities from day in and day out, it could vary. It could limit where some of those extra 15 spots would’ve been great service bodies. Now you’re gonna have to have some guys kind of pulling either some double duty where they’re either main scout team for a rep, but they could be also up as a team type. So it’s just a condensed numbers game kind of thing. Once they set what the roster is gonna be, then we gotta figure out what position, where the cuts and everything will happen.

On if he thinks he won’t have as many players to use on special teams because of the roster limits

I still think it’ll be about the same amount of guys from that standpoint, in the group. I think what you’ll see is a bit more, ‘Hey, we gotta figure out how to use the four games, the four games, the four games,’ if that makes sense. We don’t wanna waste somebody just for one play or something, but trying to map out who’s had a great fall camp and may not be ready to play on offense or defense, but we project to so we can start getting them in. That kind of thing. So Luke two years ago, we kind of played him early. We held Adon late. Aus, yeah.

On if there are more guys he gets to rotate through this spring at Notre Dame

A little bit. What we’ve really always tried to incorporate here, especially in spring and fall camp though, is everybody’s getting those drills and reps. So if anything, it’s been some guys that like, to be honest, ‘We know that you’ve done this, let’s help you on the pitch count, because we can rely on you.’ So, to that fact, it does get us a couple more reps with some younger guys or transfers, as opposed to everybody getting the same amount.

On mid-year freshmen who can help Notre Dame on special teams

Yeah, it’s so early to tell, but Madden [Faraimo] has done a really good job. I’m trying to think — JaDon [Blair], Ethan [Long] has done a good job, even Cree Thomas. Then [Elijah] Burress and [Jerome] Bettis have come right in and competed. So I know it’s a lot of names, but it’s just still so early. But, I think them being here will definitely help so it’s not just all new to them in fall, where they’re trying to learn the offensive playbook and defensive playbook.

On Blair and Faraimo potentially being able to cover the opening kickoff at Miami

Yeah, I mean, those are the body types. Like, okay, they check the box for that. So now it’s just trying to get them ready and really teach them the situation. Most of the time, the guys that come here, unless they were the returner, they didn’t play on special teams since they were a freshman. So it’s not just see ball, get ball, but it’s trying to teach them all the different situations that can come up in a game for special teams.

On Notre Dame punter James Rendell’s improvement last season

I thought the second half of the season, especially toward the latter third, you really just saw some consistency in him, just coming into his own of comortability. That’s kind of been the track record, I feel like, with a lot of Australians tha have done it. It’s new and it takes a bit. But I definitely think we tried to narrow what he does best and give him the opportunity to really be able to let loose. And he had a really good back half, back third of the season so we’re trying to build on that.

On what he was doing well in the CFP, when he had 9 punts at or inside the 20-yard line

Just the preparation and the understanding, and really understanding just maximizing the reps in practice. He finally went from feeling that it was just a practice rep to, ‘Okay, I have to perform as if it were a game rep.’

On if Rendell could potentially get a third year of eligibility at Notre Dame

Yeah, I think that’s something I know the head coach and everybody, we’re trying to look into. Is there a possibility? There is, but just trying to navigate through that, that’ll really be up to compliance and what they end up saying, but we’re hoping. Keeping fingers crossed.

On Rendell getting extra reps in the CFP

I thought it was huge. And, because it was a playoff game atmosphere, you can kind of say you’ve done it all in Year 1. Now going to play last year at Texas A&M, he didn’t know football, he’s never played and he’s playing in front of the loudest crowd in the country right off the bat. Now you go to the national championship or playoff run, he’s been in these environments, so we can now say, ‘Hey, the expectation, you’ve already played in the most elite atmospheres. It’s time to go.’

On Notre Dame’s young linebackers fitting into core special teams roles

The best part that we have is our D-line, linebacker depth. Because those are the guys that you’re really relying on in the trenches and the core. So, the [Teddy] Rezacs, the Bodie [Kahouns], the Maddens, I mean all of our ‘backers have pretty much played on at least two phases if not three. Really, what it allows us to do is have rotational depth. And normally you think offense or defense kind of depth but if you go back and you watch, okay, Bryce Young might take the first kickoff but then Jaylen Sneed takes the second kickoff. Well then, Bryce comes back and takes the third. So now, if Bryce is gonna start on defense on that series we can put the same exact caliber player in his spot.

So, that’s something that again we look at where alright, we wanna try and match body types a lot of the time. So, Bryce Young backed up by [Jordan] Botelho, backed up by Boubacar [Traore]. You’re three deep at a kickoff spot of almost the exact same player. So, that’s where you’reseeing the roster depth. Especially at D-line, linebacker and potentially DB really be able to show up there.

On Notre Dame safety Kennedy Urlacher’s development

I think being here again as a guy that got here one full year ago has really helped with his maturity and development. Really just, now he knows the playbook, even though it’s a new playbook. He understands just more about just overall scheme and ball. So, it’s allowing him to really play fast and be aggressive, which he’s always done. But play within the scheme instead of kind of just a bull in a china shop type mindset.

On Notre Dame players who weren’t previously in the special teams mix but have stood out so far

I think some of the guys in the linebacking corps being as deep as it is really gives us some rotational depth at multiple phases. Then same thing kind of at that D-end type, that Vyper body type. We’ve got a lot of guys and a lot of depth at those two spots that you really feel like okay we can get them some work.Then we have some depth, really good quality depth at running back and bigger bodies. You’ve got Aneyas [Williams], you’ve got Kedren [Young], you’ve got Gi’Bran [Payne], you’ve got [Jeremiyah] Love, you’ve got [Jadarian] Price. So, all of them know and want to have some kind of role and they will. So, at those core positions where you kind of need and want bodies, D-end, linebackers, RBs, you feel confident there.

On new Notre Dame kicker Noah Burnette getting his swing back

I think especially when we recruited him there were some things that I wanted to make sure he was kind of focused on and felt like he could to. So, now actually seeing it live and in person I think he has a true goal of trying to make sure ‘Okay, when I’m swinging, I’m using the right technique and not just trying to hit this long ball, home run swing’. So, he’s really refined it and again where you would show up if you were a fan is you want to see elite ball rotation and a straight ball and that’s what we’ve been really working and focusing on the first three weeks.  

On his pitch to Burnette to get hi mto Notre Dame from North Carolina

I think being able to have the confidence to know that you’re being coached by a guy that has played the position. By a team with Coach [Marcus] Freeman from top-down values special teams and where we believe in that phase. We kick a lot of field goals. So, a head coach is looking and expecting in that role to put points on the board. So, if you win that spot, you’re gonna get that opportunity. So, I think more than anything he felt like it was a real relationship, and he was going to get coached on a day-to-day basis. Which is something a lot of specialists might not always get across the country.  

On what Rendell does every day to make himself a better punter

Attack his technique. More than anything, attack his technique with a mindset of one play truly one life and that’s what we’ve gotten him to understand. You can hit all these bombs and do all these different things through practice but when your name is called, alright you’ve got to have the exact technique on that call to allow you to perform. I think you saw that really show up the last third part of the season consistently.  

On if Rendell carried that consistency into spring ball

He has. He’s striking the ball really well. That’s the biggest thing. Again, it was new to him and where it’sa real benefit is he’s now played in the biggest games. At A&M last year he didn’t even know what the field or size of the stadium was and now it’s like, ‘Okay you’ve played in the biggest games and biggest atmosphere so you’re ready to step right in and go’. 

On if Rendell is in competition to be Notre Dame’s kickoff specialist

We’ll see. We don’t do too much in terms of the competition for kickoffs in spring. But we’ll definitely assoon as fall camp rolls around know that.