Welcome to Irish Illustrated incident analysis. I am Tim O'Malley with John Bryce of Football Scoop and Irish Illustrated as well.

And today we actually had a meeting with a few tight ends, but also coordinators, Chris Ash and Mike Denbrock.

I spent a lot of my time with Eli Reardon. I believe you're with Kevin Baumann. So before we get to the coordinators,

Kevin, I'm sure back a full year now. I was the same situation with Eli Rared and back a full year.

What were some interesting things for Baumann because he has a new opportunity? I don't think he really had last year with the depth chart. No, it was very revealing to visit with Kevin Balman

and an incredibly enjoyable visit. And I ask him point blank, like Kevin, fill in the blank, you feel the healthiest now

as you felt since when, because the guys had among the worst injury luck of anybody we've

seen in this program in several years.

And he said, honestly, I feel better now than before I tore my ACL the first time,

which I thought was really enlightening.

He said that when the season ended, he'd never envisioned having an opportunity for a six

year at Notre Dame. He said, honestly, I was just planning on transferring out. I thought my time

here was done. And he said, and then when I learned it was an opportunity, while on earth,

would I not want to spend my six year at the greatest university on the earth?

And that's his quote, a really commanding quote from Kevin Ballman calling Notre Dame,

the greatest university on the earth. He said he feels great. He said that he did have to have

some self-reflection and, you know, think about the pain and damage he's already inflicted on his body.

How much more can the body absorb?

But he felt really comfortable with that. He thinks he's at a better playing weight than he's been at in a really long time. He thinks he's a little lighter but also stronger. He feels quicker. He says he's a better route runner now. Just a lot of positives coming from the conversation with Kevin Balman. Right before he tore his ACL the first time was

2022 and he was off to a really good start that season. Nordheim just happened to lose the two

games in which he played very well as Michael Mayors understudy at Tide-end. He had a good start.

The conversation with Eli Raritan, it was centered around a couple things. Mitch Leverin's basically

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