Starting OL Matt Hegarty Transferring

[purguy12]

Well in shocking news today Sr starter is leaving ND. ND was expected to have all 5 starters back and now this won't be the case.

Reason: ND staff told they want him to switch positions. Still will be starter but wanted to switch him. He was not happy.

 

[poewelch84]

Oh well one less roster spot to worry about and I think they have better options on the roster anyway.

 

[purguy12]

Oh well one less roster spot to worry about and I think they have better options on the roster anyway.

Yes Kelly is very excited about Nelson and Bars. He said Bars is the best OLman he has saw coming out of High school in his 25 years of coaching in college. I think overall ND will be fine.

 

[jjc2009]

Better this happen now. And Hegarty was definitely the weak link on the O line last year. He lost a lot of strength due to his stroke the year before. Incidentally, he started at guard last year and only took over center when nick Martin got hurt. Was he mad he was going back to guard? I think Stanley, Nelson, Martin, Elmer and McGlinchey is a very solid line

 

[purguy12]

Better this happen now. And Hegarty was definitely the weak link on the O line last year. He lost a lot of strength due to his stroke the year before. Incidentally, he started at guard last year and only took over center when nick Martin got hurt. Was he mad he was going back to guard? I think Stanley, Nelson, Martin, Elmer and McGlinchey is a very solid line

Don't forget about Bars.

 

[NDKane21]

Starter or not...he saw the writing on the wall. A younger, red shirt Frosh is going to (eventually) take his spot and sitting/demoted won't get him to the NFL...which according to Matt is his goal.

So, long answer short, he wants to go somewhere and play every down.

 

[Irish7478]

I hate to say it, but it looks to me like he was asked to leave.

 

[poewelch84]

I don't think he was asked to leave I think they told him the facts that it was very likely at some point next year someone else would be starting at his position and he didn't want that and I can't blame him. I think it's better to be up front with him rather than wait until August when it's too late for him to catch on else where.

 

[Irish7478]

I don't think he was asked to leave I think they told him the facts that it was very likely at some point next year someone else would be starting at his position and he didn't want that and I can't blame him. I think it's better to be up front with him rather than wait until August when it's too late for him to catch on else where.

Do you think they tell everyone in march who they expect to start the next season. It seems like you should wait at least until the end of spring training before you tell a guy he has lost his position. I just think they have to dump 5 of the potential 5th year players because they signed 81 guys over the last 4 years. Honestly, I don't like this trend. I think Hegarty has given a lot to this team, and deserves a chance to finish out his career here. If it really was his choice, fine, but I don't think it was. I think it will be clear if we suddenly see guys like Grace, Schmidt, Farley, Williams, and Carlisle say they have decided to transfer.

 

[poewelch84]

Considering the depth in the secondary I don't see Farley transferring or Schmidt, the others may. This team has a lot of talent at the O-Line position and it is completely possible that guys had almost passed Hegarty last year or had but as you said he's given a lot to the team so that kept him on the field and it wasn't going to this year. At the end of the day if this staff were acting in the way you are implying than Brown and Atkinson would have seen the field last year when injuries struck the secondary instead they allowed them to keep their 5th year. I do honestly feel it was his choice to leave because he was going to be moving positions and likely would lose his spot to one of the younger guys.

 

[bbirish73]

if he was asked to switch positions than he would be the backup to one of the other o linemen. He wants to start so he is transferring. I think that is fair and wish him well.

 

[NDKane21]

I personally imo think he wasn't told anything by the staff. But he, himself, figured it out...it wasn't too hard to figure given the studs (Bars) ready to pad up.

 

[poewelch84]

I actually think he said that the staff told him that they wanted him to switch positions and would work some younger guys in some during the year.

 

[Irish7478]

I actually think he said that the staff told him that they wanted him to switch positions and would work some younger guys in some during the year.

He was recruited as a tackle. He started games at guard and center. I can't imagine what move they were proposing that would result in him leaving. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that he was pushed out.

 

[poewelch84]

He was recruited as a tackle. He started games at guard and center. I can't imagine what move they were proposing that would result in him leaving. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that he was pushed out.

He played a bulk of last year at Center and Martin was going to move back now that his hand is healthy enough for him to play the position again because Martin is a better Center than Hegarty (better guard as well). Which would mean he was moving back to guard where he was going to have to hold off more talented players. I don't think they asked him to leave all they would have had to done is tell him he didn't get into the graduate program he was trying to attended at Notre Dame and the problem would have been solved, no asking needed. By all accounts it sounds like he made the choice so he could have a greater chance at starting and getting tot he NFL.

 

[Irish7478]

So now they say he may be transferring to Florida State. It would be interesting if a projected backup at ND will become a starter at FSU. I guess that's a good sign for the coming year.

 

[poewelch84]

So now they say he may be transferring to Florida State. It would be interesting if a projected backup at ND will become a starter at FSU. I guess that's a good sign for the coming year.

I believe they lost 4 guys on their line so they have very little experience.

 

[Irish7478]

I believe they lost 4 guys on their line so they have very little experience.

If he helps them get back into the playoff, and we miss out because of it, I'll be pissed.