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Notre Dame football -- it's baaack. As are the practice observations, a staple of Insights since its inception in August 2006.
Practice took place on the new Fieldturf practice fields installed where Moose Krause Stadium used to be and they are impeccable. Each yard-line is marked off -- a vast improvement from the concrete-like grass they had practiced on prior -- and the field even looks somewhat like Notre Dame Stadium's natural grass, with diagonal lines adorning the end zones.
Impressed with the new turf, which had a bouncy and spongelike feeling to it, these initial observations are offered.
- As per NCAA regulations, players were in jerseys, helmets and shorts for the first practice of the year. It'll be this way Saturday and Sunday as well.
- There's a Montana in practice -- freshman walk-on quarterback Nate Montana, who is wearing No. 16. Some players were giving Montana a hard time during his first practice, saying "Oh my god, Joe Montana." Of course, wearing the red jersey that could be associated with both the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs -- the two teams papa Joe played for -- probably didn't help.
- Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen gave an exhuberant yell during calisthentics drills.
- Not sure what was going on -- a lost jersey, punishment, whatever -- but sophomore wide receiver Duval Kamara wore No. 60 instead of his usual No. 18 during practice. Wide receivers coach Rob Ianello made sure to come over to give him a hard time about it.
- Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis joked with quarterback Evan Sharpley that the media only asked about his baseball skills. Except that he was pretty much right, mainly because there isn't a quarterback competition this year.
- Scouts from the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints showed up.
- At tight end, Will Yeatman looks bigger than he did a year ago. His arms are huge. And sophomore Mike Ragone also looks markedly bigger, not quite Yeatman's size but certainly larger than the wide receiver build he had last year. Don't remember if he had it last year or not, but Ragone had a brace on his left knee Monday.
- Michael Floyd -- more on him later -- looks like he fits right in, size-wise, with the rest of the wide receivers.
- First-team offense: WR: Duval Kamara and David Grimes; FB: Asaph Schwapp; HB: Robert Hughes; QB: Jimmy Clausen; TE: Mike Ragone; OL (l-r): Paul Duncan; Eric Olsen; Dan Wenger; Chris Stewart and Sam Young.
- Second-team offense: WR: Robby Parris and Golden Tate; FB: Steve Paskorz; HB: James Aldridge; QB: Evan Sharpley; TE: Will Yeatman; OL (l-r): Mike Turkovich, Andrew Nuss, Thomas Bemenderfer, Trevor Robinson, Taylor Dever.
- Third-team offense (No WR): QB: Dayne Crist; HB: Armando Allen; FB: Mike Navarez; TE: Kyle Rudolph; OL: Lane Clelland, Mike Hernandez, Matt Romine, Braxston Cave, Mike Golic Jr.
- Others in attendance: New athletic director Jack Swarbrick, who was literally everywhere Insights was Monday -- at Charlie Weis' news conference, the assistant and players conferences, men's basketball open practice and then football practice. For one of his first days on campus, he's making the rounds well. Also there: former Notre Dame All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Chris Zorich.
