It's baaacck...Yep, it might be NCAA tournament time (readers note, check back here through the weekend for women's NCAA tournament updates from the Joyce Center), but it's also spring football time, which kicked off today. And Notre Dame, able to use the turf fields for spring for the first time, went outside on a sunny yet cold day as Insights mourns his pick of West Virginia to the Elite Eight...just...not...smart:

• Your fifth-year seniors, at least from what Insights saw: S Kyle McCarthy; LB Scott Smith; S Ray Herring; LT Paul Duncan and, although he wasn't there, CB Mike Anello, who is recovering from a broken leg.
• Kicker Brandon Walker and cornerback Darrin Walls did a handshake and then body bump -- think how Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson celebrate being in the starting lineup -- before stretching. Obviously, this means Darrin Walls is back.
• Will admit it's somewhat odd around practice without John Latina yelling "Green 18. Green 18" to his linemen or Michael Haywood making some wisecrack or another to a reporter or a running back.

• New equipment showed up, too. There's now a mesh netting with red border and three pockets -- also bordered in red -- that is probably used for quarterbacks to throw to. Also -- and Insights isn't sure what they are used for yet -- the Irish now own two red contraptions that look like small soccer goals. Hopefully I'll find out more about them at practice tomorrow, possibly including pictures.

• Dayne Crist and Jimmy Clausen are now stretching partners, and got a bunch of attention from both Brian Polian and Ron Powlus.

• Your fashion/hair moment of the day: Eric Olsen will be much more recognizable this spring. His hair, which had always been kind of long, is now unbelievably long, hanging way out of his helmet and down past his shoulders. If Notre Dame had names on its jerseys, at least the top half of "OLSEN" would be covered.

  Also worth noting here that Harrison Smith's hair appears to have become longer, but not through the helmet long...just saw him walking into the Gug today and almost didn't recognize him.

• First guy to get yelled at at camp: At least during a media session is offensive lineman Lane Clelland by new offensive line coach Frank Verducci.

  "Grab a (not nice word) bag. Why are you looking at someone else?"

• The tight ends still look, well, sparse. There are only four of them.
• Kerry Neal and Kallen Wade were both limited in defensive line drills.

• Defensive tackle Ethan Johnson looks a lot bigger than last year -- and that's saying something considering the freshman already had an impressive build. ... Conversely, Tyler Stockton looks like a freshman. Even without pads on, his shoulders have much less bulkiness to them, at least with a jersey on.

• New defensive line coach Randy Hart is a talker. In fact, he never stops. During one of the drills, the only time his mouth wasn't going -- and it's not a loud bark -- was when he stopped to take a breath. Maybe.