Spring Solutions: Quarterback

It’s been a long time since Notre Dame’s quarterback position has had the type of stability that it now enjoys. So while Brian Kelly likely touted the idea that every quarterback would be competing for the starting job, you can’t blame redshirt freshman Gunner Kiel for reading the writing on the wall.

With Everett Golson returning after an impressive freshman campaign, and back-up seniors Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix still viable options in case the case of an injury, Kiel’s path to the starting lineup didn’t look any closer, with a source telling me that Kelly told Kiel he’d open at No. 3 heading into spring drills.

With Kiel’s high-profile departure, a few new scenarios open up. For early enrollee Malik Zaire, the starting lineup just got a whole lost closer, especially with Rees and Hendrix not long for the Irish roster after this season. And as the Irish coaching staff canvas the country for elite prep arms, a spot on the roster for a 2014 quarterback just got a whole lot more attractive.

Let’s take a look at the projected positional depth chart, and set some spring goals for the Irish quarterbacks.

2013 QUARTERACK DEPTH CHART

1. Everett Golson, Jr.
2. Tommy Rees, Sr.
3. Andrew Hendrix, Sr.
4. Malik Zaire, Fr.

SPRING OBJECTIVES

Everett Golson: There’s plenty of good to take away from Golson’s debut season. Namely, Golson’s impressive work leading the Irish to a 12-1 record, and throwing twice as many touchdowns as interceptions, no easy task for a freshman learning on the job.

Still, there were some very visible growing pains this season for the rising junior quarterback, and this spring should be the time where Kelly and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin ride Golson hard, challenging the quarterback to match his football acumen with his athleticism.

We’ve learned a few things about Golson after his first season at the helm of the Irish offense. We knew he had the arm strength needed to make every throw on the field. We also knew he had the ability to evade the pass rush, extending plays with his legs by keeping his eyes down field. And while we thought Golson would anchor a zone-read heavy running game, there’s not the top end, break-away speed at quarterback that many expected, though that hardly prohibits the Irish from utilizing Golson on the ground.

Matching up Golson’s debut season with Irish quarterbacks of the past isn’t a safe exercise. If it were the point would quickly be rendered moot. It blew the doors off of just about every first-year starter in modern history with hardly a comparable — unless you consider the unlikely debut of Matt LoVecchio.

There’s no question Golson is the quarterback of the future. But for the Irish to have another great season, they’ll need the offense not limited by its quarterback, but thriving because of him.

Tommy Rees: After a season spent vindicating himself after Irish fans put 2011′s underwhelming performance on his shoulders, Rees reframed his legacy with an incredible season in relief. Called upon in multiple high leverage situations, Rees answered the bell in each case, helping the Irish seal victories against Purdue, Michigan, Stanford, BYU, Oklahoma, and Pitt.

While his stats actually took a step backwards from his sophomore season numbers, Rees embodied the personality of the offense — a resilient player that might not have been impressively efficient, but gutted the job out and got it done.

In his final season of eligibility, expect Rees to once again be a fireman. And with Golson more at ease in the starting job, if Rees does see the field it’ll be for a very specific reason. Still, at every program, veteran leadership at the quarterback position is a valuable commodity. For Rees, that could be cashed in helping Golson in the film room, helping Zaire learn the ropes, and the offense in the clutch.

Andrew Hendrix: After losing the training camp battle for the starting job, Hendrix became the odd man out in the offense. He saw action in only a handful of games, putting together a stat line in only three games, Navy, BYU, and Wake Forest.

At this point, it’s clear what Hendrix is and what he isn’t. And while he possesses a skillset unique to the quarterback depth chart, it’s pretty clear that the offensive plans don’t include the once highly touted recruit from Cincinnati.

While Hendrix’s career might continue somewhere else in 2014, he’s not likely to go anywhere until after he receives his degree from Notre Dame. And in the meantime, with the depth chart established ahead of him, maybe there’s finally a package that can utilize the battering ram of a quarterback. Sure, the window closed on Hendrix being the next rifle armed passer at Notre Dame. But that doesn’t mean the offense can’t carve out a role for him.

Malik Zaire: This season just got a whole lot more interesting for Zaire, who no longer sees a logjam in front of him. That said, his job will likely be the same as it would’ve been with Kiel still on campus. Zaire will take part in spring drills, likely drinking from the same fire hydrant that overwhelmed Rees, Hendrix and Golson.

But that hasn’t stopped Zaire from preparing like he’s fighting for a job. The freshman is down in Arizona training with veteran teammates over spring break, forgoing time at home with his family for a few extra minutes of conditioning and drill work in the desert. It may not pay off in the short term, but it gives you a very good idea of what kind of player the Irish have waiting in the wings.