Notre Dame received the commitment of Toledo quarterback DeShone Kizer Tuesday. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound quarterback had offers from Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Penn State, and Tennessee among others.
“I am privileged to say that I will be continuing my Fighting Irish tradition by playing football at the University of Notre Dame!” Kizer Tweeted this afternoon.
Kizer’s decision adds some certainty to a quarterback depth chart that’s been in flux since we last saw the Irish play. Heading into spring football with five scholarship quarterbacks, the position didn’t look to be a huge priority. But with Gunner Kiel transferring to Cincinnati and Everett Golson’s future uncertain, adding a building block like Kizer helps solidify the position and adds another intriguing athlete to the stable.
Kizer is a three-sport athlete at Central Catholic, the clean-up hitter for the baseball team and a starter on the basketball team. He was entertaining a visit down to LSU until his trip to South Bend last weekend, which effectively ended his recruitment.
He spoke with his hometown Toledo Blade about his decision to commit to the Irish.
“I was thinking of going to LSU this Friday,” Kizer told the Toledo Blade, “but after going to Notre Dame we figured that a trip to LSU would be nothing but pointless time, because we all looked at each other after that visit and said that there’s no better place in the nation that we could possibly be.”
Kizer’s star nationally seems to be on the rise. While an offer from Urban Meyer and Ohio State was contingent on a summer workout, Kizer was one of the top performers in the Columbus Elite 11 camp, earning a trip to the Elite 11 finals, and he’ll be on his way to The Opening as well. On the actual gridiron, he led his Central Catholic team to a 14-1 record, winning the D-2 state championship while throwing for 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Playing for a prep team called the Fighting Irish, it wasn’t hard to see the fit for Kizer, coming from a Midwestern Catholic high school. Kizer praised the fit both on and off the field. Probably just as important? A depth chart that could graduate it’s No. 1 and No. 2 off the depth chart after this season.
“Their quarterback situation had something to do with it,” Kizer told the Toledo Blade. “They will be short at the quarterback position, and that will give me an easier opportunity to come in and compete and try to get some playing time early.”
Kizer is the eleventh member of the class of ’14. Here’s footage from the Elite 11 camp in Columbus, where he was named MVP.
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