Malik Zaire will play this season. After battling DeShone Kizer to an unexpected draw this fall, the senior quarterback will have a chance to prove he’s one of the team’s top playmakers—even if his role in Brian Kelly’s offense is still uncertain.
The ultimate competitor and an emotional leader who plays with a chip on his shoulder and his heart on his sleeve, Zaire’s a key piece of an offensive puzzle that’ll only begin to show all its pieces starting this Sunday in Austin.
MALIK ZAIRE
6'0", 225 lbs.
Senior, No. 9, QB
RECRUITING PROFILE
A late-rising recruit, Zaire made a statement at the national level with an impressive showing at the Elite 11 camp. An early target of Brian Kelly, Zaire rose to a four-star prospect, earning offers from Alabama, Arizona, a handful of others and eventually Ohio State.
Mostly an option quarterback until his senior season at Archbishop Alter, Zaire was a Top 150 recruit and a national prospect by Signing Day.
PLAYING CAREER
Freshman Season (2013): Did not see action, preserving year of eligibility.
Sophomore Season (2014): Saw brief action early in the season before relieving Everett Golson against USC in the second quarter and starting the Music City Bowl. Zaire was named the bowl’s MVP after winning his first ever start, running for 96 yards and a score while completing 12 of 15 passes.
Junior Season (2015): Started the season’s first two games before breaking his ankle against Virginia, ending his season. Played a nearly perfect statistical game as a passer in 38-3 win over Texas. Ran for 87 yards on 10 carries against Virginia.
WHAT WE SAID LAST YEAR
Seemed on track until his ankle broke.With an excellent set of skill players and an offensive line among the best in the country, Zaire won’t need to be the best player on the Irish offense, but simply make sure he allows this unit to prosper. Whether that makes him a game manager or point guard will be determined by how well the offense produces.
The Irish will need Zaire to be a capable runner. He showed more than enough ability to do that against LSU and also with big runs in limited snaps before then. The Irish will also need him to play smart. It’s long forgotten now, but late against LSU, Zaire made an ill-advised deep throw down the middle of the field that could’ve been intercepted. Golson took over in the passing game from that moment forward.
Zaire is going to make some mistakes. He’s seeing defenses and adjustments for basically the first time. But he also needs to show the confidence that allows him to run the football, adding a needed dimension to this offense that just didn’t exist, even with Golson behind center.
Ultimately, it’s probably unfair to say it, but Zaire will be the main factor in the Irish’s ability to make it to the four-team playoff. If he’s able to limit mistakes and trigger the running game, this team will be hard to stop. But if he plays like a first-year starter and struggles to get the passing attack started, it’ll be an opportunity lost.
I think this offense is ready to dominate and Zaire is prepared for his moment in the spotlight. Now he’s got to go out and prove it.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
Not many quarterbacks have had a harder path to the top than Zaire. But the fact he’s still fighting to lead this team says quite a bit about him. He may not have the NFL ceiling of Kizer—or the same type of arm talent, but Zaire does so many things that Kelly values, and his ability to make plays after things break down is key to this offense.
One of the unquestionable leaders of this unit, Zaire may not be wearing the captain’s ‘C’, but he’ll have one of the strongest voices on the team. The longer he stays part of this time share the more likely he’ll be engaged.
A fifth-year is available, but projecting anything past this week isn’t wise. There are just so many different ways this position can go. But after most had all but given the starting job to Kizer this offseason, it’s wise not to count out Zaire.
CRYSTAL BALL
I don’t quite know how he’ll do it, but I keep believing that Zaire will find ways to be a key piece of the Irish offense. Maybe that’s injury, maybe that’s outplaying Kizer, but some how, some way, Zaire will find a way to impact this offense.
Of course, the flip side is also just as likely. The more Kizer gets a chance to be comfortable, the more likely it is that Kelly relies on him to continue to run the offense. But there’s a reason that Kelly made the unorthodox decision to chose both quarterbacks. And it’s not just that Kelly didn’t want to split the locker room. It’s that he respects Notre Dame’s veteran quarterback—so much so that he’ll continue to give him a chance to lead this offense.
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