Quarterback Shuffle

I thought we were going to have a quarterback competition this spring looking toward the fall, and then Gunner Kiel decides to throw his hat into the ring.  I still feel Rees is the odd man out and Hendrix and Golson will be will be jockeying for starting time, possibly rotating game time.  I don’t see Gunner being a serious threat to start but spring practice as well as the Blue and Gold Game will make things much clearer.  Here is my take on the four contenders.

Tommy Rees

Tommy became a season savior in 2010 when he gave the Irish a spark in the Tulsa game (not enough to win), then went on to win his next four games including wins over USC and Miami in a bowl game.  In 2011, Rees came off the bench again after Dayne Crist could not deliver (many thought he should have started the season).  After seeing a true freshman lead the Irish with good stats; (completed 61.0 percent of his passes (100 of 164) for 1,106 yards and 12 touchdowns ... registered a passing efficiency of 132.70 ... recorded 17 completions of 20 yards or more ... completed 66.7 percent (40 of 60) of his passes on first down ... set a single-season freshman school record with 12 TD passes ... established a single-season freshman record in completion percentage), there were great expectations for his sophomore year.  Although Rees had some decent numbers (not in the turnover line) there was no growth.  Tommy has hints of greatness, but no more than last year, but even worse he was making the same mistakes.  I like Rees and would feel confident if he was in a back- up role and had to jump in, but there may be too many other options next year.  His tryout is over; it’s time to move onto the next level.  Tommy is an eight wins per season quarterback and at Notre Dame eight is not enough.

Andrew Hendrix

After redshirting his freshman year and seeing a potential log jam at quarterback, I thought if he did not get a chance to show what he could do on the field we may not see him after the 2011 season.  Hendrix got to play in five games this past season and played more than respectably when he hit the field.  At 6’2” 220 lbs. and with a strong arm that put zip on the ball, he showed he can run and pass.  With a year of time on the practice squad his first year, a year of challenging for on field playing time and three years of eligibility left, Hendrix may have a solid future in South Bend under center (probably more out of the shotgun).  Hendrix seems to have the ability and understanding to run Kelly’s spread offense.  He also seems to have the most experience of the potential spread offense quarterbacks in the stable.  As of today, I could live with Hendrix starting or at least sharing the load.

Everett Golson

Golson has been tagged by many Irish faithful as the heir apparent in South Bend.  He had an impressive four year high school career where he finished at number two in all time passing yards (11,643), even though he missed several games later in his career.  In 2011 Everett was selected as the offensive scout team MVP while retaining a year of eligibility.  Like Kiel, Golson came to South Bend early and picked up a semester of spring practice as well as an appearance in the Blue and Gold Game.  Golson is very athletic and many are excited about his running potential, but at an inflated 6’0” 185 lbs., his frame is not designed for heavy pounding.  With a year and a half of college football practice and four years of eligibility left, the sky could be the limit for him and no one is as excited as I am to see if he can live up to the potential and expectations.

Gunner Kiel

At 6’4” and 220 lbs., Kiel is already an NFL-sized quarterback.  He is said to have a high football I.Q. and will fit into Kelly’s offense very well.  I can’t believe that Gunner would go anywhere unless he thought he had a chance of competing right away for a starting job.  Generally my philosophy is if a freshman is not going to be a needed or integral part of your scheme, you should redshirt him, let him develop (even if he does not need it) and save a year of eligibility.  Overall, Gunner coming to South Bend is a great sign for the Notre Dame program and should send a message that the Irish are still relevant in the world of recruiting.

Although I am excited that Kiel is coming to South Bend and it is better to have too many good quarterbacks with potential than not enough (and competition is good for motivating players), I do have some concerns.  I don’t want whoever starts to be looking over their shoulder too much. Confidence is important, especially when dealing with teenagers playing on a national stage.  I have no problem pulling a quarterback; I just don’t want to see signal caller roulette from game to game.  I have to believe that with so many of these guys having so much eligibility left, all four won’t be here come 2013.  It is also important for Brian Kelly to handle this well for future quarterback recruiting because star high school athletes are not used to not playing or competition for playing time.

A Look Ahead

As February 1^st gets closer and student athletes from the class of 2012 decide where they will play their college football those from the class of 2013 are beginning their time in the recruitment process.  Although colleges follow the talents of some young players since their freshman year (and sometimes before) what players do on the field during their junior year is when they really grab their attention.  Many believe that the earlier you can target a player the earlier they can build a relationship, the earlier they can offer a scholarship and the earlier a player can commit, hoping that other schools back off; again, until the letter is signed more than halfway through their senior year they can change their mind.

At 6’6”, 305lbs and a 5.02 40 yard dash speed Steve Elmer is an offensive lineman that as a junior would easily grab the attention of most college programs.  During his sophomore season he posted strength numbers of a 515lb squat, 700lb dead lift, and a bench press of 275lbs.  Elmer, a Michigan native was recruited and offered scholarships from programs including Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Stanford Steve committed to Notre Dame on September 17^th 2011 (Michigan State Game Weekend).  By recruiting Elmer the Irish continue to make the offensive line a priority for the future.  Even though he has over a year to make visits and explore other options the fact that Elmer has been to South Bend four times during the 2011 season leads me to believe that he likes it and is becoming comfortable with the Notre Dame surroundings.  He has also used these visits to build relationships with recruits from the class of 2012. Elmer also seems to be a prototype Notre Dame student with a sophomore year 4.33 GPA, and a 31 equivalent to a pre-ACT and is active in the Catholic Church and student council.   Elmer was recently named to the MaxPreps 2011 U.S. Air Force Junior All American Football Team. 

To be sure the Irish are and have been hot in the trail of hundreds of high school football players from the class of 2013.  To my count the Irish currently have made offers to 38 juniors.