Why Malik Zaire must play in 2013.

The plan for true freshman and early enrollee Malik Zaire was to have him redshirt in 2013, learn the offense and get accustomed to big time college football life while senior Tommy Rees would play the backup role.  Zaire would play the role of back up in the 2014 season, maybe even pushing Golson a bit for the starting role.  Now, with Everett Golson stumbling academically, everything has changed. 

On the surface, the plan is go with Tommy Rees who has been named the starter while fellow senior (redshirt) Andrew Hendrix will be the backup so that Malik can save a year of eligibility.  However, things may be different if we look forward to the 2014 season.  First, we have to understand that there is no guarantee that Golson will make his way back to South Bend, and if he does, if he will be in the right physical or mental shape to resume his role as starting quarterback.  I think it is a 50/50 shot at best for Golson even coming back to the Notre Dame campus.  Tommy Rees will be gone, as he will have used up his four years of eligibility.  Andrew Hendrix will have a year of eligibility left, but if he has not worked his way into any quality playing time by now, it is unlikely that he will be of much assistance, and who knows if Kelly will want to use a scholarship spot on a fifth year backup quarterback. 

Zaire is the only quarterback coming in for 2013 and there are no current verbal commits at quarterback for the class of 2014.  So the best case scenario is that the Irish will have Hendrix - a fifth year senior who has not played meaningful snaps, Golson - who will have been away from the team for a season, and Zaire – a late freshman commit who may or may not have taken a game snap.   The worst case scenario - Golson does not come back and Hendrix does not return for a fifth year, leaving Zaire (who did not take a game snap because he was redshirted) and no incoming freshman quarterback with walk on Charlie Fiessinger as a backup.  Please note that Hendrix is a pre-med student and will be looking at Medical Schools for the fall of 2014.

I am not for playing freshmen unless they are absolutely necessary for the team.  This is definitely the exception to that rule.  Zaire is not needed for this season but he may be essential next season and needs to have some work in his portfolio.  Malik does not need to start, but it could be catastrophic if Notre Dame’s ONLY option in 2014 is a Redshirt Freshman with NO game experience.