2015 Notre Dame Football Preview

2015 Notre Dame Football Preview

Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview

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44 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY ANDREW OWENS E ven before incumbent starter Everett Golson transferred to Florida State to finish his collegiate career, Malik Zaire made it perfectly clear to anyone that would listen that he had no interest in splitting the repetitions as the No. 1 quarterback. "It's not the ideal situation," he said in March, prior to Golson's transfer. "At the end of the day, there is only one Captain Jack Sparrow of the offense. I mean, [head coach Brian] Kelly makes the decisions on the team. I don't get paid to make the deci‑ sions — I wish I did — but I just do what I'm supposed to do, and however it plays out, it plays out." In early May, Golson announced his intention to transfer, allowing Zaire to become Notre Dame's "Captain Jack Sparrow," his compari‑ son to the fictional pirate from the Disney movie series. "At the end of the day, Peyton Manning doesn't share time with a lot of people," Zaire said. "I think Peyton Manning's greatness, and his consistency and his efficiency in his offense and what he does [with his] perfectionist type of mentality, is what makes him Peyton Manning and what makes him not share time with other people. "That's something inspiring for every quarterback to look at, be‑ cause every day you've got to bring it." Entering fall camp, there will be no doubt about which quarterback steers the ship of the Irish offense. Although Zaire brings just one career start to the unit — a bowl win over LSU in December — he is much farther along than sophomore DeShone Kizer and freshman Brandon Wimbush, who arrived on campus in June. In his first media availability following Golson's departure, Kelly praised the leader‑ ship Zaire has displayed since spring ball. "You can sense in the meetings there's a confidence," Kelly said. "They're looking to him for the answers. He's feeling he needs to live up to those expectations, too. "[His demeanor] changed in the spring when it was more of a competitive situation. During the fall, it was pretty obvious he felt like, 'Boy, I think I should have gotten a look.' "I think there were a lot of other people that felt that way, too. This spring, that changed a lot, when he saw he was getting reps and get‑ ting work. So that's behind us." Zaire efficiently and effectively grabbed the reins of the Irish of‑ QUARTERBACKS CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP Following the transfer of Everett Golson, junior Malik Zaire is the undisputed leader of the Irish offense "You can sense in the meetings there's a confidence. They're looking to him for the answers. He's feeling he needs to live up to those expectations, too." NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLY ON ZAIRE Zaire impressed at USC (170 passing yards and a rushing score) and versus LSU (192 yards of offense and two touchdowns) at the end of the 2014 season. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA

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