Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 47 QUARTERBACKS POSITION COACH Mike Sanford is in his second year as Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his first year in South Bend, he helped direct an offense that produced 464.4 total yards and 34.2 points per game en route to a 10-3 record. The Irish averaged more yards of total offense per game just once (2005) since setting the school re- cord (510.5) in 1970, while the scor- ing average was not far off of the school record of 37.6 set in 1968 and marked the best since 2005 when the Irish posted 36.7 points per contest. Sanford was critical in the development of first-year starting quarterback DeShone Kizer, who took over follow - ing the season-ending injury to Malik Zaire in the second game of the year. In single-season school history, Kizer ranked fourth in completion percentage (63.0), seventh in passing efficiency (150.0 rating), seventh in TD passes (21), seventh in passing yards (2,884), tied for seventh in 300-yard passing games (two), eighth in completions (211), ninth in pass attempts (335) and 10th in passing yards per game (221.8). In 2014, the former Boise State signal-caller (2000-04) served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater and helped the Broncos to a 12-2 finish, the Mountain West Conference championship and a Fiesta Bowl victory. The BSU offense was one of five Football Bowl Subdivision programs that ranked among the nation's top 30 in all four major statistical categories: scoring (ninth, 39.7 points per game), total offense (14th, 493.3 yards per game), passing (23rd, 280.4) and rushing (29th, 213.9). Prior to his lone year coaching at Boise State, Sanford spent a total of five seasons at Stanford during two differ - ent stints (2007-08 and 2011-13). He originally joined the Cardinal coaching staff in 2007 as an offensive assistant that focused on the quarterbacks for two seasons under Jim Harbaugh. When he returned to Palo Alto, he served as the running backs coach under David Shaw. He added recruiting coordinator duties in 2012, and then shifted his focus to quarterbacks and wide receivers — while retaining his role as the recruiting coordinator — in 2013. His other coaching stops include UNLV (2005-06), where he served as an offensive graduate assistant; Yale (2009), where he was the recruiting coordinator and tight ends/ fullbacks mentor; and Western Kentucky (2010), where he was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Although he graduated from Los Alamitos High School in California, Sanford attended Penn High School in Misha - waka, Ind., while his father, Mike, served as the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach for three years, from 1996-98. The elder Sanford is currently the head coach at Indiana State. RETURNING PLAYERS DESHONE KIZER Jr. • Toledo, Ohio Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 230 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 games in 2015, starting each of the final 11 contests … Threw for 2,884 yards and 21 touchdowns, while add- ing 520 rushing yards and a school record for a quarterback 10 TD runs … Became the sixth Irish signal-caller with at least 3,000 total yards in a single season, joining Brady Quinn, Everett Golson, Jimmy Clau- sen, Jarious Jackson and Tommy Rees … Also became just the second Notre Dame player (Jackson) to throw for 200 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game, and is the first to do it twice (versus No. 21 Temple and No. 9 Stanford) … Helped the Irish to three wins when trailing in the fourth quarter (Virginia, USC and Temple) … His single- season marks in completion percentage (63.0), total of- fense yards per game (261.8) and points responsibility per game (14.5) all rank No. 1 on the Notre Dame career chart … His 150.0 career passing efficiency rating ranks just behind Irish record-holder Kevin McDougal's 154.4 (1990-93) … Owns an 8-3 record as a starting quarterback at Notre Dame … Did not see action in 2014. Prep: Listed as a four-star talent, the No. 17 player in Ohio and the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the land by Rivals … Finished his prep career with 5,684 passing yards and 56 touchdown throws, plus 1,211 yards and 17 scores on the ground … Was named the Associated Press Ohio Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a senior … Was also the first-team quarterback on the AP Division III All-Ohio squad … Completed 150 of 245 passes for 2,847 yards with 30 touchdowns and six in - terceptions, and also rushed 62 times for 539 yards and six scores … The three-year starter was 34-6 during his career, highlighted by a 14-1 mark and Division II state crown in 2012 … He also played basketball and baseball for Central Catholic. Personal: Born Jan. 3, 1996 … His father, Derek, played basketball at Bowling Green … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS Com. Att. Yds. TD INT 2015 13-11 211 335 2,884 21 10 MONTGOMERY VANGORDER Jr. • Buford, Ga. Ht.: 6-0¼ • Wt.: 215 Career Highlights: Saw action in one game last year while spending the season on the offensive scout team … Did not play in 2014. Prep: Ranked as a two-star recruit by Rivals … Helped Buford win back-to-back Georgia Class 3A state titles as a junior and senior … Also was a three-year letter winner in basketball and helped his team reach the state championship in 2014. Personal: Born Sept. 23, 1996 … His father, Brian, is the Irish defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach … Three older siblings played collegiate sports — his brother Mallory played football at Georgia; his sister Morgan ran track and cross country at Georgia; and his brother Mack played football at Auburn … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. MALIK ZAIRE Sr. • Kettering, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 225 Career Highlights: Started the first two games of 2015, before suffer - ing a season-ending broken ankle … Completed 26 of 40 passes for 428 yards with four touchdowns and no picks, and rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries … Played in seven games during the 2014 campaign … Earned his first career start in the 31-28 Music City Bowl win over No. 22 LSU and was named MVP … Finished the contest 12-of-15 passing for 96 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed 22 times for 96 yards and a score … On the year, completed 21 of 35 passes for 266 yards with a touchdown, and he also rushed for 187 yards and a pair of scores … Did not see action during the 2013 season. Prep: Listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 6 player in Ohio, and the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and No. 122 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … Was the first- team AP Division III All-Ohio selection at quarterback for 2012 after he passed for 1,990 yards and 24 scores, while rushing for 1,120 yards and nine touchdowns … Selected for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl following his senior campaign, and he completed two passes for 12 yards while rushing nine times for 20 yards in the contest. Personal: Born Feb. 28, 1995 … Enrolled in the Col - lege of Arts and Letters, majoring in film, television and theatre. Year G-GS Com. Att. Yds. TD INT 2014 7-1 21 35 266 1 0 2015 2-2 26 40 428 4 0 Totals 9-3 47 75 694 5 0 BRANDON WIMBUSH So. • Teaneck, N.J. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 216 Career Highlights: Played in two games in 2015 … Completed 3 of 5 passes for 17 yards, and carried the ball seven times for 96 yards and a score. Prep: Regarded as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 senior in his home state, and the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback and No. 60 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … Com - pleted 192 of 265 passes (72.3 percent) for 3,187 yards with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading St. Peter's Prep (11-1) to the Non-Public, Group 4 state championship as a senior … He added 723 yards and nine scores on the ground … Tabbed a first-team All-American by MaxPreps … Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey … Selected first-team all-state, named the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year in New Jersey and rated as the top player in the state by NJ.com … Played in the Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando, Fla. Personal: Born Dec. 17, 1997 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. NEWCOMER Ian Book Fr. • El Dorado Hills, Calif. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 190 Prep: Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 57 player in California and the No. 14 pro-style quarterback na- tionally by Rivals … Named Cal-Hi All-State first team after throwing for 3,049 yards, rushing for 779 yards and accounting for 42 touchdowns during his senior cam- paign at Oak Ridge High School … Passed for 2,025 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a junior. Personal: Born March 30, 1998. PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES BGI'S 2016 DEPTH CHART No. Quarterback Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 14 DeShone Kizer 6-4¼ 230 Jr./3 or 9 Malik Zaire 6-0 225 Sr./2 7 Brandon Wimbush 6-1 216 So./3 4 Montgomery VanGorder 6-0¼ 215 Jr./3 12 Ian Book 6-0 190 Fr./4