Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 47 QUARTERBACKS POSITION COACH Mike Sanford is in his first year as Notre Dame's of- fensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The former Boise State signal-caller (2000-04) spent last year as the offensive co- ordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater and helped the Bron- cos to a 12-2 finish, the Mountain West Conference championship and a Fiesta Bowl victory. In its first year under Sanford, 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). The Broncos also checked in at 17th for red-zone offense, which made them the only team in the nation to rank in the country's top 30 for each of those five categories. Quarterback Grant Hedrick led the FBS in completion percentage (.708) and ranked ninth in passing efficiency (157.2), while running back Jay Ajayi led the country in scoring (13.7 points per game) and became the only player in FBS history to amass more than 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. Prior to his lone year as a mentor at Boise State, San- ford spent a total of five seasons at Stanford during two different stints. He originally joined the Cardinal coach- ing staff in 2007 as an offensive assistant that focused on the quarterbacks for two seasons under Jim Harbaugh. It was the second stop in his coaching career, following two years as an offensive graduate assistant at UNLV under his father, Mike, who was then the Rebels' head coach. He became a full-time position coach for the first time in 2009 — after his first two campaigns at Stanford — and served as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends/ fullbacks mentor for a year at Yale. After that, he spent a year as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western Kentucky. He returned to Stanford in 2011, taking over as the running backs coach under David Shaw. During his debut in the role, the Cardinal rushed for a school-record 2,738 yards and ranked 18th nationally (210.6 yards per game). In 2012, he added recruiting coordinator duties and helped Stepfan Taylor became the school's all-time lead- ing rusher. Taylor was also named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back). A year later, Sanford shifted his focus to quarterbacks and wide receivers, while retaining his role as the re- cruiting coordinator. His signal-caller, sophomore Kevin Hogan, ranked 21st nationally in passing efficiency (151.5), while Ty Montgomery was a consensus first- team All-American as a kick returner and second-team all-conference pick as a wide receiver. In both of Sanford's campaigns as the recruiting co- ordinator, the Cardinal inked one of the nation's top-20 signing classes, including a top-five group in 2012. The teams also found success on the field; winning Pac-12 championships in each of his final two years and appear- ing in the Rose Bowl each time. Although he graduated from Los Alamitos High School in California, Sanford attended Penn High School in nearby Mishawaka, 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 So. • Toledo, Ohio Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 230 Career Highlights: Did not see ac- tion in 2014. Prep: Listed as a four-star talent, the No. 8 player in Ohio and the No. 162 overall prospect nationally and by 247Sports … Ranked as the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the land by Rivals … Was named the As- sociated 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 interceptions, and also rushed 62 times for 539 yards and six scores … He also punted for an average of 41.4 yards per kick … The three-year starter was 34-6 during his career, highlighted by a 14-1 mark and Division II state crown in 2012 … Finished his prep career with 5,684 passing yards and 56 touchdowns, plus 1,211 yards and 17 scores on the ground … He also played basketball and baseball for Central Catholic. Personal: Born Jan. 3, 1996 … Father, Derek, played bas- ketball at Bowling Green … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. MONTGOMERY VANGORDER So. • Buford, Ga. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 215 Career Highlights: Did not play last season. 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: Father, Brian, is the Irish defensive coordi- nator/inside linebackers coach … Three older siblings played collegiate sports — brother Mallory played foot- ball at Georgia; sister Morgan ran track and cross country at Georgia; and brother Mack played football at Auburn … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. MALIK ZAIRE Jr. • Kettering, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 222 Career Highlights: 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 he 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 … On first career snap in season opener against Rice, he reeled off a 56-yard run … Did not see action during the 2013 season … Enrolled in January 2013. 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 in the 2013 class by Rivals … Was the first-team Associated Press Division III All-Ohio selection at quarterback for 2012 … Was also named the 2012 AP Ohio Division III Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year 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. Personal: Born Feb. 28, 1995 … He is left-handed; the last southpaw quarterback to have thrown a TD pass for the Irish was Art Parisien in 1926 … Enrolled in the College 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 NEWCOMER BRANDON WIMBUSH Fr. • Hackensack, N.J. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 212 Prep: Regarded as a four-star recruit, the No. 1 senior in his home state, and the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and No. 43 overall prospect nationally by 247Sports … Completed 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 as 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. PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES BGI'S 2015 DEPTH CHART No. Quarterback Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 8 Malik Zaire 6-0 222 Jr./3 14 DeShone Kizer 6-4½ 230 So./4 12 Brandon Wimbush 6-2 212 Fr./4 4 Montgomery VanGorder 6-0 215 So./4 Montgomery VanGorder — whose father, Brian, is Notre Dame's defensive coordinator — helped Buford (Ga.) High capture Class 3A state champi- onships in his junior and senior campaigns. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA