Aug. 08--Former backup Malik Zaire is now Notre Dame's starting quarterback. The backup plan includes Brandon Wimbush and DeShone Kizer.
The Irish will find out more during preseason practice about what they have in reserve. The expedited process of choosing between the two has been a topic of conversation since Everett Golson transferred to Florida State in May.
"It's a conversation that's at the forefront of most of the scripting that goes on in the offensive meeting room," coach Brian Kelly said. "When do we want that to occur? When it naturally occurs through volume of repetition."
That began Friday, when Zaire took the field at Culver Academies with the first-team offense. His performance left Kelly about where he was before practice began.
"It's probably where I thought it would be in the first day," Kelly said. "He's got real good management skills."
Zaire overthrew a few receivers and tried to shake off some rust. He said he understands with clarity his position on the team.
"Being the Notre Dame quarterback, there is never a clear-cut anything," he said. "Coach Kelly does a great job of ... keeping us on our toes, knowing that anything can change at any moment."
Wimbush's day was highlighted by a perfectly lofted spiral that landed in the hands of Torii Hunter Jr. 40-plus yards away. Kelly said the freshman needs to improve his footwork, but otherwise he was impressed.
"He's a lot of things we thought," Kelly said. "He's got a strong arm. He tries to overpower a lot (of throws). He's so bright, wide-eyed. He's going to pick up everything really fast."
Zaire also was impressed.
"We're catching him up to speed," he said of Wimbush. "He's a pretty good quarterback. I'm going to drop some knowledge on them (Wimbush and Kizer)."
New kid on the block: Freshman receiver Miles Boykin from Providence has impressed coaches since arriving on campus. Kelly was wowed by Boykin's 38 1/2-inch vertical leap and his bench-press showing of 15 reps of 225 pounds.
"I don't know if I've seen those kind of numbers that he's put up," Kelly said.
He said it: "For all the coaches here less than six years, they all wrote books, right? They had many stories to tell. I could write several books of what I've learned." -- Kelly on being the first Notre Dame coach to last more than five years since Lou Holtz (1986-96).
