Rockne's Roundtable

This will hurt. IMO we have nada in the legitimate talent department behind Golson. If he had to sit out for some reason......... Its not an attack but I do not consider Rees a good backup, he is too one dimensional.

I dont know that Kiel could not move ahead of Rees. Spring Practice has yet to occur. On the flip side, I am not shocked. The way he has bounced, from Indiana, LSU, ND and ..... etc. I just hope that we dont have to find out what happens if Golson were out a game.

This is a great post and captures what I was thinking.
Why would he wilt under the pressure of competition before Spring ball competition even started?
Seems strange.
But he must not see much of a future for himself.
In HS he had more running yards than Golson, I recall.
But the level of competition he faced in HS was not that high (I think 2 star HS, and highest in Indiana is 5 star).
Who knows.
Wish him the best, but history is against him for success elsewhere.

Zaire is the threat, not Golson.

Great recap, Lou, and I would echo Illest's observation that only Kustok turned out to someone who ND, in hindsight, would have preferred not to see go.

Someone in another thread opined that Kiel spoke with the staff, advised that, if he didn't get at least the backup job after spring practice, he was gone, and was told he probably would not be the backup and that, if he was considering leaving, he might want to do it now.

Found this an intriguing and highly plausible scenario. Any idea what the actual trigger was?

As for the future -- and I am assuming no year and/or career ending injuries for any of these guys -- my thoughts and questions are as follows:

Unless, Hendrix steps it up big-time, Golson starts and Rees is the backup for this year.

What becomes intriguing is where we go from there. Golson would still have two years of eligibility (14 and 15). Does he hang around for both years? I don't see an early exit to the NFL, but what about an early exit for the CFL. Does that kind of thing happen?

Because if Golson plays his three remaining years, barring injury, he's likely to start each of those years. Bottom line, do you think we are looking at a 4-year starter in Golson?

But regardless of what Golson does, what, then, does Hendrix do? He's eligible to play in 14, is he not? Does he stick around for a fifth year, despite his pre-med status and the fact that he could conceivably go somewhere else and start in 14?

And if he is interested in playing a fifth year somewhere else, might he not consider also transferring now with the chance of becoming a two-year starter somewhere? Robert Smith the former OSU and Vikings TB was also a pre-med. Last time I looked, he was commentating for ESPN. Things can change.

Right now, if I'm Brian Kelly, I'm looking to make sure that Hendrix is also not heading out the door as he could be just as important a transitional link in 14 as Rees is in 13, while Zaire and whoever follows him is brought along.

The absolute worst case, as I see it -- and this scenario does include injuries -- is that Hendrix transfers, Golson gets hurt, Rees also gets hurt or is ineffective, and all that's left is Zaire or maybe Luke Massa.

The paradox in all of this is that, despite not being able, as a practical matter, to carry more than 4 QB's, you also can't have -- as is the case with pitchers in baseball -- enough of them as 4 can become 2 or even 1 rather quickly.

I'd be interested in your take as to how you think this might all play out.

Thanks, Ham, it's good to be back. I've been enjoying a mini-offseason, given the emotional strain of the BCS game, the Kelly coaching alarm, the Teo fiasco. and signing day. Frankly, I needed a break from all of it.

But, with the clocks pushed forward and spring practice now on tap, hope and stamina have returned.

I take your points, namely that this QB stuff is a pretty tough predictive course to navigate.

But, as long as Hendrix doesn't transfer, I think this year should, depth-wise, be fine, as there are two guys who have started plenty of significant games and a third (Hendrix) who has had enough game snaps and done well enough in spots to know what it's all about.

Next year is my concern, particularly if Hendrix leaves or does not get more playing time this year.

What I would like to see happen is for Hendrix to beat out Rees for the backup spot -- and do it by simply outplaying him in a significant way. While Hendrix has failed at this in the past, there is nothing to say he can't do it. Maybe, he goes out there a better and more mature player this spring, and, with Kiel now gone, with a lot better chance of moving up.

If Hendrix were to do this and contribute significantly in 13 -- as guys, such as Coely O'Brien, Cliff Brown and Paul Failla did when given the chance in past eras -- he might then stay for a fifth year in 14, which would eliminate the worry there.

At the same time, even were he to be the 3rd string guy this year, Rees would still be around for insurance and could still do a creditable enough job if called upon.

My sense is that Hendrix can play the game. He can run and he can pass. Can he see LB's drifting across the middle? Maybe not. But, again, maybe he can move beyond that limitation.
I have no idea, but I don't want to lose the guy. If he goes, next year could become problematic.

However, if Hendrix does go, Zaire must get some playing time this year. You can't go into 14 with only one experienced QB -- assuming you are going to compete the way we are all expecting Kelly and ND to compete going forward. The bar has been raised.

Risksorter,

There have been many, many cases over the years of holding your breath that the starting QB doesn't get hurt. That's just football. The days of seven scholarship QBs (freshman Joe Montana was No. 7 in 1974) are long done.

The last time I can recall more than 4 scholarship QBs on a roster was Holtz's first year in 1986 (Beuerlein, Andrysiak, Belles and Pete Graham — with freshman Tony Rice ineligible that year). Shoot, in 1990 alone, after Jake Kelchner departed for West Va., and Kent Graham to OSU, you had inexperienced Rick Mirer as the starter and two true freshmen in Kevin McDougal and B.J. Hawkins (who would transfer to Va.)That team was replete with first-round talent ... but just one injury at QB could make it crumble. That's how it often is.

I do think Golson would stay as a fourth-year starter because I just don't know that with his stature how much the NFL would look at him. Russell Wilson is helping provide a case, but those are exceptions, not rules.

I wasn't in on the conversation between the staff and Kiel, but what you laid out sounds quite plausible. I suspect something like that occurred. Deep down, as Golson developed last year, Kiel must have been thinking, "Hmmm, am I ever going to get a chance to start here in the next few years." I think more and more you're going to see a "Joe Flacco effect." Flacco was the backup for Tyler Palko at Pitt in 2004, and Palko had eligibility through 2006. Thus, he transferred to Delaware, became a first-round pick and now is a Super Bowl champion. I'm sure there are dozens of QBs out there, Kiel included, who use that as inspiration.

From the outside looking in, it's hard to envision Hendrix back for a 5th season in 2014. He struck me as somewhat disappointed with the way his football career has progressed. Stranger things have happened.

I would think this would be a good time to get Luke Massa back as a contingency option at QB and for a potential fifth year in 2014. I'm also wondering whether Nicky Baratti could be an option. Safety is becoming awfully congested with people such as Farley, Collinsworth, Shumate, Prosise and Redfield, among others.

This does tend to work itself out, because remember the No. 1 recruiting world: The greatest QB in Notre Dame history is always ... the next one.

Thanks, Lou. Good points.

For me, the next crossroads could be following spring practice. If it solidifies Rees as number 2, which the odds favor, does Hendrix leave the program at that point as well? He could be following the same line of thinking Kiel used.

I will be watching and listening regarding that one.

BK and staff have seen much of Kiel's abilities in scout workouts - so he's leaving says, to me, that BK can live with that. TJ is a good backup and has performed very well when the game has been on the line - his resume would be even better with that MU 2011 game which he managed to put ND up with 30 secs left UGGG! AH, I believe stays he's a pre-med student he's not going to leave ND at this stage of his studies - will he stay after 4 depends if he wants to & BK concurs too. I do believe that EG's closing season performance made Kiel re-check his future at ND - I'm not going to rag on him b/c he wants to play sooner than later so he leaves - good luck to him. Move on! GO IRISH!

Sounds right, Lou.