Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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tion, but it's easier to be passionate when you have a full comprehen- sion and confidence about the game," Whitfield said of Kizer. "It's going to get there for him. Watch his per- formance on the field as a senior this year leading up to his freshman year at Notre Dame. He's going to be light years ahead of where he is right now. I'm not sure there is another quarter- back I'd like to work with for the next four years. He's going to be great. "He's just scratching the surface in terms of what he will be as a quar- terback. When you are very talented at what you do and you don't have a ton of hours in the air as a pilot, it will affect your performance when fly- ing. He's going to be special in a few years." Kizer had a lot on his plate during his senior year of high school. He was committed to one of the premier foot- ball programs in the country, he con- tinued his excellence in the classroom and helped lead his team to another tremendous season on the field. With all that going on, he still found plenty of time to recruit for Notre Dame and was key in bringing a strong class to South Bend. "I actually enjoyed the recruiting process after I committed," Kizer said. "I know it's not for everyone. Some guys get pretty frustrated with the calls and the texts, but it didn't really bother me. That's why I tried to recruit other guys at the right times and not add to the stress for some of them. "I talked a lot to Quenton Nelson, Jay Hayes, Corey Holmes, Nyles Mor- gan and a few others. I just wanted them to know that keeping this class together is important and I tried to make sure they always remembered why they chose Notre Dame and why it's the place to be. "We all want to win a championship, but it's more than that at Notre Dame. We're all going to get a great education and have a degree from Notre Dame, and we will develop bonds that others dream about. That's the most impor- tant thing to remember about this." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Kizer has terrific size at 6-5 and 210 pounds, and he has the frame to easily add 25 pounds … He throws with a natural, smooth motion and a high release point … Is an excellent deep-ball passer with good touch … Oozes with potential and, with coaching, is going to be outstanding down the road … Is raw at this point in plenty of areas, but he has the natural ability that you want at quarterback. Areas To Improve He needs to improve on his arm strength and the zip that he puts on his intermediate throws, which will come with added muscle and size in a collegiate weight program … His footwork needs to be tightened up; while he gets away from the line quickly, his footwork can get a little choppy prior to making his throws … The struggle with his steps late in his drop can hinder his passing accuracy … His weight transfer is one area that will need to improve before he plays for the Irish … When he steps into his throws and lets them fly, he throws with impressive accuracy and velocity — but there are plenty of moments where he throws off his back foot, diminishing his accuracy and the zip that he puts on the ball.