Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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30 JANUARY 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED W hen Notre Dame en- tered the 2016 season, it seemed the Irish had the best quarterback situation in the country. Notre Dame returned three ultra-talented signal-callers, and veterans DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire waged a fierce battle for the starting position. Kizer ultimately won out, and Zaire was relegated to mop-up and trick-play duty following the first game. Sophomore Brandon Wim- bush was able to preserve a season of eligibility while the two veterans competed. I m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w i n g Notre Dame's disappointing 4-8 season, Zaire announced his intentions to transfer for his final season. On Dec. 12, Kizer announced he would be leaving Notre Dame for the National Football League, where he is expected to be a high draft pick. That leaves Wimbush as the last man standing, and Notre Dame is now his team. So what does he bring to the Irish offense? 1. He's A Winner: Wimbush's physical traits will certainly stick out, but the most important trait he brings to the game is his competi- tiveness and attitude. He has an in- fectious personality, one that forces those around him to raise their level of play. At Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter 's Prep, Wimbush was at his best when it mattered the most. In a matchup against arguably the top high school team in the country — Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy — Wimbush passed for 426 yards and ran for an- other 73. In the state title game against Para- mus (N.J.) Catholic and the No. 1 player in the 2016 recruiting class (defensive tackle Rashan Gary), Wimbush racked up 325 yards of of- fense and three touchdowns, includ- ing a crucial 63-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to lead St. Peter's Prep to its first state championship since 2005. Wimbush passed for 3,187 yards, rushed for 732 yards and accounted for 46 touchdowns during his senior season, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in New Jersey. 2. Tremendous Arm Talent: Kizer and Zaire both had excellent arm strength, but Wimbush had arguably the best arm on the roster. He has the ability to make any throw on the field with ease, and in his first action of the 2015 season he became the first quarterback to overthrow speedster Will Fuller, which is incredibly dif- ficult to do. His technique needs to be refined, but Notre Dame fans are going to be treated to a starting quarterback with one of the best arms in the entire country. Defenses will be forced to defend the deep ball every snap, and Wim- bush has the ability to effortlessly make the deep out throws which were so important to the offense in 2014 and 2015. Wimbush has some gunslinger to his game, and he will force throws that Kizer would not. Wimbush will side arm passes, throw across his body and try to fit the ball into very tight windows. That must be nuanced in a way that limits mistakes, but it will also result in a number of big plays, espe- cially when plays break down. 3. Elite Athletic Skills: Wimbush believes he is a drop-back quarterback, but what makes him so dangerous is he is just as likely to beat a defense with his legs as he is his powerful right arm. It was with his legs that Wimbush made his first big impression at Notre Dame, rushing for a 58-yard touch- down in his first career action against Massachusetts during the 2015 season. Wimbush will be able to effectively execute Notre Dame's zone-read concepts, something he did as a prep player. He will be aided by the fact he enters his third season running the Irish offense. He can beat teams on the outside with his speed, and at 225 pounds he is big enough and physical enough to run between the tackles in the power- read concepts. Where Wimbush is most danger- ous is when plays break down. When he scrambles around he wants to throw the ball first, but if a safety steps towards him Wimbush has the arm power to throw the ball over that defender 's head for big gains. Wimbush can also fit balls into tight spots thanks to his accuracy when throwing on the run. Teams will always have to worry about Wimbush running the football, which makes him even more effective as a passer. Kizer could run, but his running skills were not something teams had to game plan around. That won't be the case when Wimbush is the starting quarterback. ✦ Building Around Brandon Wimbush CHALK TALK BRYAN DRISKELL Bryan Driskell has been a football analyst for Blue & Gold Illustrated since April 2015. He can be reached at bdriskell@blueandgold.com. With quarterback DeShone Kizer off to the NFL, the rising junior Wimbush is now the man in charge of the Irish offense. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA