Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Irish Land Confident Quarterback BY WES MORGAN A has solved the quarterback problem. Zaire, a left-handed, dual-threat QB out of Archbishop Alter High in Ket- tering, Ohio, meets all the criteria for Kelly's spread-option offense. Fight- ing Irish fans will just have to wait until 2013 to see the 6-1, 190-pound solution in action. COMMITMENT PROFILE MALIK ZAIRE remains on the roster, there will be quite a traffic jam. The sales pitch to Zaire from Kelly and assistant coaches Chuck Martin and Mike Elston, however, made it sound as if the left lane will be wide open. "I think it was the fact that Coach By then, if every Irish quarterback ccording to Malik Zaire, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly together, it's like my high school but like on steroids. It's a great opportu- nity to be a part of that." "When you lay out all the things you want in a quarterback to fit Brian Kelly's offense, Malik Zaire is the guy," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong said. "He has a very live arm, he's smart, he moves well and he gives them the ability to keep the defense honest. He's as athletic of a quarterback that you're going to find in the country. He's the perfect guy that Kelly is looking for to run his offense." Zaire's passing statistics from his first year starting at Archbishop Alter aren't gaudy, but he's quick to point out that he offers more than just his legs. "I'm definitely a passer first," he Kelly feels I can compete for a start- ing job," Zaire said of why he chose Notre Dame over offers from Ala- bama, childhood favorite Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Nebraska and several others. "That's all I needed in terms of a vote of confidence. He believes in me and that I can be a starter for Notre Dame and lead the team to wins and national championships. That's all I really needed. I have to step up to the challenge and prove him right. Zaire is a consensus four-star recruit and is rated among the nation's top 12 quarterbacks by all four major recruiting services, including No. 5 among dual-threat signal-callers according to 247Sports. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS.COM Rivals.com, the No. 12 quarterback and No. 181 overall prospect in the country by Scout.com, the No. 11 signal-caller in the land by ESPNU and the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports. THAT'S ALL I NEEDED IN TERMS OF A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE." "I THINK IT WAS THE FACT THAT COACH KELLY FEELS I CAN COMPETE FOR A STARTING JOB. ZAIRE ON WHY HE CHOSE NOTRE DAME OVER OFFERS FROM ALABAMA, CHILDHOOD FAVORITE OHIO STATE, PITTSBURGH, NEBRASKA AND SEVERAL OTHERS wants. That's definitely a special thing coming from Coach Kelly. He has a history of playing a lot of quar- terbacks, but he told me I have every- thing he wanted." And if Zaire succeeds with the "He feels I have everything he Irish he will be unique — according to our research, no lefty quarterback has played at Notre Dame since Art Parisen, who came off the bench to lead the Irish to a 13-12 victory over USC in 1926. Zaire is listed as a four-star prospect in February without having seen him throw in person, and Zaire verbally committed on March 25. Zaire led his prep squad to a 10-0 record be- fore falling in the first round of the playoffs. He ran for 1,093 yards and 15 touchdowns and was 36-for-82 passing for 729 yards with another five scores. "Notre Dame was just a special Notre Dame offered a scholarship by Rivals.com, Scout.com, 247Sports and ESPNU. He is also consid- ered the No. 7 quarterback and the No. 136 overall recruit nationally by 44 MAY 2012 said. "That's the biggest misconcep- tion with black quarterbacks that are labeled as dual-threat guys. I don't see it as a dual threat; I see it as a quarterback that is gifted enough athletically to make plays when the pocket breaks down. I don't really classify myself as a pro-style quar- terback either. I play the quarterback position pass first because that's what we're supposed to do." ✦ ter … Displays good footwork in the pocket, stays up on his toes to remain in an athletic position, has the ability to extend the play and throws well on the run —all traits that are key in a spread offense … Manages the play- action game well and that allows the offense to have more success in the ground game … After eluding the defender in the pocket, he returns to a power position in his throw … He's capable of running a sound read-option play, which will always be part of the offensive package, and he doesn't bail early when under pressure. Strengths Plays out of both shotgun and under cen- FILM ANALYSIS place that I thought was best for me," he said. "I've been in Catholic school all my life, so the transition wouldn't be that big of a deal for me. I felt very comfortable in that aspect, and the fact that the social networking in life after sports, the tradition and all that tency, but the ability to zip the ball with good throwing motion, release and follow through is there … A college weight program will also benefit him in terms of adding strength to his impressive frame … He shows a strong trust in his offensive line, so seeing how he handles additional pressure in the pocket will help indicate how seamless of a transition it will be to the collegiate level. Areas To Improve His arm strength could use more consis- — Jason Sapp BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED