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TOMMY REES DESERVES BACKUP ROLE I t wouldn't be Notre Dame football with- out a quarterback controversy. Sophomore Everett Golson has, at least for now, locked up the starting job in South Bend. This week, the two hardest working letters on Notre Dame's depth chart, "or," slide down one spot and settle between juniors Andrew Hendrix and Tommy Rees battling for the No. 2 position. MURPHY'S LAW DAN MURPHY One quarterback battle closes just in time for another to begin. More than those two little letters separate Rees and Hen- drix from one another, though, making the former a clear choice for the backup job. Rees has essentially been the second- string guy since he arrived at Notre Dame in 2010. He jumped into a starter's role as a freshman after Dayne Crist's second knee injury. The following year he stepped in for Crist after 30 minutes of lackluster football and eventually supplanted him for good on the depth chart. His unique attitude and knowledge for the game make him a great fit as the Irish leader in the bullpen. At the crusty old age of 20, Rees is Notre Dame's veteran in the quarterback room. He is this team's version of Jon Kitna or Kerry Collins. By all accounts, he has thrived in the mentor role usually ascribed to NFL signal-callers that have passed their prime. Golson and Hendrix both said Rees' advice during the past month while he was serving a suspension for his May 3 arrest was invaluable. "He's a young man who really handled himself very well in a very tough set of circumstances," head coach Brian Kelly said this week, referring to Rees' selfless- ness while preparing two guys to take his job. "I think we all know that. He was a great teammate He handled himself the right way." Rees might be young, but he does have the experience required to be a mentor. He threw 32 touchdown passes in the last two years, which is more than all but five Irish quarterbacks in program history. He's staked a claim on the top-10 lists of 13 Notre Dame career records in just two partial seasons under center. He has started 16 games, with a 12-4 mark, and appeared in 20. The four games that he came off the bench are good preparation for a backup job. Rees' experience stretches back much further, though, to his family's kitchen table in middle school where he sat with his father and broke down game film. Next to Kelly, Rees might know more about the Irish offensive scheme than anyone else on the planet. He doesn't need first-team reps to be well versed in the game plan on a weekly basis. He has the knowledge base to run the entire offense on a moment' notice, which is precisely what a team wants from their No. 2 quarterback. Hendrix, on the other hand, has been often shaky in his six relief appearances in a Notre Dame uniform. The junior looked flustered on several occasions during the fourth quarter against Navy. He bobbled a handful of snaps. He abandoned a strong pocket and scrambled more than once. If the game in Dublin was any indication of what Hendrix and Golson did during training camp, their battle for the starting job must have been far shorter than Kelly claimed it to be. His tendency to tuck the ball and run makes Hendrix more one dimensional than his counterparts. He's Notre Dame's version of a closer in baseball — a strong arm and great athleticism, but his two A unique attitude and a strong knowledge of the game make Rees a good fit for the No. 2 QB job. good pitches aren't sustainable for long periods of time. Rees isn't without his flaws. His lack of mobility and arm strength, and his poor decision making at times, are all incred- ibly well documented. His ability to run the complete offense outweighs those neg- atives when searching for someone with the long-term ability to step in if needed. "We saw some of the things that we wanted in terms of ball security and good decision making, and we'll continue to work on that," Kelly said about Rees' im- provements this offseason. "Tommy is a very valuable player to our program. He's ✦ PAGE 18 PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA got a lot of experience, and we are happy to have him." If that sounds like lip service on paper, it's not. Kelly fully understands the value of having a player like Rees on his roster. Notre Dame, of course, wouldn't want any quarterbacks to transfer in search of playing time. Rees might not play another meaning- ful down of football in his life, but of the four guys the Irish have on scholarship he would be the most irreplaceable if he decided to try elsewhere. ✦ E-mail Dan at dmurphy@blueandgold.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @BGI_DanMurphy.