It is pretty clear that either Malik Zaire or Deshone Kizer will be the starting quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2016. The team hopes that both players can stay healthy enough to play the entire season, so this has led to the team looking to redshirt one of its top prospects from the 2015 class.
Last season, the Fighting Irish had slapped a redshirt on quarterback Brandon Wimbush. However, Zaire went down with a broken ankle and Kizer was hobbled during a game late in the season, which caused Wimbush to come into the game, breaking his redshirt.
Head coach Brian Kelly joined FOX Sports’ podcast The Audible to talk about the team shooting for a College Football Playoff appearance for the 2016 season. He then said that he expects Wimbush to take another redshirt, in hopes that he will be around after Zaire and Kizer are both gone.
“The goal would be to go in this year to redshirt him,” Kelly said on the show. “That’s why it was very important to get Ian Book out of California. He’s a very proficient passer. He’s going to be a long-reliever for us. He’s a very smart kid that can take that position (third-string) while we redshirt Brandon. And then we’ll let those two kids, DeShone (Kiser) and Malik, compete old-fashion (for the starting job). It’ll be wide open and let the best man win.”
Wimbush came to South Bend as a four-star member of Notre Dame’s 2015 class. He was the third-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country and the second-ranked overall player in the state of New Jersey.
In his two appearances in 2015, Wimbush rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown and completed just three passes for 17 yards. He is set to be a starter in the next few years for the Fighting Irish.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
