2016 Projection: QB Brandon Wimbush

2015 STATISTICS: 3 comp., 5 att., 60.0 comp. %, 17 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT / 7 att., 96 rushing yards, 13.7 avg., 1 TD

His first season in South Bend was supposed to be a learning year, and a redshirt year for Brandon Wimbush. A season-ending injury to starting quarterback Malik Zaire not only impacted DeShone Kizer – his replacement in the starting lineup – it also thrust Wimbush into a backup role.

Instead of learning, Wimbush was one play away from being the starter in the final eleven games of the season. Wimbush saw action on two occasions, and in that very limited time he showed off the skills that made him one of the nation’s premier quarterback recruits in the 2015 class.

Wimbush ripped off a 58-yard touchdown run against UMass, but it was the run shown above that was more impressive. You see Wimbush’s unique combination of speed, elusiveness and strength as a runner on full display.

Wimbush’s first career pass was a bomb to Will Fuller, and despite it being an incompletion it showed the power he possesses in his right arm. His next pass showed his instincts and intelligence, traits that make him more advanced as a young player than both Zaire and Kizer were at the same stage in their careers.

On the second drive of his career, Wimbush threw an easy pass out to Torii Hunter Jr. for a 9-yard gain. What was impressive about the play was the fact UMass brought a corner blitz on the play, and Wimbush easily read it, calmly pulled the ball and quickly hit Hunter in the flats for an easy gain.

He was shaky in his second bit of action against Pittsburgh. Wimbush simply tried to do too much, and when he tried to avoid a blitz in the fourth quarter he was sacked and fumbled the ball away. Pittsburgh end E’juan Price picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown.

The expectation for Wimbush is that he will not play in 2016, giving him an opportunity to regain the redshirt season he lost last fall. If all goes well, Wimbush will have an opportunity to take a step back from the physical development and learn more about the mental part of quarterback play and grow in the offense.

That does not mean physical development won’t be important. Wimbush still has some lower body mechanical flaws that must and will be addressed. Now he can work on those areas without the pressure of getting ready for a game that Saturday.

If for some reason he is thrown into the mix, Wimbush will be expected to use his running ability, powerful right arm and high football IQ to do what is expected of the other two quarterbacks, lead Notre Dame to a victory every time it takes the field.

One in which he does not play a snap. This is likely not what Wimbush – or any competitive football player – wants to hear, but not playing this year is the very best thing for him.

By not redshirting last fall, Wimbush and Kizer actually enter the 2016 season with the same eligibility. A redshirt season this fall allows Wimbush to get some distance between himself and Kizer. It also allows him to focus on improving his game and enhancing his mental understanding of the offense without losing eligibility.