Brandon Wimbush Ready To Compete This Spring
At the beginning of Notre Dame’s 15-session spring season earlier this week, head coach Brian Kelly reversed course and proclaimed that sophomore Brandon Wimbush would be given the opportunity to compete with senior Malik Zaire and junior DeShone Kizer in the team’s quarterback derby.
On National Signing Day, Kelly had told FOX Sports columnist Bruce Feldman that Wimbush would redshirt in 2016 after appearing in two games as a freshman last fall. Whether the change in approach is partially or even mostly with the hope that it will keep the young signal-caller more engaged than if he knew he would not play in 2016 is unclear, but Wimbush is approaching this spring with the hopes of competing.
“It might sound cliched, but my mindset didn’t change really from when he made that first announcement to this past week’s announcement,” Wimbush said. “I prepare every day as if I’m going to be the starter. That’s the only way I can go about my business, and I can control only what I can control.”
When asked whether Kelly’s announcement of a planned redshirt one month ago caught him off guard, Wimbush laughed and said, “I’ll pass on that.”
The Teaneck, N.J., native is saying and doing all the right things, which includes acknowledging that he would find a redshirted 2016 season acceptable.
“Of course,” he said. “That would give me another year to learn the offense to a point where I’m comfortable with everything, so redshirting is obviously not a bad choice for me as a second-year quarterback and to be behind those guys again — Malik and DeShone — because they obviously have the experience and have been here for a little more time than I have, so it wouldn’t be so bad.”
Irish fans caught a glimpse of Wimbush’s potential last fall when the quarterback came in for mop-up duty in a 62-27 win over UMass. He showed off his arm — a cannon — and legs in the fourth quarter of the blowout.
“It's a little sprinkle of what I can do,” he said. “The coaching staff obviously knows what I can do. They saw me, they put me out there and trusted my abilities and I think I took care of business.”
“We know Brandon Wimbush has arguably the best arm on the team, and he’s extremely fast,” Kelly added Tuesday.
Wimbush understands how important experience is at the quarterback position and knows it will be difficult to overcome the 14 combined starts that Kizer (11) and Zaire (three) bring to the table. But he’s also hoping to let his raw talent define the competition.
“Experience is huge, especially at this level,” he said. “They have that over me, but I have to prove myself and what I can do and that I know the offense and build a trust between myself and the coaching staff and hopefully they'll be able to put me out there.”
One year ago, Kizer was the afterthought in a Zaire-Everett Golson quarterback competition until Golson transferred and Zaire suffered a fractured ankle. Then, suddenly, it became Kizer’s team. Wimbush learned then that the reality is a collegiate quarterback must always be ready to assume the No. 1 role.
“Indeed,” he said. “He didn’t know what the situation was going to be coming into the fall and he prepared and I saw how he prepared to be the starter, even as a third-string. I take into that mindset and follow his footsteps in how he went about his business and hopefully I’ll have the same opportunity in the next couple years to show my abilities.
“Preparing as if you’re the starter is something you have to do from the day you step on campus and I took great pride in doing that and when I get my opportunity to shine, I think I will.”
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