Notre Dame Lands QB Recruit Everett Golson: Epic Offseason Battle to Ensue

Awesome and interesting pick up. I wonder if the staff sees him as an every down QB or a change of pace type guy? I love the dual threat aspect he brings to the table and I am sure that Coach Kelly will take advantage of that. This does add yet another layer of intrigue to the off season QB battle. Nice problem to have.

I thought I read somewhere that Golson had decided not to enroll early. We’ll see. Somebody in another post hit it right on the head, I thought, when they made the comparison of Rees to Matt Lovecchio. I gotta admit, I wouldn’t be crushed if Crist transferred: I haven’t been overly impressed with his play, and he seems awfully fragile. Hendrix really intrigues me.

Personally, I would be crushed if Crist transferred. We’re talking about a guy with NFL-type skills. Of course he’s not at that level yet, as he has a lot of work to do in becoming a better overall passer, but he has size, arm strength and better-than-you-think athleticism (remember when he juked out Jabal Sheard?). Crist has two years of eligibility remaining, and I’d like to see how he progresses over the off-season before I give up on him. He’s too gifted for that.

Hoss, I’m not trying to be snarky here, but your comment about Hendrix intriguing you is very telling on so many levels. There’s just something about college players that we’ve never seen play that is very enticing. I can remember when Clausen was recruited, and I had daydreams of Peyton Manning running through my head. Clausen did eventually become a pretty good QB, but he wasn’t so good as a freshman and was inconsistent as a sophomore. I liked it a lot better when I hadn’t seen him play than when I actually did, is what I’m trying to say. These kids that haven’t played yet, we can dream on them. Andrew Hendrix sound pretty talented, and man that is intriguing. Dayne Crist? Intriguing once upon a time, but now we’ve seen him throw incompletions and interceptions so it’s on to the next guy. I fall for this trap as much as anybody else; it’s just too easy to dream about a freshman pass rusher becoming Lawrence Taylor, or a receiver becoming a combination of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. And then once we see them fail a time or two…onto the next freshman. Out with Crist, in with Hendrix, out with Fleming, in with Shembo…and we never stop and realize that just a few years earler it was out with Morrice Richardson and in with Fleming, so maybe we should ease up on the expectations and let them prove themselves first.

Whiskey,

From what I gather, it looks like he will (eventually) be an every-down QB. There was some talk about him playing another position, but I think he’s too good at QB to play anywhere else. Watching the tape on him, I am very impressed with his throwing ability. The athleticism looks great too, no doubt, but his passing skills look very refined and his training is perfect for this Kelly offense.

Hoss,

I’ve read many places that he will enroll early. If he doesn’t, we can chalk him up for a redshirt.

Rees comparisons to Lovecchio are fine with me, I can see that. I just think that this offense is so much more QB friendly than Willingham’s and it doesn’t really take a highly skilled guy, as much as a smart guy, to move the ball.

Hendrix intrigues me as well. Watching his tapes, I’ve thought he was the future at QB. Golson might throw a wrench in that plan though.

Chris,

I don’t think Crist tranfers, he seems to much of a “Notre Dame guy” to leave, but you never know.

He certainly has the talent and skill set (although I think his lack of mobility and athleticism really is going to be a problem as Hendrix and Golson get older), and he showed flashes of being a really great QB.

But, I also think we live in a world where anybody can step on the field and become a star. I don’t think it’s like 1967 when freshmen never played and sophomores barely did either.

I’d agree with you that we always think the next guy is going to be better or a star, but sometimes that 5-star guy (Crist) just never gets there and in a blink of an eye a younger guy comes in and plays so much better. Just look at Mustain’s career and how Barkley passed him at USC. I think it happens a lot more often in college than we think.

Watching Golson’s tape, he seems to be a throw-first Denard Robinson. Small, dual-threat, athletic and very talented; but Golson is a serious passing threat where Robinson is more dangerous running.

For far too long, ND has had one anointed QB who carried the program on his shoulders; no longer. Will be very interesting to see how genuine depth and competition at the position turns out.

Ryan,

That’s a good description of Golson. I am incredibly impressed with his passing abilities.

Chris, guilty as charged on getting a little smitten with the next guy in line (so to speak). Hendrix tape is what sold me, and yes, I know those are the selected plays that I’ve seen. I’m just not impressed at all with Crist, and I feel like a dick for saying it because he seems like such a great kid. I cringe every time that he’s going to throw to his left…I can’t imagine I’m the only one that has noticed his troubles with throwing against his body. He just seems to blank-out sometimes (and again, there’s the fragility issue). Maybe my expectations were too high for him because he was such a vaunted recruit, and maybe him not coming in blowing me away has left me feeling a little dissatisfied.

I

Eric,
Everything new I’ve read does say he’s enrolling early. The other reports I had read said he wasn’t enrolling early because of basketball (averages 19.6 a game, nice).

I don’t see a QB controversey setting up. First, it’s nearly impossible to say that Reese outperformed Crist (ppg/completion percentage/completions to int/turnovers) and Crist had to play against superior teams (Stanford/Mich St.) with a defense that did not perform like they did for Reese. Second, given the foregoing, it would be a totally unneccessary distraction. All I see is a clear line of succession. We have another year of Crist. Two of Hendrix and two of Golson. Easy and drama-free.

mcs,

There’s always going to be drama.

First, Crist has two more years of eligibility.

And at some point there’s probably going to be a clash between Hendrix and Golson. Especially if Golson doesn’t redshirt.