After months of speculation and debate, the biggest question fans and media alike have had about Notre Dame football has been answered.
Well, sort of.
Irish Head Coach Brian Kelly didn’t shy from the question Wednesday during Notre Dame media day, stating that both senior Malik Zaire and sophomore DeShone Kizer would play week one at Texas. Kelly, entering his seventh year as coach at Notre Dame, called both players outstanding and playmakers. He added that there’s not much left to see from the two during practices.
“We would just continue to practice and continue to see both of these guys make plays. So we’re going to play both of them at Texas,” Kelly said. “Both of them will play at Texas and both of them have been instructed to keep doing what they are doing.”
DeShone Kizer runs the ball during Wednesday’s Notre Dame practice. Photos by Stephanie Sokol/The Pit
But, this is just the plan for the season opener.
When asked if he eventually wanted to see separation between the two or if he had no issue playing both, Kelly said that they’d be reevaluated heading into the home opener against Nevada. Right now, the entire team is focused on the goal of beating Texas.
“It doesn’t bother me playing two going into the Texas game, and we’ll see what happens the next week against Nevada,” he said. “I’m focused strictly on Texas and we are best prepared to beat Texas by playing both DeShone and Malik.”
Kelly did state that he expected Kizer and Zaire to be a bit unhappy about the situation of sharing the role, but added that he knows they want what’s best for the team.
“I’m sure each one of them down deep wants to be the starting quarterback. Though they didn’t show it, I’m sure they are disappointed; that they want to be the starter,” Kelly said. “But they understand that my decisions are based upon what’s best for Notre Dame football, and not necessarily what’s in their best interest.”
Kizer and Zaire both reiterated Kelly’s remarks later to media, adding that the Notre Dame coach met with them together briefly Tuesday and dropped the bombshell on them.
“To say that we found out yesterday wouldn’t be accurate,” Kizer said. “We’ve had the same mindset going throughout camp that there’s a good chance we’d both be out there.”
Kizer added that he’s 100-percent confident in his head coach and committed to the mission of winning a national championship. He continued to say that the plans moving forward aren’t laid out, but that Kelly has made the decision and that’s what it is.
He went on to say that he’d like to see one guy be the guy for Notre Dame moving forward.
“I committed here to play college football and be that one guy,” Kizer said.
Malik Zaire runs the ball during Wednesday’s practice.
Zaire mirrored Kizer’s remarks, stating that it’s not an ideal situation but you have “to deal with the cards you’re dealt.”
“My whole goal is to turn chicken crap into chicken salad,” he said, laughing.
The 6-foot, 225-pound from Kettering, Ohio knows if he were playing anywhere else, he’d be the guy to start. He added that nothing at Notre Dame ever comes easy but he feels there are still a lot of opportunities for him with the program.
“At the end of the day, I have to treat it like a pro. I have to do what I still need to do and remember that it’s about winning games. That’s what I’ve always been about,” Zaire said.
Kelly said that instead of the offense evolving around the quarterback, the offense is it’s own entity that will play off the strengths of both quarterbacks. There would be slight differences in play calling regarding which of the two is on the field.
Notre Dame begins the season on the road at Texas Sunday, September 4.
“If I list our top five playmakers, they are in it,” Kelly said. “So my ultimate decision was I couldn’t put one of those guys on the sideline against Texas.”
