Former ND starter Malik Zaire frustrated with QB competition
Malik Zaire is growing frustrated with Notre Dame’s quarterback situation.
Zaire was the starter at the beginning of last year before suffering a season-ending broken ankle during the second game. DeShone Kizer came in, led the Irish to 10 wins and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.
However, Zaire contends that he beat Kizer out last spring and shouldn’t have to prove himself again.
“You just really wonder what it’s going to take to finally convince people enough that I’m able to do the job,” Zaire told the Associated Press. “I don’t make the decision. I’m going to keep balling and do what I need to do.”
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Zaire supplanted Everett Golson during the 2014 season and then earned the starting role for good the following spring. The change in quarterback caused Golson to transfer to Florida State. Zaire was impressive in a season-opening 38-3 win over Texas completing 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. However, Zaire’s resume is limited compared to Kizer’s and coach Brian Kelly said he doesn’t subscribe to the theory that players shouldn’t lose their starting role because of injury.
“He really didn’t have a body of work, where we could say, ‘Well, he won the starting job.’” Kelly said of Zaire. “I think what it’s allowed him to do is that DeShone Kizer had a very good body of work, and we’re opening up the competition.”
Zaire, Kizer and Brandon Wimbush are competing for the starting role this spring and Kelly said the competition is so close that he might not declare a starter for the fall. Instead, he might use different quarterbacks in different games depending on the situation.
The ordeal is similar to the one Ohio State faced last season with Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. Jones, who led the Buckeyes playoff run to a national title in 2014, won the starting role in the fall, but ultimately lost it to Barrett, who commanded the Buckeyes through the latter half of the season. Miller bowed out of the competition early and moved to receiver, a position he plans to play in the NFL.
However, none of Notre Dame’s three competitors seem ready to relent on their pursuit of the starting role, especially Zaire, who is going through his third spring QB competition in as many years.
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“I’m just going to continue to do what I need to do to help the team the best that I can do and things will come together as they should,” Zaire said. “So I’m not too worried about it. I know at some point whenever they give me my chance, I’m always going to take advantage of it.”
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